Debra Kasowski

7 Steps to Making Better Decisions

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21379811_mlLet’s face it; problem solving and making decisions is not everyone’s cup of tea. Yet we make decisions every day. We decide what to wear, what to eat, and where to or not spend our money. Sometimes we even give others the authority to make decisions for us. This act alone can be dangerous if we have no insight into what some of those decisions might be.

After all, you have probably heard the phrase, “Your life is a product of all the choices you have made.” It may be that because of those choices; you look around and think to yourself, “How did I end up here?” You may be paralyzed from making a decision for fear of making the wrong choice and started asking anyone and everyone for their opinion. It’s great to get advice but ultimately you must own your choices and take full responsibility for your actions.

As long as you are not doing anything illegal, the world won’t come crashing down if you make the wrong choice. You are human. No one is keeping a detailed log of your mistakes. Everyone has made a bad decision at one time or another and if they tell you they haven’t, they are not being truthful. I do not know of a single person who does not wish that they said or did something differently. The most important thing in making mistakes is to learn from them. What would you do differently the next time?

In my nursing career, I can tell you that a knowledgeable nurse is the one who has been exposed to some of the most challenging experiences and is not one quoting from a textbook. Not every learning situation can be simulated but it can be discussed or one can self-reflect. I know this holds true for leaders in many professions.

Some decisions are simple whereas others are complex. We must be mindful of our self-talk when it comes to making decisions. Self-doubt can creep in. Leaders must be courageous and learn to make informed decisions. You can readjust if you make a wrong decision. Every wrong decision made hopefully gets you closer to the right decision.

Making decisions expends energy, time, and even money. The more you wait for the right moment to make a choice, it may be costing you.

Decision making can be simplified by breaking down complex decisions into small pieces. Start asking questions to develop clarity around the problem, issue, or decision you need to make.7912002_ml

Start with getting all the details. What is the situation? What background information do you have? What is the current status of the situation? Do you need information from other people (Facts, figures, or statistics)?

Brainstorm solutions. Mindtools.com suggests a method called “starbursting”, a brainstorming technique focusing on generation of questions rather than answers using Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? As a coach, I know that the most profound answers come from asking great questions. The more thoughtful questions you ask the more thoughtful answers you generate.

Discover the options available. What are the possibilities? What choices do you have?

Weigh out the benefits or risks. What are the benefits and risks of each option? Who or What will be impacted? Do the risks outweigh the benefits?

Mitigate risks and break down roadblocks. What has to be done to mitigate risks? Do you need more information? What are the gaps or challenges that need to be addressed?

Be clear on the outcomes you want to achieve. What are the potential outcomes or results? It is easy for people to state what they do not want but they have trouble being clear on what they do want. No problem – reframe what you don’t want into what you do want.

Prioritize your best options or solutions and make your decision! Be mindful of your emotions as a person’s emotions can easily influence their decisions. It is important to weigh in on the knowledge, facts, and information you have collected. There is room for a “gut” check but do not rely on this intuition alone. Have you ever made an assumption and discovered you were completely wrong? It is important to challenge your assumptions in order to discover if your assumptions hold true.

Making decisions does not have to be stressful. Chances are you have made many decisions before – simple and complex. Think about the process you used to move through those situations. What would have made these decisions easier?

Remember some decisions require you to act in a timely manner. By practicing these steps in making decisions, you will get better with each decision and new experience you have. Don’t be afraid to make a decision or put yourself in new situations that require you to make more complex decisions.

What would your life be like if you grabbed the opportunity to trust yourself and make a decision? Would life look different? Would you be doing what you are doing? Would your results and outcomes be the ones you wanted?

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

 

I Can See Clearly Now

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I am in the midst of obtaining my certification in Emotional Intelligence and we were discussing the downsides of possessing too much of a strong characteristic. It got me thinking about a blog post I recently wrote called Time to Shift from Challenges to Opportunity. I am not second guessing what I wrote, however, I can see how people may see me as somewhat of a Pollyanna or someone wearing rose coloured glasses or even a blue sky thinker.

I do believe that you can create some of your circumstances with the power of your mind and how you respond to situation. In the Emotional Intelligence psychometric tool (EQi 2.0), there is a sub-scale or competency called reality testing. According to Stein and Book (2006), “The best simple-sentence definition of reality testing is that it is capacity to see things objectively, the way things are, rather than the way we wish or fear them to be.” Reality testing is important but I do not think it should stop people from dreaming and creating a business, shifting the culture of an industry, or creating a life you love.

Courtesy of Scott Chan/freedigitalphotos.net
Courtesy of Scott Chan/freedigitalphotos.net

Develop Clarity. It is important for you to assess where you are and know where it is you want to go. Once you develop clarity about what it is you want, you will be able to start seeing the “how” in which you wish to get there.

Be Open to Opportunity. I cannot stress this enough from the previous blog post. I want you to know no matter what circumstances you find yourself in that you always have choices and options. You can either choose to do something differently or the situation may force you into doing something different. How do I know this? Think about all the choices you have made to get you to where you are today.

Watch the Words You Use. Your thoughts, feelings, and behavior affect the actions that you take. If you focus on challenges, you may miss the opportunity waiting in the wings.

