There was an engineering webinar yesterday with 225 people online. 

I was one of them.

I was on camera.

As I scrolled through the participants, I noticed 99 percent were off-camera. 

No faces. 

Most didn't even have a headshot or image—just a dark screen with their name.

😮The chat? Silent.

😮The interaction? Nonexistent.

😮The engagement? Almost zero.

There was no technical glitch. It was a communication culture issue.

When busy A/E/C firms invest in webinars, training, or virtual meetings, they often forget the human part:

➡️ People don't engage when they don't feel safe and confident.

➡️ Cameras stay off when participants feel awkward.

Yes, I realize some may have been eating lunch or caring for a child. Zoom fatigue is a real thing. But the entire group??!!

➡️ Silence in the chat is a symptom of disengagement or a lack of confidence to express views or at least say hi to others online. 

I posted in the chat right before the start of the program: "Thank you (organizer's ...

Nearly 75 percent of construction delays are due to poor communication and collaboration among teams.

The research comes from Procore, a software company serving the A/E/C industry.

That's a tough number to digest.

😮Materials, weather, and budgets aren't always to blame when projects go off the rails.

It ultimately comes down to effective communication and team coordination.

It's easy to assume breakdowns only happen at the top.

But the chain is only as strong as its weakest communicator.

That includes younger project managers, superintendents, and estimators throughout the industry.

✅They have impressive technical skills.

Yet, their leadership voices are still developing.

Emerging leaders often hesitate to ask for clarification, share bad news, or speak up in meetings.

Then, we see ripple effects, such as:

🚩Wrong assumptions

🚩Missed deadlines

🚩Frustration with crews and clients

Project difficulties aren't just a "people problem."

Communication and collaboration directl...

Communication tip: 

If your team is hesitating to say what everyone is privately thinking, you have a communication gap.

You may—or may not realize it.

👉Avoiding uncomfortable truths—with internal staff or prospects—doesn’t help your firm's credibility.

It erodes trust, performance, and your bottom line.

This isn’t about publicly calling someone out or embarrassing them.

It’s about creating a culture with psychological safety to calmly address real issues with professionalism and respect.

➡️Here’s a common example in A/E/C: 

You have a charismatic project leader or superintendent who dominates conversations and shortlisted interviews. 

They’re likable… outgoing… the “life of the party.”

But here’s what no one’s saying to their face:

📈Their long-winded stories and off-topic comments derail important discussions—especially with prospects.

What feels like small talk to them feels like wasted time to others. 😮

The challenge is that this individual doesn't know how to read the room and reel themselves i...

Risk mitigation and workplace silos go hand-in-hand. 

What if you saw training differently?

Successful A/E/C firms that capture pursuits face and embrace workplace training data. 📈

They don't make excuses about budgets, limited time, or keeping training in-house: 

• Nearly 50 percent of managers with 10 or more years of experience report having received a total of only nine hours of training.
• Almost 45 percent of managers who have been in their role for less than a year haven't had any training.

Research from Lorman shows that internal programs may save your firm money in the short term, but the benefits are limited.

🎯Most employees crave fresh perspectives and innovative problem-solving strategies.

To scale and narrow talent gaps, proactive firms are willing to invest in external training.

A/E/C executives must be open-minded and know that scalability is intertwined with today's business development and communication skills.

How does your team measure up against competitors? 

Savvy leaders recognize the return on investment i...

Many PMs, superintendents, estimators, and others have deep technical knowledge—but often lack experience in client-facing conversations.

📈That’s not a flaw; it’s a gap that training and education can address.

With today's new strategies, A/E/C teams can develop the confidence and communication skills needed to differentiate your firm—building trust, getting referrals, and strengthening client relationships.🥇

🎯Here are four foundational areas to help employees shift their mindset and be better prepared to capture pursuits.

A/E/C professionals often tell me they don't have outgoing, friendly personalities to build business relationships.

😮Small talk feels uncomfortable.  

😮Presentations are painful.

😮Sharing your expertise becomes a confusing mess. 

To overcome limiting beliefs and negative self-talk, listen to the techniques I share on the "Engineer Your Success" podcast.

Click here to see the episode.https://bit.ly/4ksKzgO 

Articulating complex data and information doesn't have to be an ongoing struggle in A/E/C.

From misunderstandings in e-mail threads and texts to confusing slide decks and messaging to stakeholders, there's room to improve communication.

Interpersonal communication is at the root of reworks, lost bids, budget overruns, and the labor shortage. 

In the "Bridging the Gap" podcast episode, I talk with host Todd Weyandt about how A/E/C teams can become confident communicators, with new storytelling and networking skills. 

Grab valuable techniques and strategies from our conversation. Here's the link. https://bit.ly/3T7L97B 

A new LinkedIn survey reveals that more than 80% of A/E/C professionals want better, more efficient business systems.

➡️That’s a loud call for change.

But the real test isn’t in wanting improvement—it’s in leading it.🎯

Are you stepping up to make it happen, or waiting for someone else (or the wish fairy) to fix it?

Continuous improvement demands action.

Here are three ways to begin.

🎯Communication and Presentation Tip: 

Anyone in A/E/C with a PowerPoint slide that resembles the one below gets an automatic tariff of 345 percent. 😮

😮Avoid this at all costs! 

Instead, follow these 5 tips to create reader-friendly engaging slides to WOW (not confuse) your audience. 

1. Pull key data and sections from graphs, using words/nuggets to capture the highlights.

2. Choose the right visuals to complement small amounts of text.

3. Think one slide = one point.

4. Avoid text that is unaligned or too small.

5. Have an emotionally engaging design. 

Reach out if you need support with business development, presentations, and public speaking to capture more pursuits.