Podcasts Archives - Page 98 of 114

Episode 81 – Embracing Accountability

March 23, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Subscribe: RSS

“Each day you are leading by example. Whether you realize it or not or whether it’s positive or negative, you are influencing those around you.”
― Rob Liano

Too many people think no one is watching them so they think, “What does it matter if I cut corners or spend extra time on my cellphone versus working on a project or going to visit a new customer?” Who will notice? You should! Accountability begins with you. You may take it for granted and people may not tell you but they do pay attention to what you do and what you do not do. You can’t expect hold others accountable if you cannot hold yourself accountable first.

What is Accountability?

Accountability, in its simplest terms, is doing what you say you are going to do. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, accountability is “an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions.” Being accountable means you are taking 100 percent responsibility for your results – good or bad. When you are accountable, you make the decision to “own” your part in a situation versus playing the victim of circumstance. The victim mindset is one of complaining, blaming, and making excuses as to why others are responsible for your results or lack of results – you are disowning it!

“Accountability breeds response-ability.” – Stephen Covey

I think people get afraid of being held accountable because the fear the consequences. I like to think by holding myself accountable for my actions I am holding myself to a higher standard to better myself. When you hold yourself accountable for your actions without placing blame on others, you have raised the bar. You will more intentional with your approach to things to get the desired results.

Why Do People Avoid Accountability?

There are many reasons that you might avoid being held accountable. One reason might be “blame”. It doesn’t feel good when someone blames you for the results achieved. You do not want to be the reason why something did not turn out the way to was anticipated. The second reason is the fear of failure. Too many of us get caught up in worrying about what other people are thinking and saying about us. You may be afraid of failing. In most situations, the world as you know it will not end. What matters is that you take time to review what went wrong and learn from your mistakes to hopefully do better in the future. The third reason is the fear of success. What happens to those who take accountability? They are often given more responsibility because these are the people who get things done or make things happen. They are held to a higher standard and have higher expectations of their performance. Growth comes with success and taking on more responsibility. As you reach one level, you are challenged with new opportunities to help you learn and growth.

Why Don’t We Hold People Accountable?

Sometimes I think people don’t hold others accountable because it involves having an uncomfortable conversation or that they may not be liked. Trouble is, if you do not deal with it as soon as possible it can have a significant impact on your team members. Your star performers will be the ones picking up the pieces. You will end up lowering the standard or bar because you know that they will not deliver on what is expected of them just to keep peace. What does that solve? It ends up festering division in your team and lowering the performance level of the person you should be holding accountable.

How Do We Start Making Accountability a Priority?

You start making accountability a priority when you can communicate a clear vision as to what you want to achieve. It is important to define roles and expectations so people have something to measure their progress by. Set a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goals. This way you have something to measure your progress by. Remember what gets measured gets managed. It also gives us something to aim towards. Otherwise, how would you know if you achieved it or not. Make sure those around you know what accountability means to you and that it is not about consequences versus ownership. Are you able to police yourself and take the actions you need to even if no one is watching?

Why Should You Be Accountable?

You need to recognize that you have more power over your circumstances than you give yourself credit for. You cannot change the past; what happened in the past is in the past. We can all think about all the things we could have done, should have done, or would have done. What are you going to do today to create your best day and set yourself up for a brighter future?

Accountability is about “owning it” instead of letting circumstances own you. When you follow through on what you say you are going to do, you are being accountable. You become seen as a leader or role model. Being accountable for your choices and actions is about being dependable and reliable which also makes you trustworthy. You also boost your credibility in the marketplace. You will never be recognized for all the great things you do in life if you do not put yourself out there to learn what you are capable of being, doing, or having. By choosing to be accountable, you will be more focused and intentional with the action you take as you know that every choice makes an impact as to whether you are getting closer to your goal.

Set expectations for yourself of what you wish to achieve and by when. Block off time for the items on your to-do list in a calendar. A running list of to do items does not have a timeline so you may be continuously adding to the list. If you want things to get done, put it in the calendar. Don’t overschedule yourself. It is okay to so say “no” when you are focused on getting what you need done.

I have heard too many excuses from people like it has been a life long problem…if so in the words of Dr. Phil…how is that working for you? Stop right now and choose to own what you can do something about. No more excuses! Businesses and organizations are looking for someone who will embrace accountability to get desired results.

Are you up to the challenge? Opportunities open for those who are accountable for their actions.

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: 11:14 min

Keywords: accountability, embracing accountability, why be accountable, why people avoid accountability, why we don’t hold people accountable, no excuses, no blaming, no complaining, personal accountability, lack of accountability

Episode 80 – The Power of Never Giving Up with Joel Boggess

March 21, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Meet Our Guest:

Joel Boggess helps entrepreneurs and leaders get more from themselves so that they can get more from their teams.

He’s the speaker to call when your office, team, or organization is feeling stuck, under-challenged or overwhelmed.

Joel’s most popular keynotes and workshop sessions are:

The Power of Never Giving Up;
Triple your Sales: The unconventional strategy for unbelievable results;
Find your Voice: The 3 part path to clarity, confidence, and direction.

