Business Pressures

It is a cliche to say life in contemporary organizations is tough. But cliches are usually true! Most of us have more to do than can be done. We have information blasting at us from multiple sources. Theres workplace politics, the constant pressure to become more productive, increased marketplace threats. We must juggle these things in a world fraught with tension. And then, on top of all that, as individuals we are pressured to find balance between work and the rest of our lives.

I feel these pressures myself . In addition to being a coach, I run a training and consulting company that works with sales forces and management teams . For the first fifteen of our twenty years in business I was one of our facilitators. My job was to stand in front of small and large groups of people and facilitate discussion about leadership, coaching, and selling. I learned a lot about the challenges businesspeople face. I learned about the kind of outlook one needs in order to be optimally effective in these roles. And I learned how difficult it is to sustain this outlook.

When 9/11 hit, I found that my clients were more fearful than ever. I was, too. My companys flow of new sales stopped . I remember waiting for days for customers to start buying again. A whole new array of fears had arisen, the most selfish being that I was afraid of the possible demise of my own business. At the time when I most needed clarity and will and vision, I was least able to find it. I had to coach myself through it. I had to remind myself that my own fears were shutting me down. The simple statement running through my mind was, ˜˜Ive got a problem. I was afraid. I knew I had to get in touch with my fear in order to tame it. I had to ˜˜own my fear, meaning, as well see later, that I had to acknowledge that I possess and will always possess a fearful little boy inside me. By connecting with this little boy, I was able to connect what I was experiencing regarding my companys survival with my central fear of not being okay.