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EPISODE 7: Making the Human Connection

July 7, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” Brene Brown

Connecting with people is human nature; we are social beings. With technology, you would think we would be more connected than ever but the opposite is true. People feel disconnected because they are missing the human connection.

Research shows that if you want to make a good first impression it is best to make it in person. Once a person makes the first impression it is often difficult to change it but we need to be careful “not to judge a book by its cover”, they could be your best client. You want to be open and test the reality of your impression by asking thoughtful questions and getting to know the person better. These impressions are often made in 3 seconds and 7 seconds online.

I remember a sales person sharing a story with me about a time when a person dressed in dirty work clothes came into their furniture store right before closing – 20-30 minutes before. Most of the sales people avoided eye contact with the person but he was curious about this person who just came into the store. This individual wanted to furnish his whole house and used this salesman to do it. Imagine his commission – all because her withheld or did not let his judgment influence him.

How do you make a human connection?

Start with being yourself.
Be Open.
Be Confident in Who You Are.
Smile – it’s FREE and a universal language!
Project a Positive Attitude!
Start with small talk and learn more.

Ask questions such as:

Do you have a pet?
Do you have children?
Are you married?
Where did you go on your last vacation?
What book are you currently reading?

Take an interest in who people are. Be genuinely curious! There is a saying, “People want to know how much you care before they want to know how much you know!”

Make it about them!

Build relationships that are win-win without going straight to selling your product or service.

“If your focus is the immediate sale, you’re going to miss a lot of future opportunities.” – Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI, Business Network International

Learn about the people you connect with. What are their hobbies or interests? What are their personal goals?

Discover common interests – ways you can relate to one another.

Focus on what you can do for them. Introduce them to people they need to know – BE a CONNECTOR.

Connectors are influencers – whatever you put out into the world you will receive back.

Invite clients to be a part of your circle or community by inviting them to lunch or business mixers. Mail handwritten notes of gratitude or warm letters letting them know what you have been up to. Invite them to educational workshops. Email or send them an article that might be of interest to them.

I remember listening to Sandra Yancey, the Founder of eWomen Network share that when she was a little girl her mother told her to remember, “Give without remembering and take without forgetting.”

We need to find time to connect in our busy schedules. When we do connect – we need to actively listen and be present in the conversation.

Truly listen…

Hold back from jumping into the conversation before the other person stops speaking. It’s okay to wait for a pause. Think and then talk.

When I was in my coach training, we had an acronym – W.A.I.T. – Why Am I Talking?

Listen – you will learn so much more!

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 9:28 min

EPISODE 6: Boost Your Productivity and Performance

July 5, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” – Bruce Lee

Productivity and performance can be a total game changer. We all have the same 24 hours in a day but some people seem to get more accomplished than others and others say, “I don’t get it. How do you get to do all that?” The secret lies in the sauce.

Boost productivity and performance is about blocking time. We cannot make more time. We all have the same amount of time but how do we structure the time that we have. How are we using it more effectively?

I have an awesome downloadable – Infographic for you!

DOWNLOAD HERE

There are many Time Tracking logs or apps out there. I have used time tracking for those people who claim that they are “so busy” and we hear people use the buzz word “busy”. I do make the attempt to track my time anytime I catch myself saying that I am busy. Busy is that buzz word but it is almost like an excuse for people not doing things. It is actually saying, “I do not want to do that” or “That’s not important to me.”

When you start tracking your time, you can start seeing where you are spending your time. You can do the same exercise by tracking the amount of water you drink, the workouts you want to have, or anywhere you want to make a change. If you start tracking it, anything that you track you are able to manage better. Start tracking your time for 3-7 days to see where you are actually spending your time and then you can adjust accordingly.

One of the great things I like to recommend to people is scheduling 30 minutes in the morning to start to plan your day and another 30 minutes at the end of the day to review and plan for the next day. You will be forward thinking, you are making the plan, and have an intended direction of where you want your day to go.

Make a list of all your priorities. What are the A-game changers where you are going to have the greatest return on your investment? This is where you need to be focusing your time. Focus on your priorities first.

Set office hours to eliminate distractions and interruptions. It is so easy for people to pop by and say you are working at home today or you don’t have office hours I can just pop in and have a casual chat. If you are in the middle of working on something important that you have a deadline, these interruptions can really suck some of the time that you have. Consider that when you are working on a big project there may be a time of the day where you just need to close your door.

Turn off notifications and email alerts on your smartphone and computer. BING! Every time you see one of those, it is a bright shiny object! BING! BING! BING! Or SQUIRREL – anything that takes you attention to a different place!

Block out time on your calendar to focus on high priority tasks. Block off dedicated time. Use a timer. You would be surprised how much you can accomplish in 20 minutes when you are trying to beat a clock.

Develop a system for managing information such as paper and emails so you only deal with it once if possible. Consider creating folder or filters to help sort emails. Do not hang on to emails that do not require a reply or that you can get the information somewhere else.

Delegate to others who have the knowledge, skills, and ability to get a task done so you can focus on high priority tasks requiring your expertise. I know sometimes we like to be in control and be the boss. If you want to be a smart boss you need to delegate some of that out. If people have the knowledge, skills, and ability, let them do the work that they love to do. You can focus on the work that is a high priority and you can focus on your expertise. Everybody is using their skills more effectively on a team.

