Blog Archives - Page 12 of 85

How to Get Rid of the Fear of ‘Putting Yourself Out There’ Once and For All

February 5, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Anyone who wants to grow in their business or in their leadership skills has to learn how to put themselves out there. Putting yourself out there doesn’t mean exposing yourself and every little intimate detail of your life. It is about getting out amongst people and learning about the world around you. The secret sauce is about being curious about what matters most to people and putting yourself out there.

“Believe that if you make courageous choices and bet on yourself and put yourself out there, that you will have an impact, as a result of what you do. And you don’t need to know now what that would be or how will it happen because no one ever does.” – Dick Costolo

Does thought of networking make you queasy?

If you’re shy and feel uncomfortable in networking situations, you might find yourself hiding behind your computer with every excuse why not to go to a networking event. You tell yourself you don’t really like to meet people. Although this may be true, the greater truth may be that you’re more afraid to fail in front of others or say the wrong thing. You may also be afraid to succeed, for the fear of the unknown and how your life will change. Uncertainty can hold you hostage and you may sabotage yourself by letting your imagination go wild with all the “what if” situations that would not support you. You are in the people business. You need to connect with people.

Imagine what it would be like to meet like-minded people who could introduce you to other like-minded people to ensure that your pipeline of clients is consistently filled forget the promotion you have been longing for. How would that feel?

Pretty amazing I bet!

People don’t know how great you are and until you show them. They want to know how you will help them. Don’t let your own fears hold you back from providing value to others.

Focus on providing value instead of focusing on your fear. Every person does not like to be put in the spotlight as they feel exposed and vulnerable. You may worry about what others will think of you or wonder if people will like you or your ideas. You may fear being rejected as the expert you see yourself to be. When it comes to your clients, who knows more about your subject matter than you? Most people are wondering what you are thinking about them and their ideas.

If you want to grow and being known as the go-to resource for expert, exposure in the marketplace if necessary. You have to take the risk of putting your ideas and opinions out there.

No, you won’t appeal to everyone but that’s the beauty of it.

This is the exact reason why there is such abundance in the world. Each individual cannot serve everyone and they may not appeal to everyone and that is okay. There is more than enough business to go around for everyone.

“You put yourself out there in the truest way you can and hope others do the same. You’ll connect or you won’t, but you did what you could. “ – Chris Crutcher

Shift your thinking from self-promotion to self-expression. You may think that self-promotion is bragging and conceited. Self-promotion is about promoting oneself and it doesn’t have to mean that you’re arrogant or that you’re better than the next person. If I’m hiring you to do a job, I will look for the person who can best represent themselves and what they stand for. It will come down to how they express themselves. How you express yourself and what you stand for and how you take interest in others will demonstrate your core values and what you believe in.

Whether you’re putting a post on social media or writing your bio for an article, you want to be able to express how you provide solutions and can help others along their journey. Your expression may be in the form of photos, comments, or sharing a little bit about yourself in order to make yourself relatable to those around you. Think about what you’re expressing and how it may help others. Does it inspire? Does it encourage action taking? Does it help people reflect and think about their own situations?

Take action now. Too many people talk themselves out of taking action because they feel that they’ve missed the opportunity but what they’re really doing is coming up with an excuse as to why they haven’t taken action. You can always find evidence for whatever you believe to be true as it is your reality. It is never too late. If you’re waiting for everything to be perfect, you will miss out on those opportunities. New opportunities will arise for you to take action on. Remember that your work in progress in you can adjust your course along the way.

Every successful story from Eleanor Roosevelt to Oprah Winfrey required that they put themselves out there regardless of their fears to share their voice. Their circumstances weren’t perfect. They grew and learned along the way and put new knowledge into action. As one action didn’t work they would try another while they stayed focused and determined to move forward.

You can create your success story by taking the actions required to put yourself out there even when you are afraid. Know that you’re never alone as the like-minded people around you are often experiencing the same thing that you are but never have had the courage to share it with you. As you put yourself out there, you’ll quickly learn that many feel the same as you and you can be reassured that the courage that it takes for you to push through your fears, shift your thinking and take imperfect action, you will be inspiring others to do the same.

Debra Kasowski is an award-winning 2X bestselling author, professional speaker, certified executive coach, and podcast host of The Millionaire Woman Show which discusses topics of leadership, business, and human potential. She has interviewed influencers like Bob Burg from the Go-Giver, Dr. Mark Goulston, John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneur on Fire, and TEDx Speaker Teresa de Grosbois. Debra has the heart of a teacher and certified in the areas of Emotional Intelligence and Appreciative Inquiry a positive approach to change. Her work has been published in a variety of traditional and online media. 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

Collaboration versus Competition – Which One is Better?

