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Episode 49: Creating the Collaborative Advantage

December 1, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“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

EPISODE 20: Being Committed to the Plan

August 23, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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EPISODE 20 – Being Committed to the Plan

“There’s a difference between interest
and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it
only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you
accept no excuses – only results.”
―Kenneth H. Blanchard

It amazes me how many people don’t get past the decision that they know that they need to make a change. Some people are only interested in making a change but do not want to put together a plan of action to really make that change become reality. Commitment is the feeling of dedication and loyalty to a cause, activity, or job; to be wholeheartedly dedicated. Commitment is important in any form of success. You will want to ensure that you have listened to Episode 19-Be Willing to Sacrifice for Success.

How bad do you want what you say you want? Have you been talking about doing something or are you ready and committed to making a plan of action and to follow through?

Get Your Mind Right. First of all, you need to believe you can do it when you believe that you can accomplish something you will persevere when tough times come upon you.

Interest is talking about getting into shape; commitment is getting up and going to the gym regularly.

Interest is surfing the Internet or researching information about a topic; commitment is about creating content and publishing it.

Interest is buying a book on financial management; commitment is reviewing your numbers, tracking your spending, and implementing what you have read.

Have you noticed the difference between interest and commitment?

Interest is a passive activity; whereas, commitment is active.

47421557_s Commitment is about taking action and getting results.

We can slip into the habit of interest very easily. If we look at the different areas of our lives, we might notice that some areas were more committed at certain times than we are at others.

I was taken back recently as I was sharing many of the accomplishments and the growth of the podcast with a friend. She knows that I’m a big dreamer and I would like to accomplish so many more things.

And then she posed the question, “Why are you stalling?” “Why are you holding yourself back?”

She caught me off guard but at the same time, I had a moment of clarity.

“Why wasn’t I taking the actions steps I knew I needed to do?”

I told myself that I have competing priorities. I had to remind myself where my greatest return on investment would be. If there is one thing I could be doing right now that would make the biggest difference, why wasn’t I doing it?

I had no excuse. I knew what I needed to do.

I came home that evening and completed the paperwork that I needed to do to put the closure of something I had been delaying and to move forward direction. I contracted a freelancer to do some graphic design work for my speaker one sheet that I kept telling myself I had to edit. I stayed up till 3 AM because when you that I needed to get this done once and for all.

No excuses! I made it a priority. I texted my friend and her with a response was awesome! It is interesting to me how others can see which you need to do but sometimes when you’re so close to what your goal is for whatever reason you fail to see it. That is why it is important to surround yourself with people who support you and want to help you achieve your goals. When I was sharing this story with a mutual friend, she stated the same thing which reinforced to me that these new actions needed to be taken.

My next question was: Do I truly believe the thoughts I have been having?

No…so why should I hang on to the belief? Do what you need to do and see what happens? The “yes” you have been waiting for could be closer than you think.

Sometimes we think that we need to be at a certain level of knowledge, fitness, or finances to be credible or believe that others will value what we have to say. You already know enough, you are perfect the way you are, and rich or poor no one can define your worth but you. Let others hear your voice and step up to the table. Share your ideas and go after your dreams, you never know whose life will change when you follow through on doing what you need to do.

Rise Up. People who rise up are the most committed. You will need to be dedicated to doing the work even when you don’t feel like it. A friend of mine recently returned from some naval training, he posted a picture of his troop doing push-ups in the rain and mud.

Permission Granted from Steve Welton Facebook

The picture was worth 1000 words when it comes to commitment. I’m sure many of us might say, “You know what? We can do those inside.” These individuals defined commitment- rain or shine they got it done. This is what we need to do -it is to know that each day we need to do what we say we need to do in order to get closer to our goals. Sometimes what happens is when you skip one day it is too easy to skip the next day? You need to build habits that when you don’t feel like it, you take some sort of action to keep the momentum going. When you face uncertainty, you need to continue taking action. Your action may be gaining knowledge by doing research or asking a mentor. No matter what that is you are still taking action – step into it!

Make a Plan. Don’t hold anything back. Make a plan and be very clear as to what that will look like. Set goals and break down those goals into smaller manageable pieces. These are the actions steps that you need to take to help get you closer to where you want to be. Plans can change as you go. It is about progress, not perfection.

Maintain Your Focus. Focus on what’s most important to you. Learn what your values are. Set your priorities. When you align your decisions with your values setting priorities becomes easy. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Remember they are on their own path reaching their own goals. Your goal may not be the same as the goal that they set for themselves so focus on what you need to do. People who are able to define what’s important to them can be intrinsically motivated to go after their goals. Others do not mean to nag or prod them to go after what they say is important to them they do it because they want to get the results.

Set Up Accountability. Track goals, put a stake in the ground and tell people what you’re and planning to do, or hire a coach or invest in an accountability partner. Setting up accountability will keep you on track and committed because you have to answer to yourself or someone else.

Create a No Excuse Zone. A person who is committed to their plan doesn’t make excuses they go and make things right. This is when you see ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It is all because of their level of commitment.

