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.

Communication, seller-doer challenges, and confidence.

To achieve greater success in the A/E/C industry, a new poll says firms must overcome these three obstacles, beginning with communication.

➡️Nearly 40 percent of respondents said unasked questions hold teams back in sales meetings. 

➡️More than 25 percent cite rushing through conversations as a significant challenge.

Are you working on the right problem?

In A/E/C, this could mean focusing on the most pressing client needs or more profitable projects.

Reach out if you want to transform your teams' communication so you can capture more pursuits, improve productivity, and build trust.

The most important four-letter word in business and life is CARE.

For me, CARE is an acronym.

🔷Your Communication is based on what you pay Attention to.

🔷Your Attention (focus) determines your Results.

🔷Your Results can be Excellent.

How do you show clients and prospects that you truly CARE about them...as human beings and in business?

Are you focusing on the correct problems they are experiencing?

How can you improve your presentations and conversations?

👉Notice your communication patterns and habits.

It's all about self-awareness.🧨

Success in A/E/C means you're focusing on others, and not yourself or the need for a sale.

If you want better results, show others you can solve their problems.

Show them you CARE more than the next firm.

It's a feeling, not a tech solution.😊