Update: Dublin City Enterprise Network for Women
“Using the internet to grow your business” is the theme for the November 8th meeting of the Dublin City Enterprise Network for Women, which takes place in the Mansion House.
The theme for the recent October event was: “Don’t be afraid: Be fearless!” featuring motivational speaker Michael Comyn.
Michael’s key message was that you, as a businessperson, can take practical steps to minimise the effect negativity in our environment has on you and your ability to perform to your potential.
To see the photographs taken at the October event, please visit http://www.facebook.com/DublinCityEnterpriseNetworkforWomen
New members are welcome to join, by visiting http://www.dceb.ie/event-calendar/networking or by e-mailing the Network Manager, Pauline Logan, at network@dceb.ie.
Presentation Notes: Don’t be afraid: Be fearless! (October, 2010)
Michael Comyn of The Fearless Organisation (www.comyn.com)
Michael’s background is in broadcasting and training. He realised the need for support for people to overcome their fear of flying and has built up this part of the business in recent years.
The theme of his talk was that worry and negative thinking, often brought on by external news/messages, can have a hugely negative impact on our ability to perform to the top of our ability. We need to develop insights and attitudes to help us to avoid getting into this disabling situation.
Recent research shows that 73% of us are more stressed now than we were before.
We need to look at what is causing this stress. Is it real and pertinent to us?
The reason for anxiety is that the brain receives countless numbers of stimuli and it applies meaning to these based on previous experiences, build in instincts, etc. These can mistakenly make us anxious, applying the wrong response to the stimulus.
When we face real challenges, we tend to respond in an appropriate way but non-relevant news/actions can induce anxiety.
There are four types of fears:
? Real fears
? Irrational fears
? Borrowed fears
? Fear of the unknown
He addresses the real fears by being factual about the risks involved in flying compared to other activities (driving, medical care according to US statistics!).
He went through how our decision-making may be affected by fear:
1. We filter information (hear the bad, miss the good)
2. Polarised thinking (no middle ground)
3. Overgeneralisation (place too much importance on a single piece of information)
4. Mind reading (you stop checking the reality – people can lose this and come to incorrect conclusions when feeling anxious)
5. Catastrophic thinking (visualise disaster, can take over thinking)
6. Magnifying what’s happening around you
7. Personalisation (assuming wrongly that things apply to you)
8. Shoulds (too quick to judge others)
He recommends that you replace fear of the unknown with CURIOUSITY!
You can be induced into a negative state which can stop you really performing to you and your company’s best.
Businesses can greatly contribute to reducing anxiety and improving the outlook in your own environment. He recommends that businesses concentrate on establishing a stable coherent environment within the bounds of their own world.
Be brave and different!
Learn to filter the messages you are receiving, even if this means avoiding the radio or people who are constantly negative or needy.
When you ask most Irish people now how they are, they tend to say “surviving!” or similar. What can you say that will influence the people you meet?
If you need to worry, he suggests putting a small amount of time aside each day to do that.
You do need to keep doing reality checks to understand your own situation.
The key goal: Get yourself to a point where you are fully functioning and not being brought down by fear or anxiety. Get in control of what’s going on around you. Manage your own micro environment.
? Don’t forget to give yourself treats as reward for your efforts. Name it, secure it and nail it down!
? Allow yourself a small number of “bad days” every year. Move on after each one.
? Value your own time. Know what you’re hourly rate is and use this to decide whether to take on tasks.
Conclusion: Your state can be altered due to fear. You need to work on your own skills to allow you to get back in control.