His podcast, ReLaunch:

Named by Podcasters’ Paradise – “Most Inspirational” two years in a row, 2014 & 2015;
Mentioned in Huffington Post as being 1 of the top 5 shows to tune into for inspiration;
Mentioned in Inc as one of the top 20 business podcasts of 2015.

He’s a podcast and business columnist and contributor for Networking Times, Huffington Post, and Success.com

His latest book, Finding your Voice, hit the #1 spot on Amazon in the success and self-esteem categories.

Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Joel earned his undergraduate degree at Texas Tech University, an MBA from Amberton University, and a Master’s in Counseling.

Joel and his wife Pei live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and have a Golden Retriever and a Golden rescue, Bubba and Happy.

Episode 79 – Drive Business Results

March 16, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

“It is in doing things and not reading about them that results come about.”
―Stephen Richards

When it comes to driving your businesses results, steer clear of promises of get-rich-quick schemes or offers to make you an overnight success. Warning, when you hear something that is too good to be true, it often is. You know those people you think about being an overnight success – they are not. You did not witness the sacrifices, the work that was put in, and the sweat and tears that went into getting to where they are today. They were the ones honing their craft while others were out partying it up. They finally reached a tipping point where all their efforts, hard work, and dedication stood out in the crowded marketplace. If you want to drive your business results, you need to look beyond the bottom line. Your bottom-line is important but should not be your sole focus.

Communicating Your Vision and Values The leader of the organization needs to be able to communicate the vision and values for the business in order to gain by in from the people. There is great debate whether businesses and organization should be well managed or well led. There may be a decent argument for a little bit of both. When people are focused on the process, sometimes they lose sight of the impact on the people and how it ripples to the rest of their lives. As a leader, I have a different perspective. I believe that if you gain the trust and buy-in, you gain engagement. Engagement of your people with drive your business results as your people can share ideas and an invested interest in reaching the end goal = making the vision a reality.

Sharing the Benefits Remember when sharing your vision that you need to share the benefits too – the benefits to your people as individuals, as a group, and the entire organization and the people served. People are always looking for “What’s in it for me?” and wondering “Is what I am doing meaningful and does it make a difference?” Let them know that they matter and how what their involvement does.

Appreciating and Recognizing Your People For some people the monetary incentive is attractive but what intrinsically drives people more is that you are catching them doing something good! Let the people who work for you know what a great job they do and focus on specifics so they can do more of it. You can recognize them for their attendance, follow through, how they handled a situation or project, or the presentation they were nervous about. When someone appreciates you and believes in you, you will go out of your way to ensure that you are giving your very best.

Streamline Processes or Discover New Ways to Become More Efficient “A Better Way” Of Doing Things You can drive your business results and performance by looking for ways to become more efficient. Reflect and keep track of wastes of time, money, and resources. You may be surprised with what you uncover. By paying attention to the smallest detail you can save time, money, and resources if you look for ways to be better and stronger.

Boost Your Revenue with New Products and Services in the Marketplace Many people are interested in the newest and latest and greatest products and services on the market. When was the last time you brought something new to the marketplace? No one said you needed to create something new entirely. Is there something that needs to be upgrading or updated that you could relaunch? Sales and marketing are an important strategy to getting your voice heard in the marketplace.

Manage Your Expenses and Invest Where You Need to You need to measure and evaluate where your money is going to make good decisions. You can’t just look at an area of business and think I need to cut costs here or cut costs there without evaluating the impact. You want to be responsive in business not reactive. Sometimes you need to invest your money to increase productivity which in turn can lead to increased profit.

Building and Supporting Community There is nothing better than building strength in numbers. By building and supporting your community through charity functions, cross promotion, and collaboration, you can drive business results to extraordinary results. People want to work with people who care about what they care about. When you participate in a fundraiser, charity function, or volunteer, you help your business or organization come alive into a breathing living entity of vision and values in action! Who do you like to do business with and why?

If you want to drive your business results, you want to be purposeful and strategic in getting the outcomes you want. Create an emotional connection to what you want to achieve and you will have many people wanting to help you make that goal a reality. People want to be a part of your success! Let them be a part of the action that makes it happen.

“The results of knowledge without application results in nothing at all. Do what you know better to do.”
― DeWayne Owens

What action will you take today?

Time: 8:46 min

Keywords: Communicate your vision effectively, vision, leadership, business, team, share your vision, what is in it for me, drive business results, drive your business results, boost your revenue, manage your expenses, appreciate your people, share the benefits, communicate your vision and values

Episode 78 – Blow Up, Scale Up Marketing Method with Kamila Gornia

March 14, 2017 by Debra Kasowski 2 Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Meet Our Guest:

Kamila Gornia is the “Blow Up, Scale Up” Marketing Strategist who helps entrepreneurs
blow up and scale up their businesses to become true leaders online. By teaching her
clients and community how to leverage their own natural personalities into strategic
marketing campaigns that are both profitable AND fun, Kamila is proving over and over
again that if you can dream it, you CAN really achieve it!

