The desire to learn and grow is part of the human condition. To promote growth often all we need is a willingness to get out of our own way and let nature take her course. However, sometimes we need a nudge from someone who understands our situation.
For over 20 years, Jim Heaney the founder of HeaneyCougar has been providing business counseling to owners, top managers and all levels of employees who are willing to address the human issues that impact their productivity and performance. Jim draws on his personal business experience and intuition to see beyond the symptoms to the root cause of a problem.
Often it is helpful to have an outside person shed light on a situation so that the decision-maker can see his or her full range of options. HeaneyCougar sees its role as helping clients co-create their future and move from being at the effect of the behavior of others to being the determiner in their business and personal life. Our work is grounded in the principles of self-responsibility.
The types of issues in which HeaneyCougar has been involved include the following:
- Negotiating the purchase or sale of businesses
- Passing the reins of power from one generation to another in a family business
- Creating professional business relationships between family members
- Firing high-level managers or family members
- Resolving interpersonal problems between top managers
- Coaching new managers to higher levels of performance
- Addressing behavioral problems of otherwise highly productive employees
- Acting as a sounding board for organizational structural and personnel changes
- Resolving conflict with key customers or suppliers
- Deciding on how to redirect an individual's career path
- Outplacing an executive that no longer fits in an organization
For there to be a reasonable chance of success in a counseling assignment, the client must have asked for help with his or her problem and be willing to do the following:
- Admit to oneself and the counselor that there is a problem with the current business approach or behavior. If the person feels misunderstood or is still in some form of denial regarding the issue, an initial intervention will be required to get their attention focused. HeaneyCougar often is the catalyst for change.
- Look objectively at the consequences of the current approach or behavior.
- Try new recommended behaviors.
- Confront the beliefs that are supporting the current approach or behavior.
- Do his or her share of the work and not expect to be saved by someone.
We work both on and off site. To optimize time and resources, HeaneyCougar does much of our counseling by telephone and email.
