Debra Kasowski, Author at Debra Kasowski

Episode 49: Creating the Collaborative Advantage

December 1, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Subscribe: RSS

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”
― Helen Keller

The saying “If you can’t beat them join them.” holds true when it comes to creating the collaborative advantage. The collaborative advantage is the ability to form beneficial and rewarding relationships with other businesses and organizations. When forming a collaboration, it is important to create a relationship that has mutual benefits in which both feel like they’ve achieved a win-win toward meeting their goals. It’s not a trade-off that if I do this for you that you will do this for me that’s not true collaboration. Many partnerships are screened for their financial contribution, however in their missing the key piece in a successful collaboration-the people.

Commitment can be high in collaboration when the value is available to both parties in a joint venture or partnership that are not in direct competition but actually complement each other. There can be barriers preventing collaboration. The barriers may occur with shared values and goals as well as behaviours. Having shared values is a good thing, there are times when collaborators try to please each other and they’re afraid to call things out when something goes wrong. Behaviours that can impact the collaboration are not seeking help or asking for help when needed, having the belief that you need to solve it all yourself, and also you may face people who were unwilling to help.

Even though we’re looking for cooperation, collaboration should not be confused with teamwork. Teamwork is when you work together to meet a common goal or vision whereas collaboration is when you work together to meet your individual or organizational goals. For example, you may see a car manufacturing company collaborate with the sound system company to ensure high-quality sound systems in their vehicles. They are working together for the interests of their own organizations. In working together you are gaining new perspectives and have the ability to brainstorm creative and innovative solutions.

“As a collaborative leader, you support people in their work—you remove roadblocks and help them win.”
― Kenneth H. Blanchard

There may be times when you need to know when not collaborate with others. There is a cost to collaborating that sometimes people don’t consider resources, money, and time. Learn and forecasts your return on investment.

There are times when the collaborative advantage is more valuable than a competitive advantage. You get to expand your network and available resources. Creating the collaborative advantage requires strategic intent. It’s important to listen and understand align with the needs of each business and organization. There has to be a commitment to the partnership.

This partnership or collaboration creates accountability and you have an opportunity to learn from each other. This is paramount. It is important to have agreements in writing as to what each partner is willing to do and not do. There needs to trust that each partner is working for the best interest of working together even though they are working for their own business and organizational gain. Boundaries need to be in place. You may even consider having an exit strategy where partners have permission to withdraw from the partnership.
Business and organizational relationships are no different than personal relationships. People need to know like and trust a business or organization before they plan to do any business with it. Conflicts and misunderstandings may occur. It is important to recognize that each party may have their own opinions and it is okay to respectfully disagree. You will just need to work together in figuring out a solution.

“When people feel trusted, they’ll begin to understand they are contributors–and you’ll get great ideas and happy people.”
― Eunice Parisi-Carew

It’s important to note that when you take the time to get to know the people of the organization that you will be able to have more influence than if you would just looking at the financial advantage. As you get to know the strengths and talents of each partner, you will be able to recognize ways to leverage it to your advantage. When someone finds you relatable based on having a family or pets or a similar hobby, they may be more apt to choose you over a competitor because you show up as a person first. A collaboration that brings out the best in each partner ends up creating a competitive advantage.

Questions to Ask Yourself When Creating a Collaborative Advantage:

How will this get me closer to my goals or my organization’s goals?
What is my level of commitment to creating this collaborative advantage?
What would I like to learn from this partnership?
How will we hold each other accountable?
In what ways, can we encourage co-operation within our teams?
What are the boundaries that need to be in place?
How can this collaboration bring out the best in us?
What are the needs of my partner and how can I understand how I can help them fulfil those needs?

Who would you like to create a collaborative advantage with? Accelerate your results by collaborating with others.

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Time: 09:03 min

Keywords: collaboration, collaboration advantage, cooperation, working together, collaborating with clients, sustainability, competitive advantage, accountability, creating a collaborative advantage

Why Having a Plan B is Holding Your Success Hostage

November 30, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Many people believe that if Plan A doesn’t work out it’s great to have a Plan B in your back pocket. When I was growing up, it was important to have a backup plan and if Plan B didn’t work you would go down the alphabet that all the way to down to Plan Z. Plan B can actually be a barrier and hinder your success. You could actually be setting yourself up for failure. Just because you hit some obstacles with Plan A doesn’t mean you automatically have to jump to Plan B or give up on Plan A altogether. This obstacle may be giving you the extra time you need to really think things through and decide how to move forward. It may be challenging you and testing whether or not you truly are as passionate about Plan A as you say you are. This test is one of commitment.

Quit holding yourself hostage from achieving your goals and start being the person you wish to show up as in the world. Plan A is only successful as the actions you take to make it become reality. No action, no results. Plan B becomes the default plan. It is where a person goes when they think that they’re not there to be successful.

