Drones and AI are reshaping the A/E/C industry.

But they don’t win pursuits—people do.

What consistently sets your firm apart from others?

Curiosity and storytelling.

These skills build trust, spark connection, and make clients want to work with you.

Technical expertise matters—but only after you’ve won the bid. 🎯

To capture more pursuits, you need to connect first, then talk tech.

I’ve been teaching this at SMPS conferences, industry events, and in private trainings. 

It's a topic that can not be overlooked any longer. 

Skilled business development leaders and marketers use curiosity and storytelling to strengthen proposals, interviews, and client relationships.

Yes, physical safety and mental health must always be top priorities in our industry.

There's a different kind of safety that firms often overlook: Psychological safety.

It's an essential form of communication.

Psychological safety means that staff feel comfortable and safe in expressing their emotions, using their voices, and sharing concerns — without judgment or repercussions.

➡️It directly impacts emotional well-being, talent retention, performance, and job dissatisfaction.

When leaders in my training programs are unsure of this practice, I worry.

Are your emerging leaders and executives using psychological safety practices to support staff?

New project managers are watching you.

What are you showing them?

In every meeting, on every jobsite, and during every project handoff, your emerging leaders are quietly taking notes.

They may not speak up yet.

But they are watching how you...

✅Communicate under pressure

✅Handle mistakes

✅Give direction

✅Treat others

Your actions become their playbook.

🧨Here's the truth about A/E/C: Strong communication and visible ownership are non-negotiable.

It's not only about what you say—it's how you lead through words, tone, clarity, and follow-up.

If experienced leaders model sarcasm, vague directions, or avoid responsibility, younger project managers are likely to do the same—and think it's acceptable when it's not.

Your communication and the leadership culture of your firm come down to this:

🗝️You lead by example, not memos and long meetings.

Train your next-level leaders today so that they don't mirror outdated and bad habits.

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 ...

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.

Imagine getting a 5,000% return-on-investment from an online training program.

🎯Instead of personality assessments or active listing, our Top Tier Communicator course delivers this whopping R-O-I within two months of the program.🎯

This is how it can happen for you:

➡️Invest $20,000 in staff training with timeless "rinse and repeat" processes.

➡️Your firm wins a $1 million (small potatoes) bid using these our timeless processes.

➡️Your ROI = 5,000%, typically within 1-2 months.

😮Think about it.

Have any past trainings delivered these kind of results???

How is this even possible?

🎯We equip your staff with communication strategies that are 99% repeatable. Most people in A/E/C are unfamiliar with these tools.

We teach the brain science behind confidence, productivity, and leadership so employees are more proactive and impactful.

Teams build new relationships and help win bids.

Graduates of our courses easily elevate visibility and performance.

🧨Three success examples:

🔷A "nervous" manager spoke on a pan...

A/E/C stakeholders pay attention and hire firms when business development teams show their critical thinking skills. 

If your emerging leaders want essential communication strategies to grow trust, confidence, and business, take a look at this training I did for the SMPS-Palmetto chapter.  

Watch the presentation here.

🧨🧨And plan to take lots of notes!🧨🧨

Reach out if your organization wants today's tools that build confidence and help win bids. 

Let's back up the bus on servant leadership in A/E/C.

Being of service and positively impacting communities is a noble pursuit.

The buzz around this phrase, though, weakens the intent.

➡️Servant leadership isn't exclusive to your broader community.

It also applies to internal teams within A/E/C firms.🎯

🗝️Are leaders genuinely addressing the real challenges and deeper problems your staff may not openly share?🗝️

Servant leadership starts at home.

🔹It may include coaching or training for YOU to improve your communication skills and lead by example.

🔹Internal servant leadership can be sharing your wisdom, screw-ups, and experiences with your team.

🔹It may involve implementing programs that help staff prioritize and reduce burnout.

The productivity piece gets woven in; don't worry :)

Exceptional servant leadership can only happen

when firms have a solid internal foundation.

Once that's in place, go into the community and make a freakin' impact!