January 14, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

We’ve all heard about having the competitive edge. When it comes to business and the work being done in organizations, the competitive edge occurs when each individual is honing their own skills therefore enhancing the effectiveness of teamwork.

Collaboration is often referred to as the new competition. Shifting from a “Me to We” mentality. The problems faced tend to be more complex and one person alone can’t always come up with a solution. It is becoming more important to tap into the diversity of your people. They come from diverse backgrounds, have a wide variety of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and possess different strengths and experiences. Tapping into this rich resource can demonstrate how much more you can accomplish as a group versus what you can accomplish alone. When faced with challenges, you can use this as an opportunity to see things differently. Innovation emerges from the creativity of many people.

Collaboration is key as it allows everyone to have a voice and feel that their ideas are valued. When the focus is on one’s personal gain versus the collective outcome there can be division in the vision. Let’s say that two agents in the same company are focused on getting this sale of one client. The client may develop mistrust or even encounter are a negative experience because the focus between the two agents is on competition and they may seek to sabotage the efforts of each other. Competition should begin and end with you. It is the ability to push yourself to give your best.

Collaboration between team members is developed through connection and engagement. It is important to inform a network of support as you work together. Too many people scramble to develop a network in tough situations. Whereas in if you would have developed them along the way when you need it there readily available. When you work well together with other team members you naturally increase your team’s performance. The team starts to see themselves as part of the vision. When the team sees themselves as part of the vision, this is where true teamwork emerges. The people start to realize that the vision does not exist only at the top of the organization but within them.

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

Competition is natural and it may be natural that you may feel intimidated when faced with competition. This follows its Competition can lead to insecurity and uncertainty. When you focus on the competition, you can drain your energy. You may even start questioning yourself and doubting your abilities. What is worse is that you may start copying or patterning yourself to be much more like the competition then separating you from the competition and being unique. You end up being another flavour of the day. You may even hoard your talents instead of using them to benefit the vision of the team.

When people are competing, they will back away from responsibilities if they don’t believe it is their job. Whereas, in teamwork, people often jump in and do things without being asked.

The only good thing that I can see about competition is that can discourage complacency and push an individual to work harder. There can be friendly competitions within the team but they can be used to challenge members of the team so that they can learn from each other in collaboration. Instead of making incentives monetary-based, consider having team members focused on performance and productivity in the way of the number of follow-up phone calls completed, the number of gratitude cards sent out, the number of lead conversions, and the number of e-mails addressed or cleaned out of the inbox. Find ways to drive results and improved performance by working collaboratively.

The true competition should be you becoming a better version of yourself. At the end of the day, wouldn’t it be more effective to utilize and leverage the strengths of the people within your business or organization to make a difference, make a change, or increase your profit margin?

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

Episode 61 – Master Your Time Minimize Your Stress

January 12, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

“Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.”
― Carl Sandburg

Do you waste time? We all talk about how we wish we had more time yet we all are given the same amount of time. It is about how we allot that time to what’s important to us. People like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Junior, Michael Jordan, and Albert Einstein all had the same amount of time as you do. It is all about how you chose to use that time to be of service or to better yourselves.

When we think about time, we often think about multitasking how to get more packed into the time that we have. The truth is – multitasking is a myth. Think about it when you read and listen to music you are only concentrating on reading or listening to music. You cannot be focused on both the same time. The same holds true for sitting in a business meeting and texting someone. You are actually switching the gears and shifting from one activity to in the next with your attention and focus. This is why we see a huge emergence on the topic of mindfulness. If you want to master your time, you need to be present in the moment and focus on what you’re doing. It’s about really thinking about what you’re doing and how you’re feeling before you act and determining what are the outcomes you want to achieve.

Time escapes no one. Entrepreneurs, business owners, and executives are confronted with managing their time more effectively and more efficiently all time. They need to be organized and have to have systems in place to be efficient. They have constant demands on their time and resources. You are asked to do more with less on a regular basis. If you work from home, you don’t have anyone to hold you accountable and therefore you may stay hidden behind the computer and waste your time more than you think.

There are several strategies that you can use to stay focused and become better organized:

