Asia Bribiesca-Hedin, MBA, MPA, CPCC

How to Handle Criticism with Poise and Confidence Stay Grounded, Hear What Matters, and Keep Your Power Criticism can throw even strong professionals off their game. A vague comment from a boss, a sharp remark in a meeting, or feedback that feels unfair can trigger defensiveness, self-doubt, overexplaining, or a reaction people remember long after the moment has passed. This practical session helps attendees stay steady when the stakes are high. They’ll learn how to separate the feedback itself from the story they immediately start telling themselves about it, ask questions that turn vague criticism into something useful, and respond in a way that protects both their confidence and credibility. Your audience will leave with simple tools and language they can use in their very next difficult conversation, without pretending criticism does not hurt, becoming defensive, or letting someone else’s opinion derail their performance.

When a manager is struggling, HR and senior leaders often feel trapped between two bad options: keep hoping things improve or start moving toward a PIP, reassignment, or exit. But many performance issues are not as simple as a lack of ability or effort. The real problem may be unclear expectations, competing priorities, relationship friction, a loss of confidence, or a leader who has started reacting instead of leading. In this practical session, HR professionals and people leaders learn how to distinguish a fixable leadership gap from a situation that requires a different call. They’ll leave with a focused approach for getting clear on what is actually happening, resetting expectations, identifying the few changes that matter most, and seeing whether real progress is possible. This is not a case for lowering standards or endlessly rescuing poor performance. It is a smarter way to protect the team, recover valuable leadership capacity where possible, and make the right decision sooner when it is not.

Move Decisions, Build Buy-In, and Deliver the Project Promise Too many project leaders get pulled into chasing updates, managing calendars, documenting risks, and reporting what happened—while the decisions that determine success keep getting delayed somewhere else. The result is a project manager who is seen as a task tracker instead of the person who can help the organization deliver on what the project was meant to accomplish. This session helps project, program, and operations leaders make the shift from reporting activity to driving outcomes. Attendees will learn how to clarify the real project promise, engage stakeholders before resistance hardens, make the “why” clear for the people whose support they need, and move critical decisions forward even when they do not have formal authority. They will leave with practical ways to strengthen their influence, build trust with senior stakeholders, and become the project leader people rely on when the work gets complicated.