“There’s no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from plan A.”― Will Smith

Let’s call Plan A your “true goal” or “ultimate outcome”. If you spend time focusing or creating Plan B, you are no longer spending your time and attention on what you really want which is Plan A. Your energy and attention will be focused on creating a successful Plan B should Plan A not work out. Your passion will wane because you will start beginning to think that Plan A is not likely to happen and you will be less motivated to put in the effort to make Plan A become a reality.

You cannot truly build a successful plan a while you are building Plan B at the same time. When your attention and focus are split and therefore you’re not putting in the 100% effort into either plan. In order to succeed, you need to be able to put your full attention and focus on your end goal. Your end goal is your target of what you’re aiming for. When having two plans and two targets, you can lose focus on where you want to put your time and energy and get off track. Eventually, you will see Plan B start gaining some traction. Opportunities and successes will arrive and you will look longingly and Plan A and wonder, “What happened? This is not what I really wanted.”

If you catch yourself spending more time than you thought focused on Plan B, it is time to stop and evaluate where you are. Make a decision to focus on Plan A. You will be motivated and passionate about what you do. Your happiness will be the driver of your actions. Spend your time, attention, and focus on creating the successful Plan A. As you start taking consistent actions toward Plan A, you will notice that Plan B will become an afterthought. Plan B is not a default due to risks or failure. It is another options – the backup should A fail. Why plan for failure? Spend more time planning for your success and what it will mean to you and those it impacts. When you start seeing results, you will be putting, even more, energy into ensuring those results are sustainable and successful. How do I know this? I caught myself focusing on Plan B and I started to see Plan A slip away. I knew if I did not do something soon I would be on the fast track to making Plan B the new Plan A even though it was not what I truly wanted. When I shifted gears and focused on Plan A, results started to occur.

If Plan A is truly what you want, why are you denying yourself? Don’t let anyone talk you out of making Plan A become your reality especially yourself. Go after it and take the steps you need to make it happen. Success may be only an action away!

9 Simple Strategies to Improve Your Decision-Making Skills

November 29, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

When decisions need to be made, most people evaluate their options with the tried-and-true list of pros and cons. Although this may be helpful, it is not always the most effective decision-making tool. For example, if someone asks you if you can complete a task, you may you look at your to-do list to see if you can fit on your list versus checking your calendar to see if you have any available time. If you do use a pros and cons list, use it to help make your decisions with the understanding and focus on your goal to ensure that you will be on the right track. The one question people often fail to ask is: How will this decision get me closer to that outcome or results I desire?”

“You can’t make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.”
― Michelle Obama

If it doesn’t, why are you doing it?

There are simple strategies that you can implement that will improve your decision-making skills.

Goal/Outcome: Be clear on what it is you wish to achieve.
Assess:

Where are you at?
What are the options available?
What are the pros and cons?
Relevance: Does it take you closer to your goals or further away?

Resources:

What are the resources available? How can you mobilize those resources?

Risks:

What are the potential risks?

Research – Do your homework. Find out as much you can about a situation and the background. Ask questions.

What are the facts? Success rates?

Impact:

What and who is impacted by this decision?

Interventions and actions:

What steps or actions are necessary to get you closer to your goal?
What are the potential risks or obstacles in the way of getting the outcome that you want?

Gut Check/Intuition. What does your gut tell you? Remember not to over analyze everything.
Ask Powerful questions:

What is working?
What’s not working?
What do I need to stop doing?

Now you have all the information you need to make a decision. Separate facts from emotions. When your emotions are high or you feel threatened, it is not a good time to make a decision. Your brain goes into protection mode. Sometimes you need to take some quiet time to think or get into a different environment for a short time. Don’t be afraid to consult others who may have been in similar situations. They may save you some heartache by sharing their experiences. It does not mean history will repeat success or failure. There will be a lesson to learn as with many things in life and business. Each step requires simple actions. Follow them to help you get the results you want to achieve- or better.

Episode 48 – How to Be Insanely Great as a Leader

November 29, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2NiG1Yg-58[/embedyt]

Dr. Mark Goulston

markgoulston-original Widely regarded as a “people hacker,” Dr. Goulston began his career as an interventional psychiatrist focusing on suicide and violence intervention and prevention and UCLA professor of psychiatry. He then extended his work to training FBI and police hostage negotiators and then to the corporate world and NGOs.

His “people hacking” has now extended to, “hacking genius,” and he has recently been speaking, writing and providing webinars on “Insanely Great! How to Think Like Steve Jobs.” Along with that he helps companies to see into their futures the way Jobs could. By the way, it is not that difficult, it’s just difficult to envision a different paradigm when you’re within your own paradigm. You know the saying, “When you’re a hammer, the world looks like a nail.”