Set regular office hours. I know that part of having your own business is about being able to be flexible and adaptable with your time. You need to create some structure to your working time so that you can use it most effectively. Often when people work from home family members or friends may think that you’re not actually working and available to run errands or grab a cup coffee. Sometimes you can be spontaneous but there will be other times that you will not be because you have commitments and deadlines to meet.
Use your calendar intentionally. If you don’t write things down chances are they’re not getting it done. Block off time for self-care, physical activity, and time with family and friends.
Keep a clock or set a timer nearby. You may want to set the timer on your phone. When you create that sense of urgency, you will stay focused on the amount of time that you have to get things done.
Plan your day the night before. Too many people take this step for granted. If you plan the night before of what you need to do, you don’t have to spend time thinking about it when you’re ready to take on your day you move into action.
Organize your files in groupings or categories. You may want to create files by project or by sales, marketing, finance, or social media as examples. This way when you want to work on that particular topic you can just grab the file. Put some index cards or post-it notes with each file should you need to make notes and it will be readily available.
Turn off pop-up notifications on mobile devices and your desktop. These notifications are very distracting as you want to know who texted you or who sent you a message. Suddenly it feels like there’s something urgent to tend to.
Limit the times you check your e-mail and social media throughout the day. When you stay focused on the certain times you will find that you are more productive throughout the day.
Batch tasks together. If you are preparing content for articles or podcast, block off 2 to 3 hours only for that activity. Block off an additional time for coaching and if you have sales calls that need to be made you may dedicate a certain time of day for doing that.
Use the checklist for repetitive tasks in order to reduce error and stay on track. In Atul Gawande’s book, The Checklist Manifesto, he talks about how the checklist can help minimize error and ensure that all important activities get done. When things get routine, it is easy to become complacent or assume that things are getting done.
Allow buffer time of 5 to 10 min. in between activities. Give yourself some time to finish off the task and cleared your mind and your desk so you can move on to the next activity effectively.
Take breaks every 30 minutes. You may get up for a stretch, a short walk, or a glass of water to give yourself a chance to recharge. Going full tilt all the time is not sustainable and if you don’t allow yourself breaks and time off you can burn yourself out. You will not be effective for anyone.
Dress for success. Although it may be cool to stay in your pajamas all day, dress to impress you. When you dress well you will perform well. Stay on top of your game.
Remember to get enough sleep. You deal with the stressors of the day more effectively if you are well rested.

When it comes to mastering time and minimizing stress, you need to be able to deal with the interruptions of the day. They’re going to happen so you might as well plan for them.

You can put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign when you need to stay focused and get something done in order to meet a deadline.

When someone says, “I just talk to you for a minute.”, and you know you’re busy; let them know what you’re working on, and arrange of mutual time for further discussion.

There will be times when someone asks for that minute and you really need to listen and determine what the impact would be if you held it off. You can choose to be distracted and have your work disrupted or you can choose to be proactive. You might decide to have a certain time of day set aside when people can come to you with their issues.

There may be times when you look need to learn to say “No” and not take on more than you can handle.

The other thing you can do is move to a space where you can do the work totally uninterrupted without distraction. Deadlines are pressing and sometimes you need to have time alone to get what you need to do – done.

The whirlwinds of the world will continue to show up. You need to remember that you are the master of your time and you can minimize the stress that comes with it feels like your time is being stolen. Be proactive rather than reactive with your time. Get up early to seize the day! You have 24 hours what are you going to do with?

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!

Time: 11:38 min

Keywords: time management, timer, organizational strategies, entrepreneur hacks, biz tips, business, professional development, master your time, minimize your stress, how to manage time, dealing with interruptions, time management skills, checklists, planning, time management strategies

Expect the Unexpected by Taking a Coach Approach in Difficult Conversations

December 18, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Anticipating a difficult conversation can be gut wrenching at times. We let our imagination go in so many different directions as to how the person might respond or even react. We make assumptions and judgments before we even walk in a room. No matter what the difficult conversation is, I am always surprised in some way as to how the conversations turn out. Not only do I learn a little bit about the other person, I learned a lot about myself.

As I reflect on some challenging situations in which difficult conversations had to be had, I may prepare and plan and there will be sometimes the plan needs to get pushed aside because the unexpected occurs. There will be times when a conversation doesn’t go as planned. There’ll be more times that your conversation will go better than expected if you are able to recognize your own emotions and how they are serving you before you enter the conversation.

By taking a coach approach to a difficult situation, you help others become self-reflective and more self-aware. When a person is self-aware, change may begin. You can step into a difficult conversation with ease when you go win with the expectation that the unexpected may occur.

1. Be open minded. When you enter a conversation, Park your judgments and assumptions at the door. Your preconceived ideas only taint the situation. If you come from a place of curiosity you will learn so much more.

“The single most important thing [you can do] is to shift [your] internal stance from “I understand” to “Help me understand.” Everything else follows from that. . . .

Remind yourself that if you think you already understand how someone feels or what they are trying to say, it is a delusion. Remember a time when you were sure you were right and then discovered one little fact that changed everything. There is always more to learn.”

― Douglas Stone, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most

2. Trust the process… Detach from the outcome. Ask questions that allow you to gain more information and then ask more questions. Allow the person to share their story. Avoid asking “Why?” or “How?” as these questions tend to put people on the defensive. Ask “What?” questions to explore.

3. Let go-don’t take things personally. When emotions are high, people can say and do things that they normally wouldn’t say to you. Long-winded e-mails or e-mails in CAPLOCKS say more about the other person than they do you. Do not respond right away especially if your emotions have shifted to high. You may choose to pick up the phone or meet in person instead of making assumptions about a person’s intent or tone in an email.