Make Quitting Not an Option. A person can only quit when they decide that the goal is no longer important to them and that they are no longer intrinsically motivated to obtain that goal. There will be times when you will feel like you’re tested and you come so close to achieving your goal and you may have a setback. This setback is not the time to quit it is a test to challenge you and help you push further out of your comfort zone. You will figure it out allow yourself time to be in the space of growth.

I watched a Big Think Video narrated by Jesse Itzler. He mentioned that he met a Navy Seal at a race and decided to cold call him to see if he would come and live with his family for a month. He figured he could learn a thing or two from him. The video is about the Navy Seal 40% Rule. When we feel that we are done, we have only utilized 40% of what we have in our tanks. We do not utilize our full capacity – there is so much more in us to give.

An article in Inc magazine stated, “For the SEAL, though, it’s about realizing where your comfort level is and completely ignoring it. Sometimes it truly is hard to know whether something is worth doing.” Are you going to do what is easy or are you going to do what you need to do because it will be worth it?”

I want to leave you with a quote:

“If you had started doing anything two weeks ago, by today you would have been two weeks better at it.” ― John Mayer

You are enough! Be committed to the plan and make what you want to happen! No stalling! No holding yourself back – go get it!

Time: 16.22 min

EPISODE 1: Take 100% Responsibility

June 28, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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Stop Complaining, Making Excuses, and Blaming Others – It is Time to OWN it!!

We will be looking at the situations in life where you want to point fingers at people or you want to say it was not my fault. If you look around you at the choices you have made or some of the outcomes you have had, you need to look around and ask yourself, “What part did I have in this”

I had no control; it happened to me. Take a different approach by asking, “How did it happen FOR you?” What can you learn from this situation so the same situation does not happen again? People do not take enough time to investigate their outcomes.

Begin by asking yourself questions about a situation: What part did I play in this? What could I have done to change the outcome? What could I do differently in the future?

Imagine someone is coming to pick you up for an appointment or you are going somewhere for a specific time. You are watching the clock tick because you know if you do not leave by a certain time you will not make it on time. The person may show up 10 minutes late and you get to the location late. You get frustrated at the person driving you.

Take a step back.

Ask yourself…

What could I have done to achieve a different outcome?

Was I prepared to be out on time?

Could I have called in advance to ensure the person left on time?

Could I check to see if there was any road construction or accidents on their route to be aware of?

Come to the situation as a learner. What parts do I have control of or influence?

Avoid comparing yourself to others. Focus on improving yourself and showing up as your “BEST” self every day.

Often when people compare themselves, they are looking at one moment in time. As an example, someone has a victory – they seem to have all the luck. They have all the money and everything in place to succeed and it does not work out like that for you.

If you rolled out that person’s life and your life, would you be willing to erase all of the memories that you and trade for the other person’s life? If you at it from that perspective, I am sure chances are that you would not want to erase those precious memories.

It is not about competition as it is about playing your own game and showing up as your BEST self every day.

Focus on discovering solutions and look for the opportunities. What can you do about it? How can I make a different? It is not about sitting in the wings and being a wallflower. If you see something that needs to be changed, it’s about letting your voice be known.

Choose to be responsive versus reactive. You will make better decisions when you think before acting. Do you attack like a jaguar or a leopard ready to attack or do you take a step back and collect your thoughts? It is about choosing to be responsive versus being reactive. It takes a lot of emotional intelligence. Otherwise, you are like a bull in a china shop barging in and break everything around you and then you wonder why no one wants to follow you.

When you chose to be responsive your brain is a lot calmer. Your amygdala goes into an irrational mode – fight or flight response. When you are highly emotive and reactive, you are not thinking rationally and you will not make decisions as well. What you want to do is, is to come to a place where you are calm enough to respond, that you thought through what you want to say so you can make better decisions before you act. Not everyone likes to be held accountable but they like to know they are reaching outcomes.

Surround yourself with people who are accountable to for their actions. You become like the people who you surround yourself with. Take a look around you, “Are the people you are hanging out with accountable for their actions?”

You cannot hold others accountable for you cannot hold yourself accountable first.

Be willing to take action on what you want to achieve. Speak up if you need to, make a request, or try something new. Remember if you do what you have always done – you’ll get the same results.

Remember to SIGN UP for our Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 “Surefire Strategies” download.

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 9.46 min.

How Do Leaders Hold People Accountable Without Micromanaging?

February 9, 2016 by Debra Kasowski 1 Comment

Leadership and management go hand in hand. There are times to lead and there are also times to manage. We need to strike a balance between the two to hold people accountable including ourselves. They complement each other and are often used interchangeably but do mean different things.

Managers are focused on the bottom line and getting results within a short range of time. They want to ensure that policies, processes, procedures are followed. The manager wants to ensure that things are done correctly and stay within the norm. Leaders, on the other hand, want to create a long-term vision for their followers which allows for creativity and innovation. They share intent behind their actions to help people understand their goals as well as the goals of others. A leader focuses on developing the people they work with so they too can lead. The leader encourages the people to ask questions and be curious about information available to them.

Leaders cringe at the thought of being labeled as “a micro-manager”.

Do you know a micro-manager? Are you one?

What is the difference between micromanaging and holding someone accountable for their actions?