Episode 77 – Fighting Negativity

March 9, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

“See if you can catch yourself complaining, in either speech or thought, about a situation you find yourself in, what other people do or say, your surroundings, your life situation, even the weather. To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power. So, change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness.”
― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

We have all encountered people who have the glass half full viewpoint (optimist) and those with the glass half empty viewpoint (pessimist). Which one are you? Did you know we have 50,000-70,000 thoughts a day? 98% of those thoughts you have had the day before. Eighty percent of those thoughts are negative. It sounds crazy but most of your thoughts are not conscious thoughts. You have not brought them to your attention. When you do bring those thoughts to your attention, you have a choice whether to respond or not respond to them. If you focus or put your attention on a thought, you are giving energy to it or empowering that thought even if that thought could be wrong.

Don’t believe everything you think without questioning it. Your imagination can run away from itself – thinking often the worst of a situation rather than the best. To fight negativity, you must start with dealing with the negativity within.

Defeat the Negativity Within

Start by paying attention to what your inner voice is saying in any given situation. Is it empowering you or shaming you?

You cannot think a negative thought and a positive thought at the same time. When you think a negative thought, identify the thought and challenge your thought by questioning any assumptions you may be making. Surely, you have never made an assumption that was wrong before. I have I know I am not the only one. Remember though only have the meaning we give them. So, if you do not like the thought you are thinking, think a different thought or don’t give it meaning or your attention. Shift your energy by reframing the thought positively. Reframing will help change your perspective on some of the limiting beliefs you may be having. For example,

“I am not good enough to be chosen for the promotion.”

Is this thought true?

How do you know?

What do you want to be thinking?

“I AM good enough to be chosen for the promotion.”

Feel the energy shift. Wherever you focus your time and attention to, you will get more of. What are some of the self-limiting beliefs that you are having? Write out what your self-limiting beliefs are. Challenge the assumptions you may be making. Reframe the thought to an empowering thought. What do you want to be thinking? Consider capturing your thoughts by writing them down in a journal and reframing them.

Stop exposing yourself to negativity. Steer clear from watching the news first thing in the morning or right before you go to bed. There is a lot of negative news going on the world that can really affect your mood and mindset. What kind of movies and books to you read? What are you feeding your mind with? I am hoping is entertaining you, inspiring you, or educating you to become the best you can be!

Develop an attitude of gratitude. Start and end your day in gratitude. Gratitude is about being thankful and appreciative of something tangible or intangible and how it has impacted our lives. What are you grateful for? Positive psychology research shows that people who are grateful tend to be happier. Tell people in your life that you are grateful for them in your life or send them a thank you card. Too busy to write (even though I still suggest you send a card) – you may choose to thank them mentally.

The Negative Relationships – The Toxic People

Attitudes are contagious. Be careful who you surround yourself with; ensure you are spending time with positive people who encourage and support you. One of the greatest lessons I have learned is to not take other people’s negativity personally. Their reaction to things is about what is going on for them in their mind and life and often has very little to do with you. A toxic person is someone who makes a person feel bad about themselves by talking down to them, criticizing them, or belittling them. They may tell you that you can’t do things or you’re not good enough or talented enough to be successful. Do you know where that is coming from? It comes from their own fears of you succeeding or even that fact that they are not and did not go after their own goals.

Gandhi once said, “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet.” You get to choose whether you will respond or react. Sometimes the toxic people may be people you are related to. Often the best things to do in these cases are to change the subject of the conversation or set boundaries by expressing what you are willing to talk about and what you are not willing to talk about. You are in control of letting that messaging in or keeping it out and how it impacts you. Limit your contact with toxic people.

The Negative Environment

Somethings you can control and somethings you cannot. You want to focus on what you can control.

Focus on solutions and the next positive step. It is easy to replay negative experiences over and over in our heads like a movie – reliving every moment. Is that what you really want? Learn to let go of past hurts. They occurred in the past and they cannot be changed.

Focus on the present – it what you can control. Redirect the topic and take control of the situation.

Keep the lines of communication open. Talk about your concerns openly and ask questions to avoid any misunderstandings. Again, your imagination can run wild if you do not ask questions to ensure you understand things correctly.

Deal with issues/concerns head on. Do not avoid having important conversations that you need to have. They can fester and exploded into much bigger problems and damage morale if not tended to immediately.

Follow up with others that you work and spend time with. This “pulse check” can help you determine if everyone is getting along or there are any concerns you may not be aware of. By being aware, positive changes can create positive results. Be proactive.

Be careful not to minimize the positive. Fighting negativity is a work in progress. It is too easy to fall into the trap of getting caught up in negative thinking, gossiping with others, and creating a toxic environment if you do not pay attention to where your thoughts are at any given moment.

Empower yourself by thinking empowering thoughts. When you think positive, you are giving a boost to your mood and you will take more affirmative actions to support your goals and objectives.

Time: 12:25 min