A person’s reaction or response is based on their perception of the world or situation. It is up to you to learn and understand what that perception is. Their reaction is often not about you; it’s how they feel about the situation. They may be triggered by something in their past or even their environment and you have no clue what that may have been.

4. Acknowledge the courage it takes for the person expressing themselves. It takes a lot of energy to have the courage to be vulnerable in front of your peers or colleagues. Take notice of the effort it takes to share their feelings as no one wants to be seen as weak and often this is what hinders people from asking for help when it is truly needed.

5. Clarify any misunderstandings. Now that you have heard the other person’s perception, ask for permission to share yours. This is your opportunity to ask more questions or further discuss each other’s perceptions of the situation.

6. Discuss next steps. Everything is laid out on the table. Now you have the opportunity to talk about the next steps and how you plan to move forward together. There may be times when you agree to disagree. No matter what the situation looks like there needs to be a plan to move forward. What will that look like?

7. Express gratitude. Thank the other person for meeting with you to have the discussion as this was an opportunity to be curious and to learn more.

When you take the time to be fully present in open, you become curious and willing to gain a full understanding of the situation. You don’t allow hearsay or your imagination to dictate what the outcome may be.

There have been times when people have vented their thoughts and I do know what to say. What I learned is that if I ask questions and stay curious I can discover what the ideal is that the person is trying to express. I can read frame they’re venting energy and ask them what that ideal is. There have also been times when people have been so overwhelmed in their lives that they didn’t hear a person’s concern or see the help that someone was offering until there was some quiet time to self-reflect. I find these to be some of the most rewarding conversations because there is no agenda and there is a free-flowing dialogue in which everyone is heard, valued, and appreciated. Be open to expecting the unexpected by using a coach approach to a difficult conversation and you will be pleasantly surprised.

How to Do More with Less on Your Next Project

December 3, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

No matter what the project is, it seems as though everyone is asking to do more with less. There seems to be increasing pressures on scarce resources and demands on time. Team members are becoming exhausted and overworked and morale and motivation of the team are going down. Is it even possible to do more with less without impacting quality?

When it comes to doing more with less, it really comes down to being efficient and productive and paying attention to the smaller details. How do we do that? We do this by examining the processes, the resources, the demands, the risks, and the timelines. No one wants to sacrifice the quality of their work as it impacts the reputation of being known for delivering the end results. If you manage a project, you know that you need to really streamline your deliverables and processes all while continuing to motivate your team and keep your stakeholders informed. You must be focused to ensure that none of the deliverables that you are juggling fall out of place.

There are several things that you can do to become more productive and do more with less:

Take on fewer projects on or prioritize deliverables. It is important to identify what is critical to a project to get the outcome desired. It is about keeping things simple in a complex system. Using smart goals to map out the plan.
Communicate with your team and your stakeholders on a regular basis. It is important to clarify responsibilities, processes, expectations, and the delivery of feedback. Everyone needs to be kept in the loop. It is also important to communicate what roles and responsibilities need to be delegated to ensure the team is focused on their strengths and what they’re going to be delivering.
Eliminate any waste by using lean thinking. Clear off your plate of any unfinished projects and determine if they’re still important. Delegate them if you need to. Eliminate any distractions so that you are completely focused on the work at hand. It is recommended that you keep a time log or journal of the time spent on deliverables. You will be surprised at where some of the time wasted actually goes. Remember to ensure that people are given the appropriate role and responsibility to carry out what needs to be done.
Brainstorm your options with your team and stakeholders. When times need to be tighter because everyone has a certain amount of money and resources to work with, you will need to get creative and innovative with your solutions. Draw on the experience and expertise of your people. They are your secret weapon.
Make effective decisions. Gather your facts, statistics, and information. Learn what your team members think and feel about the options available and gain an understanding of the emotions involved in the decision. Ask yourself if you are bottlenecking the process because you have the need to approve every detail. Can you offload some of the responsibility to your team members?
Measure and manage your deliverables and outcomes. What you measure can be managed. Keep track of time, money, and the efforts of your people. Readjust your course accordingly as you evaluate at certain milestones along the way.
Keep your team motivated. Celebrate the launch of your projects. Take time to acknowledge and praise your team members and your team’s accomplishments. You need to create a compelling vision that your team will be inspired by. They need to feel a part of the vision and that their role is meaningful and important in getting to the end result.

As you are working with your teams and stakeholders, you will be able to develop creative and innovative solutions in learning how to do more with less. In times of change, you may feel that is all you are doing. There may be times that you will be surprised by how much you can get done and have a team that is truly satisfied with the quality of their work and the efforts they put in. How are you going to do more with less on your next project?