Don’t schedule meetings unless they are necessary and they have a targeted agenda. Sometimes I think people throw up meetings just to have a meeting but then they get there, there is no focus or direction and they feel that people are just wasting their time. When they could be focusing on what is really important to them, what has pressing deadlines, and where they are going to get the greatest return on their investment? Ask yourself whether or not you can do a meeting over the phone versus driving to somewhere or taking up a lot of time. Sometimes it can be addressed in an email. Consider how you can respond so you can get to the meat of the matter very quickly.

FOCUS on ONE activity or task until completed…then REWARD yourself and CELEBRATE! It might be a stretch break or getting a coffee or a cup of tea giving you a small reward so you are focused on one activity. “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” When you start doing too many things or multi-tasking, it divides your attention. Put your intention and attention to the place you want to get your results.

Try these 10 things and you will be boosting your productivity and performance and watch what happens to your results.

Be an implementer!

Email me at Debra@debrakasowski.com and let us know what you would like to be featured on the show. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Give us a 5-star rating!

Time 9:11 min

Personal Mastery is the Key to Professional Mastery

February 3, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Grab your free gift at www.debrakasowski.com by Signing Up for the Success Secrets Newsletter. Debra Kasowski International – Personal Mastery is the Key to Professional Mastery. Personal and Professional Success does not occur in silo. Become a better version of yourself today.

How to Cultivate the Leadership Skills of Your People

January 9, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

The constant debate of whether or not leaders are born or made is a challenge many organizations face. Many organizations are driven to perform, produce, and profit. After all, you are not in business unless your business is making money.

If you are a leader, you know you cannot motivate anyone to do anything but you can “flick the light switch” for that “ah-ha” moment by askin

Meeting with people around a table with a white puzzle with a red piece standing apart

g questions and encouraging self-reflection. There are several ways you can cultivate leadership skills in your people.

Create a Strong Vision. If the people you lead can see themselves engaged in your vision, you will have willing participants. However, if they cannot see where they fit into your plan, you may encounter resistance or cynicism. A strong vision gives people something to look forward to in anticipation.

“It’s not what the vision is, it’s what the vision does.” – Peter Senge

Offer Educational Opportunities. Education comes in a variety of forms: TED Talks, Journals, Leadership Books, Case Studies, Audio books, You Tube Videos, Workshops, and Conferences. Encourage book discussions or presentations on a workshop they have attended. When your people are learning and growing so is your organization. Education is often one of the first areas cut when their needs to be a cost savings when it should be the last. You never know what creative ideas your people may come up with when they have new knowledge and develop their competencies.

Make Mentorship or Coaching Available. A mentor or coach can help answer questions and challenge assumptions. They can act as a strategic thinking partner. A mentor can share their personal experiences about how he or she handled a particular situation. Whereas, a coach ask questions that encourage self-reflection about potential next steps. Growth is accelerated when you have this type of support system in place.

Encourage Open Communication. Create opportunities for your people to share their successes and challenges so others can learn from them. Take time to acknowledge their efforts. You create unity among team members when they feel their voice and ideas are heard and considered. When your people know that you value them, they will be more engaged in supporting the vision.

“Leaders who make it a practice to draw out the thoughts and ideas of their subordinates and who are receptive even to bad news will be properly informed. Communicate downward to subordinates with at least the same care and attention as you communicate upward to superiors.” – L.B. Belker

Allow for creativity and calculated risk. Organizations advance when they allow their people to get creative and express their ideas. As a leader, you can ask questions so they evaluate the risks and benefits of their ideas. If you do not allow for creativity, other organizations will surpass your organization.

It is important to tap into the diversity of organization. Take time to learn about the knowledge, skills, and abilities the people in your organization have. Some people may be savvy in social media or have strong writing skills but their current role does not allow for them to showcase these talents. As a leader, we need to discover some of these hidden gems that may propel your organization forward. Working from a place of strength is one of the most powerful ways to grow your organization so that it is performing, producing, and profiting. It begins with developing your people.

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

What Makes a Good Executive Great?

July 25, 2014 by Debra Kasowski 1 Comment

Some people believe that great leaders are born while others think great leadership can be learned. I believe it a can be a little of both – what you are born into and the role models and mentors you learn from make the biggest difference.

There are certain qualities that propels a good executive to a great one!

Great executives:

are committed to sharing the mission and vision of the organization and try to onboard all the champions to continue to share the message

make regular appearances throughout the organization. The staff need to see that you care about the work that they do. Take time to learn about your people. Get to know some of their names – everyone from the janitor to your assistant.

are strategic systems thinkers who communicate in an all-inclusive “we” – collaborative message.

are open to listening to ideas and opinions of others even if they are different than your own.

help build the capacity of the people within the organization by encouraging growth and development. They take a step back from the control of being a micromanager.

You know who those great executives are.

They are the only one who brings that high powered energy to a room. They are theones people in the organization look forward to seeing and hearing from. They are the ones who believe in the work being done.

The people who work for them respect and admire the leadership.

These fine executives surround themselves with the very best – you may be one!

What are you willing to do to shift from good to great starting TODAY?