It’s everywhere: online and in print.
Trust in the workplace leads to better collaboration, less stress, better employee performance, enhanced innovation and better conflict management, to name only a few benefits. It’s foundational to corporate loyalty and growth. But how to achieve that in an organization without yet another trust fall exercise?
Dr. Heidi Petak has been coaching leaders in communication for more than two decades. Her company, Speak Eagle, is located in Monument and provides a host of online resources that include topics such as trust-based communication, interacting with difficult people, sales and persuasion, navigating conflict, giving feedback, leading a team through a crisis, public speaking and storytelling.
Petak holds a doctorate and a master’s in communication, as well as a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting. She has taught for four universities, lectured in South Africa, South Sudan, Peru, Puerto Rico and Hungary, and coached top leaders and their teams in state government and Fortune 500 companies. Petak is also a two-time Dove Award-winning scriptwriter and, as a former radio DJ and voiceover artist, has recorded hundreds of commercials.
In early 2023, after speaking at an event for a local chamber of commerce, three leaders approached Petak to ask if she could take them through her Speak Eagle content. She took the challenge and designed an eight-session master class for leaders. Organizational leaders who heard about the content began requesting customized workshops based on one or more of these topics for their teams.
Her primary argument for communication training is that the fear of experiencing shame drives people’s most unhealthy communication strategies. In contrast, staying grounded in trust is the key to healthy communication, which shapes great leaders, happy relationships, successful teams and thriving cultures.
Petak says, “I named my company Speak Eagle because, for the assessment and communication model I created, I chose an eagle as the trust-based communicator. Eagles have powerful vision, know the power of partnerships and harness the wind to soar through and even above storms. Eagle communicators, similarly, stay grounded in trust and use trust-based communication strategies to bring out the best in others and foster health on their teams.”
Speak Eagle’s courses include:
The Eagle Communicator: An eight-session master class to grow one’s executive presence and set oneself up for promotion. Leaders can talk with a group of other leaders or privately with Petak. Each of the sessions can be broken out as a workshop for a staff meeting, leadership retreat, conference, etc.
https://speakeagle.getlearnworlds.com/course/executivepresence
Faithful to Speak: A public speaking course that includes three private coaching sessions.
https://speakeagle.getlearnworlds.com/course/faithful-speak
Say it Brave: Wisdom and Faith for Tough Conversations: This course is based on Petak’s book of the same name and is geared toward faith-based groups.
You Can Be a Voice-Over Artist: It includes two private coaching sessions.
https://speakeagle.getlearnworlds.com/course/be-voiceover-artist
Petak is in the process of creating courses for fifth-10th grade homeschool students and parents (trust-based, shame-free parenting, how to raise empathetic kids, discipline, etc.).
She is also developing courses for marriage communication and healthcare providers.
She offers the following coaching services:
Monthly Coaching Subscription: Individual clients can meet with Petak once a month (virtually or in person) for help working through personal and professional communication challenges, rehearse upcoming difficult conversations or performance reviews, prepare for or rehearse presentations and more. She also coaches clients in how to communicate with their kids, in their marriage and with extended family and friends.
https://speakeagle.getlearnworlds.com/course/monthly-communication-coaching
Annual retainer: Organizational clients can keep Petak on retainer so their employees can access communication coaching whenever they need it. This includes interpersonal communication help and public speaking coaching.
For more information:
https://www.youtube.com/c/SpeakEaglewithDrP
https://speakeagle.getlearnworlds.com