Ask Others for Their Insight but Make Your Own Decision. You probably have heard the saying, “You are so close to the situation, you cannot see the forest through the trees.” When you are the the midst of a situation, it may be difficult for you to either see the situation for what it is or the big picture as to how it impacts yourself or others. You may have exhausted ideas and hit the wall and do not know where to turn.

Some people think asking for assistance is a weakness, whereas, I see it as one of the powerful things a person can do. Asking others for their perspective can help you challenge assumptions and perhaps see a different perspective. A story I love to share is one I read long ago in an Anthony Robbins book where Walt Disney asked his employees input into a dilemma or creative idea. Employees submitted idea after idea. Not only did he empower his employees, he reviewed all these ideas and it helped him become one of the innovative leaders of the century.

If you are facing a challenge, try testing your reality. Do you see one of the challenges you face as a true fact or do you see as an opportunity to do something differently? Believe me, I catch myself when I start viewing situations as challenges and setbacks. I also need to remind myself to look at the possibilities and opportunities before me. Situations are temporary – both positive and negative. I will start to plan, prepare, and challenge myself to rise above the situation and you can too.

Courtesy of graur codrin/freedigitalphotos.net
Courtesy of graur codrin/freedigitalphotos.net

I can see clearly now – I chose to look at the bright side. When you focus on the strengths and the clear vision you have for yourself, opportunities will start to present themselves.

What do you see? What choice will you make?

Share this blog post with others so they too can see clearly now.

Stein, Steven J. and Book, Howard E. (2006) The EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence and Your Success. 3rd edition.John Wiley & Sons Canada. Mississauga, Ontario.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decisive Action will Catapult You to Success

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Grab your FREE complimentary mp3 download of the 7 Resolutionary Breakthroughs to Profit and Prosper and stay in touch with our biweekly Success Secrets. Debra Kasowski discusses how indecisiveness can kill your business by missing opportunities, losing time, money, and resources. Move forward through inspired decisive action!

Change Your Habits by Making The Decision

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Habits are those practices that we put in place that help to serve us in some shape or form. Whether it be smoking cigarettes, overeating, undereating, gambling, or overspending, the habits you and I form are there for emotional support.As Dr. Phil would say, “How is that working for you?” Why not channel the emotions you have into leading a healthy business lifestyle in order to create the life you want. Women have asked me how can they change or transform into the woman they want to be. The answer is simple! You need to make a decision!!!

Making a decision is one of the most powerful things you can do. It is almost as if a road is cleared and opened for you to drive on saying, ” Lead the way”. People, places, and possibilities come into your life because you have made room for them. I know when I have developed clarity in the direction I wanted for areas of my life and business – God and the universe provided me with the tools and resources. “Here you are!”

Change starts with a decision. Decision is where the action begins. If you want to create or make a change in your life, make a decision to do so. The following changes can start the shift to help you make the change.

  • Track the behaviour you want to change. Look for ways you can streamline or improve your progress.
  •  Stop watching television into the wee hours of the night instead read a book or magazine related to your industry or play a board game with your kids.
  • Idenitfy what is currently working and what is not working. What do you need to stop doing?
  • Send  thank you cards to people who have made a difference in your life
  • Stop checking email in the morning and concentrate on revenue generating activities. They give you the biggest bang for your buck!
  • Reflect on your day – are there areas you could have improved your conversations or handled situations or tasks differently.

Every change you make, makes a difference. Some changes you will notice overtime and some you may notice almost immediately. Trust me the people around you will also notice and see your shift. The greatest forms of change are incremetal and the most powerful. When you bring your actions and thoughts into clarity and become more aware of what you are doing, change will occur.

Make a plan to support the change by having an accountability buddy, coach, or both. Write down the action steps you will take to create sustainable change. execution is the key!!! Nothing happens without action!

What is one change you know you need to make to get the results that you want?

Why Asking Others Opinions Might Not Be a Good Idea

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Why is it a problem to ask for another person’s opinion? Doesn’t outside feedback help you in your business? How can one opinion influence my behaviour? There may be many reasons to get feedback to change or adjust your course of action but another person’s opinion can be detrimental at times.

When asking the opinions of others is not a good idea:

  1. People Pleasing. If you are asking someone’s opinion just so you can please them you are heading for disaster. Sad to say, not everyone will have your interest at heart. You need to follow what you feel is right and be true to your values and what is important to you.
  2. You Cannot Make a Decision. If you allow others to make decisions for you, you may eventually regret it as you are giving away your power. You also make not like what the decisions result may be. Do not look at blaming the person you asked – you need to take responsibility for the final decision. Ensure you get what you want – you make the decision!
  3. You Have Not Thought Out Your Plan.  Shortcuts may work for some people but not all. You need to be clear on the outcome you desire. Take time to re-read your articles. Review your plans and think about obstacles or objections. How will you solve them?  It is human nature for people to judge how strong someone’s abilities are. Let people see your strengths. Be prepared and practice if you need to.

Remember someone’s opinion is someone’s opinion. It is their perspective of how they view the world and how things should be, not yours. If you want to succeed, you need to showcase who you are! You already know what you need to do so reach out and do it. Be brave and courageous – please yourself, make a decision, and make a plan to be YOU!