Many of us are conditioned to avoid discomfort, especially in high-stress situations, steering clear of difficult conversations that hold immense potential for growth. Yet, these very conversations can unlock valuable insights, strengthen relationships, and fuel business success.
Our training provides you with the tools to navigate these discussions with ease, even under pressure. Through data driven assessments and our unique conversation framework, we help you stay regulated, gain deeper insights into how stress impacts your performance, and enhance emotional intelligence and self-awareness—skills critical for success in today’s fast-paced, high-pressure workplace.
We’d be honored to partner with you on this transformative journey.
Our programs are designed to help leaders at all levels uncover what holds them back under stress, enhance emotional intelligence, sharpen communication skills, and tackle challenges with confidence—unlocking their full potential to achieve impactful results..
Unlock your potential with executive coaching that combines a unique data-driven approach to reveal how you show up under stress with our proven conversation framework to help you stay curious, connected, and regulated. Transform your communication, elevate emotional intelligence, and create lasting impact.
Curious how your team performs under pressure? Using an Emotional Intelligence Assessment that blends all individual assessments into one team profile, you will uncover the unique ways your team shows up when stressed, identify the blind spots holding them back, and discover the targeted skills needed to boost productivity and foster collaboration—even in high-pressure situations.
Gain insight into your internal reactions to stress, the information you tend to overuse or overlook, and the profound impact it has on your relationships and decisions, particularly when you feel stressed or overwhelmed.
Difficult conversations hold valuable insights that can deepen understanding, strengthen relationships, and drive business success.
Our training equips you with the skills to navigate these conversations effectively and drive real change.
I had a huge problem with communicating with others. Kathy and Kirsten changed my life and helped save my marriage, friends, and career. I cannot thank them enough!
Most feel they communicate well when things are calm, but it’s often in stressful moments that your true communication skills are put to the test.
Under pressure, your words and reactions can shift in ways you might not even notice.
The reality is that stress can subtly undermine even the best communicators, leading to misunderstandings, frustration, and conflict.
While businesses and organizations rely on the effectiveness of each individual, many fail to consider how stress impacts their ability to perform.
Communicating effectively under stress is a critical skill, and we give you the tools you need to navigate these high-stakes conversations with confidence.
Using neuroscience-backed techniques and a framework grounded in emotional intelligence, we help you engage meaningfully in any conversation—by deepening inquiry, exploring diverse perspectives, and seeking true understanding.
Our difficult conversation training has transformed the lives and careers of thousands of professionals, teams, and parents.
Take the first step toward transforming how you communicate under pressure— contact us and unlock the power to connect in conversations that drive real change.
Kathy Taberner & Kirsten Siggins
Mother/Daughter Founders | Institute Of Curiosity
Certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioners
Certified Executive Coaches
In today’s fast-paced, high-stress workplace, performing under pressure is part of the job. Constant change, deadlines, and expectations—all create a continuous hum of urgency. The truth is, if you are human, you’re likely feeling the weight of delivering results.
But even the most seasoned professionals can stumble when the stakes are high. Stress has a way of clouding judgment, derailing communication, and turning effective leaders into reactive ones. And while organizations depend on individuals to perform, few recognize the critical link between stress and our ability to lead, connect, innovate, and collaborate.
Performing under pressure is not about eliminating stress; it’s learning how to understand it, harness it and manage it strategically to optimize performance.
Pressure arises when the demands of a situation exceed our perceived ability to handle them. It can trigger stress responses such as heightened emotions, cognitive overload, and physical tension.
In high-pressure moments, professionals often experience a narrowed focus, making it difficult to access creative problem-solving or emotional intelligence. Leaders may feel the weight of responsibility, and teams may struggle with cohesion and communication.
However, managing pressure effectively can enhance performance, sharpen focus, increase motivation, and drive excellence.
The first step to managing pressure is recognizing how it affects you. Do you tend to overthink, shut down, or react impulsively? Understanding your stress patterns allows you to develop strategies to counteract them.
For most professionals, self-awareness flies out the window when stress sets in. As a result, we use a unique emotional intelligence assessment so you can uncover your unique patterns developed in childhood that you default to without even knowing it. In short, it reveals what you can’t see about yourself so that you can build your self-awareness in challenging moments.
When leaders and teams understand their individual patterns and blind spots that influence their emotional triggers, they can show up more effectively by developing specific strategies to stay calm, connected, and effective—no matter how intense the situation.
In high-stakes moments, miscommunication can lead to mistakes, conflict, or inefficiency. Some hold back out of fear of judgment; others say what they think leaders want to hear.
Developing and encouraging a culture of curiosity ensures individuals feel comfortable voicing concerns, sharing new or different perspectives, asking for help, and offering solutions without fear of judgment.
Most perceive stress or pressure as bad, which can feel overwhelming when it’s seen as a threat. However, we need stress in our lives to be productive. So, stress itself is not bad. However, how you perceive and deal with stress is what impacts your performance. Reframing stress as an opportunity shifts your mindset from fear to focus. Instead of thinking stress is a threat, try looking at it as a challenge. This subtle shift fosters resilience and a problem-solving approach.
Performing under pressure is not about eliminating stress but learning how to harness it effectively. Connect with us and equip your leaders and teams with the tools to communicate better, collaborate effectively, and thrive when it matters most—under pressure.
At the Institute of Curiosity, we empower individuals and teams to tackle tough conversations with confidence by revealing how stress impacts performance —essential skills for building relationships that can thrive in today’s fast-paced workplace.
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