When Stacey Engle joined Fierce Conversations, there were only six people on the team. Now, with corporate offices in Seattle and Stacey serving as President, Fierce, Inc. is adapting its business-to-business training to equip both individuals and companies with the tools to have conversations to develop deep connections and trusting relationships that blend the personal-professional world of work while social distancing.
Stacey has always been a people person and a self-proclaimed “off-the-charts extrovert.” Although she didn’t know there was a corporate training industry when she began her business career, a few years later when she found Fierce Conversations, it was a perfect match. She became president at 33 and she has been a key driver to its double-digit growth, including a 30% sales growth in 2018. Stacey says that people avoid conversations, thinking they’re going to be difficult or tough. What is tough for you may not be very tough for someone else. The biggest mistake is avoiding them, because the missing conversations are the most costly. She says that it’s not about self-confidence necessarily. It’s about having “some core knowledge of self,” and always showing up as that person that creates trust.
“We All Experience Reality Differently. And There Isn’t One Right Way.”
In a typical working day, Stacey says almost any company and any professional, not just the leaders will have six conversations. She describes them as coaching, giving feedback, confronting, creating accountability and getting perspectives. Conversations become tough when we let them build up around issues we’ve avoided talking about. At Fierce, they provide tools for distinguishing between confrontation and feedback. Feedback is strictly a curiosity—naming something you witnessed without citing the impact and assumptions based on your own judgements. This is very different from the old methodologies used by companies where people are asked to analyze the issues. Stacey says there is no one right way. And everyone, especially leaders have to “interrogate” reality to really understand what’s true.
Stacey says that there is no status quo. You’re either going one way or another. People often object that their company’s culture doesn’t support certain actions that the trainers at Fierce suggest. Stacey says that when you’re having a conversation, you are the culture. You need to go ahead and have conversations that you’re afraid of. There’s uncertainty for everyone. You have to trust in yourself and go forward. There are repercussions whether or not you have the conversation. Trust starts one conversation at a time.
Free Online Mini-Course from Fierce Inc. Now Available!
Stacey is excited to announce a mini-course for every single individual. Since we’re all having tough conversations right now working remotely amongst our partners, our children and our pets, the blending of personal and professional life is accelerating. Stacey said this mini-course is less work-oriented and provides personal stories from three generations of Fierce Conversations leaders: herself, the founder and CEO Susan Scott and the SVP of Learning Ronna Detrick, downloadable tools and actionable insights.
Listen to this conversation for more insights into what matters in the world of building personal and professional relationships. And check out Fierce Conversations website for more tools on their blog and other ways to engage with them and learn to build relationships one conversation at a time.
Most of all sign up for their free mini-course: In less than 30 minutes, you can learn how to have the conversations that strengthen your relationships with the people who matter most in your life. Enroll today!