Micromanagement and accountability are often misunderstood. Micromanagement is when the manager closely observes or takes control of the work of the people that report to them. They monitor and assess every step of the way. A micro-manager does not ask for input and may hide information to have the upper hand. These individuals do not trust that their people can do the job they were hired for.

Accountability is about the willingness to take responsibility for one’s actions. There is personal accountability as well as team accountability. When the manager shares information that involves facts and figures, they often need to look at how things happened and when. The leader will ask what happened and why. They will encourage their people to ask the tough questions and even challenge them to come up with solutions. When an individual or team takes responsibility for outcomes and results, they can reflect and look for the gaps from where they are to where they want to be. The manager often has to be accountable for the outcomes that their team delivers. A leader will inspire accountability by example.

There are situations in which micromanaging may help improve specific areas of a problem but should never be used as a long-term solution. Micromanaging is a strategy to improve performance and should not be used alone. We often have to take a step back and look at the big picture of what is going on in the system but we also need to take a closer look at the parts that make up the big picture. By doing so, individuals and teams can uncover where improvements can be made. This discovery can help us determine where accountability lies.

You can hold people accountable for their actions and results without micromanaging by asking powerful questions:

What are the expectations? Clearly communicate and set expectations. Set the stage by explaining what is expected of an individual or team. Create a vision in their minds of what they should aim for.
What is accountability when it comes to performance? Openly talk about accountability and performance so it’s not seen as micromanaging.
How do they want to be held accountable? Ask the individuals or a team how they would like to be held accountable for their actions and agree on the process.
What are the results and outcomes? Explain what the outcomes are if a person is not meeting expectations or performing well
Where are the gaps? Share your observations of the gap between expectation and performance.
What do they have to say about it? Ask for input.
Who is best to come up with the solution? Give the individual or team ownership of the problem. Let them come up with a solution.
What questions do they need answers to make informed decisions? Encourage them to ask questions and gather more information about what the facts and figures mean.
What are actions with support the results and outcome we wish to achieve? Focus on results and outcomes and what actions can improve a problem versus focusing on the activities that cause the problem.

Let your people know what your intention is as you work with them. The people you manage and lead are your greatest resource and often will come up with the best solutions. Foster trust by demonstrating to the people you work with that they are capable of creating the results and outcomes shared in the vision. They are owners of the vision. Ask the questions that create accountability and allow the people to make the vision a reality under your leadership.

Leading and managing effectively can be an art. How do you hold people accountable?

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. She is a contributing writer for Diversity Magazine and Fabulous at 50 Magazine. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. www.debrakasowski.com

The Game Changer You Cannot Succeed Without

May 27, 2015 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Have you ever heard someone say, “I can tell if you will succeed in life within a five-minute conversation.” If you have, you will know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, let me tell you how.

I love talking with people but what really gets my juices flowing is learning about what gets people excited about their lives-what they are passionate about. I am a very curious person by nature and I can pick up on whether person will succeed or not. I will not say they will never succeed because as human beings we are always works in progress; however, until these people make a shift in their habits, thinking, and behavior, they may be working hard but not having their personal breakthroughs.

The game changing quality that you must have in life to succeed is personal accountability. When you have personal accountability, you can change your life.

The first indicator of whether or not you will succeed is your mindset. Are you a victim or a victor? A person with the victim mindset resolves to complaining, blaming, and making excuses for not achieving the results that they want. It is always another person’s fault for their lack of achievement. The victim is usually judgmental, pessimistic, or resentful. They avoid any challenge that may not lead to guaranteed success. A victor, on the other hand, is someone who takes 100% responsibility for their actions and behaviors. A victor will “own their stuff”; they own their words and also reflect on how they are responsible for their own outcomes. They are open-minded, optimistic, and willing to take on challenges to learn and grow.

The second indicator is whether or not the person takes ownership of their thoughts, feelings, and above all, actions. When I talk about personal ownership, I’m not talking about material goods. I am talking about taking that 100% responsibility for what you say and what you do. You only get in life what you put out into the world. You must be willing to put the effort it takes to get what you want. The same holds true for relationships. If each individual in a relationship is only putting 50% effort then they should expect mediocre outcomes. Whereas, if each individual is giving 100% effort into the relationship, the relationship will flourish. The same holds true for your goals in life, your career, or business. The results you get are dependent on the efforts put in.

The third indicator is a person’s attitude. People often forget that attitude is a choice. A successful person knows that setbacks are temporary. They are moments to pause, reflect, and learn from. Sometimes, you need to course correct when things didn’t go your way. By choosing a positive outlook and a “quitting is not an option” attitude, you will increase your chances of being successful. A positive unstoppable attitude allows you to be open-minded and look for the possibilities and opportunities.

In a 5 minute conversation, you can tell if someone chooses to be a victim or a victor. You can tell if they take responsibility for their actions and behaviors. You can tell if they have an unstoppable mindset and if they are determined to succeed. Take time to learn about another person’s goal and discover ways you can help them become victorious. If you realized that you must make some changes to your life, know that it’s never too late.

Life is like a game. Let personal accountability be your game changer.