" Fear is the first energy that shuts off our natural self and our ability to be in our domain of power. ... We experience fear when we step into the unknown and don't know. There's no harm in not knowing, which means you are receptive and willing to learn, to be creative, and to engage with the unknown in order to make it known. Ignorance, on the other hand, means you think you know, but you don't, and still act like you do. So knowledge is your ally and your weapon in overcoming and defeating fear." - Thunder Strikes, author of Song of the Deer
In working with organizations over the last 20 years HeaneyCougar has concluded that the greatest block to individual and organizational performance is fear -- fear of failure, fear of looking stupid, fear of not being good enough, fear that someone else will outperform us, fear of loss. These fears generate defensive behaviors that can not support peak performance.
Jim Heaney, a principal and founder of HeaneyCougar, believes that providing information and interpersonal skills to employees goes a long way to reduce their fears and encourage non-defensive behaviors.
Fear is a product of the mind. It is the result of unrealistic self-expectation coupled with a lack of necessary information. Our training helps people to develop realistic expectations of themselves, their coworkers and customer as well as the skills necessary to remain non-defensive in stressful situations.
There are some underlying principles that assist in creating effective communication in stressful situations. These principles seem to hold true whether a person is seeking employment, managing others, selling, hiring, or for that matter, in any interaction where a person is trying to prevail over another.
We have refined these principles and embodied them in a variety of training modules. To meet the needs of diverse organizations, we often combine and customize these modules.