Past or present companies or institutions, he has worked with or spoken to include: Harvard Business School, IBM, Mattel, Coca Cola, Toyota, Hyatt, Accenture, Ernst & Young, Sodexo, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Northern Trust, Northwest Mutual, YPO, UCLA, USC, University of Alabama, American Bar Association, NACD.

Including, “Just Listen,” Dr. Goulston is the author of seven books with his first book, Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior, first published in 1996 being in the top 5 self-help books at Amazon for the last seven years. His most recent book is Talking to Crazy: How to Deal with the Irrational and Impossible People in Your Life and was recently Oprah.com featured book and was nominated as an Audie Award 2016 Finalist.

He writes for Biz Journals, Harvard Business Review, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Fast Company and Psychology Today and appears widely in the media including CNN, Wall St. Journal, NY Times, Fortune and Forbes.

He serves on the Board of Advisors of Health Corps, Brainrush and Truli Media.

Dr. Goulston earned a BA from UC Berkeley, MD from Boston University School of Medicine, Post Graduate Psychiatry Residency from UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He was selected as one of America’s Top Psychiatrists in 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011 by the Consumers Research Council of America.

Interview Length: 54:56 minutes

Keywords: listening, Steve Jobs, Dr. Mark Goulston, getting through to anyone, connection, intentional listening, communication, relationships, interpersonal relationships, Just Listen

Episode 47 – Becoming a Charismatic Leader

November 24, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

“When you put together deep knowledge about a subject that intensely matters to you, charisma happens. You gain courage to share your passion, and when you do that, folks follow.”
― Jerry Porras

Think about a leader you know who alive or dead who has demonstrated charisma. They are the leader who is described as having an “aura” or a presence. They are that person who walks into a room that grants people’s attention.

Who is that person?

42314252 - motivational speaker talking to businesspeople in boardroom

You suddenly become curious as they light up the room with their presence. Some historical leaders that have been described as having charisma are individuals like John F. Kennedy, Gandhi, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Oprah, Martin Luther King Jr., and Winston Churchill. You may think you need to be a celebrity to be spotlighted as a charismatic leader. You do not have to- people will magnetically be drawn to you.

Some people describe the charismatic leader as someone who is charming and persuasive. They have what people call the likability factor. They can build rapport and trust quickly with others. A charismatic leader is value driven and there is alignment in their words and actions. Charisma is a quality or characteristic that can be developed.

Charismatic leaders:

Take action. They do not sit on the sidelines or wait for permission when they know something needs to be done. They take initiative.
Take genuine interest in others. They put judgments aside and shift to a place of curiosity by asking questions about the other person. Eye contact, warm body language, and facing the person (s) they are speaking with are also distinct features of their communication style. They have an amazing engaging personality that naturally draws people in. They actively listen – listen more to what is being said than talking. They are good conversationalists and can start a conversation with anyone and leave that person thinking that they were the most important person in the world. In those moments, they were.
Speak with intention and conviction. These leaders create a compelling vision and articulate their message eloquently. They are confident in their message and communicate thoughtfully. They are committed to their cause. Pay attention to the words they use. Are they positive and affirming? Are they empowering people or tearing them down? Can you pick up on any self-doubt? The way they say those words and the tone they use is even more powerful than the words themselves. They do not speed through conversation. They slow down and they are deliberate with punctuating certain words and pausing between statements. There is lowered to communicate the importance of their message.
Always present. Leaders who are able to be fully engaged and be in the moment are described as being “present”. They are not distracted by fleeting thoughts or what they need or ought to be doing. They focus on being present in the here and now. They have the ability to remember people’s names or details of a conversation. They have a positive attitude.
Tell stories to communicate and make a point to be learned. People are drawn into stories. They see themselves in stories and learn from another’s experiences.
Stand tall with good posture and have an authentic smile. A real smile engages the eyes.
Dress for success. When you dress well, you tend to perform well. You set a standard for yourself and others. Ensure that your clothing fits you well. If it is too big, get it tailored to you. Your shoes should be polished and in good condition. If you pay attention to the details of how your dressed, it is believed that you will also pay attention to the details of your performance.

In the seconds, you walk into a room, a first impression is made. Make it long lasting. The way you dress, communicate, and act reflects how you will perform. Although this may not be true 100% of the time, the majority of the time it is.

“Stand tall and be proud. Realize confidence is charismatic and something that is something money can’t buy, it radiates from within you.”
― Cindy Ann Peterson

Time: 8:52 min

Keywords: charisma, charismatic, charismatic leadership, how to become a charismatic leader, charismatic leadership theory, speak with conviction, conversationalist, telling stories, executive presence, likeability factor