Project Managers: Quit White-Knuckling Interview Prep

Your best PM instincts might be working against you in interview prep. The same instinct that keeps a project locked down tight — tracking every detail, leaving nothing to chance — can turn into white-knuckled control the night before a shortlist interview. It’s not a flaw. It’s just aimed at the wrong altitude.

In this post, Dean explains the value in turning off the part of your brain that tracks daily specifics, and focusing on mile markers and bigger movements instead. In the end, it is the same PM instincts, just zoomed out one level, so what needs to be free as a bird actually gets to fly.

For more on winning more work, check out our WIN-it page here.

The Angry Question Every Civil Engineer Will Get

One of the biggest challenges for civil engineers talking to the public is that the public can bring a lot of negative energy in their questions and comments. This can easily create defensiveness, self-consciousness, and a response that does not make the public feel any better.

In this post, Pete shares a simple solution for how to improve the quality of your response, and transform negativity into positivity.

For more help with generating positive presence in the face of negativity, check out our Presence Coaching here.

When Synergy Jumps The Gap

Team synergy usually comes from getting presenters to interact—listening, responding, building on each other.

In his latest post, Dean explores what happened when a team created that same collective confidence without saying a word, and how contagious enthusiasm for the work itself can be just as powerful.

For more on building unified team presence, check out our WIN-it program here.

Getting More Out Of Networking

We all want to get something out of networking, but if somebody asks us on any given day what that is, we can be hard pressed to answer the question.

In his latest post, Pete shares a simple thought about what you can do to get more out of your networking efforts.

To explore how more effective networking can help your business, check out our GROW-it program here.

Who Were You Before Fear?

Who were you before the world taught you to fear?

Before you worried about being judged, getting it wrong, or what everyone else might think, chances are you expressed yourself with curiosity, confidence, and joy. Somewhere along the way, many of us learned to trade that freedom for self-protection.

In this post, Dean explores why so many adults struggle with speaking up and being fully themselves, along with a simple technique you can use to step back into that natural, authentic version of yourself that existed before fear became the loudest voice in the room.

Check out our presence coaching page for more on staying confident and managing fear.

Seated Confident Presence

Sometimes you have the opportunity to present to your audience while sitting with them around a table. Because that’s a more familiar circumstance, it’s easy for your energy level – and your influential presence – to drop.

Pete created this post to offer a few ideas about how to maintain high energy and consistently project more confident presence in this scenario.

For more ideas about how to project confident presence in every scenario you care about, check out our Presence Coaching here.

Why Great Presenters Chicken Out

Stress can make us question our strategy, causing us to second-guess our best new idea and revert to what we always do. Dean explores why you toss our plan in the eleventh hour, and when the risk is worth it to stay the course and take your choice.

For more great presentation skills, check out our presentation coaching page here.

Confident Presence Facing Judgment

Shortlist interviews come with a strong feeling of judgment. This can easily diminish the presence of many of your team members, and ironically can tilt decision-makers towards a worse judgment.

In this post, Pete offers a simple idea that can help your people do better in the face of shortlist interview judgment.

Check it out, and for more ideas about improving your shortlist interviews, check out our WIN-it skill-building program here.

Present Softly, But Carry A Big Stick

Some leaders are so worried about coming on too strong that they accidentally give away their power.

In his latest vlog, Dean shares a lesson from coaching an event host on a huge Las Vegas business conference—and what happened when she released her inner badass.

For more help strengthening the presence of your leaders and presenters, check out our presence coaching here.

The Core of Your Shortlist Interview Confidence

Most interview teams are looking to feel totally prepared for an interview, but what does that mean when half of an interview is Q&A where you can’t know what the questions are going to be?

In his latest post, Pete shares an idea that redefines what it means to be ready.

For more help leveling your interview teams up, check out our WIN-it program here.