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Imposter syndrome thrives on the unexamined stories we tell ourselves about our belonging, worth, and ability. It shows up as doubt, self-criticism, and the sinking feeling that you don’t deserve your success or belong where you are. But here’s the truth: You DO belong. Not because you’ve mastered everything, but because learning, growing, and adapting is what real expertise looks like. In our latest article, Dain Johnson arms you with three questions to challenge the negative narratives you might be telling yourself. 1/ What makes you feel like you don’t belong??Often, this prompts a list of specific worries or assumptions. Bringing these out into the open is the first step toward challenging them. 2/ Who is saying these things about you??In most cases, no one else is voicing these doubts. The negativity exists solely in your own self-talk—or as vague projections of what “they” might think. 3/ What do you want to accomplish while you’re here??This question redirects focus from doubt to purpose. Instead of worrying about whether you belong, start thinking about how to make the most of your role. You belong. You have something valuable to contribute. Need help challenging those imposter thoughts? Send us a message, and we'll get you set up with an introductory call. Full article at https://lnkd.in/gd-wm_kh

Early registration for ACEC Colorado’s 2025 Annual Conference is available until next Friday, 3/14! Get the best deal on a conference packed with fresh ideas, valuable connections, and helpful insights. This year, Dain Johnson will be leading a session to help you rethink retention: “Take Control of Your Employee Retention Problem” In this session, we’ll... ?? Reframe retention goals – Shift from maximizing retention rates to retaining the right employees who contribute positively to the culture and business. ??Strengthen management’s role in retention – Understand how hiring, management, and development decisions impact turnover. ??Improve team resilience after departures – Learn how to openly communicate about transitions, quickly reform teams, and maintain engagement after key employees leave.

One workplace frustration we hear is that people aren’t getting the quality or quantity of feedback they need from their managers. Managers may give feedback along these lines: “You need to work on your executive presence.” “Improve your communication skills.” But what does that even mean? These broad statements probably have specific instances behind them, but they’re not helpful to the employee unless they translate into specific and actionable behaviors. By the way, if you’re lucky enough to get clear, behavioral-focused feedback appreciate it! (Even if it stings.) If you’re NOT getting the clear feedback you need, try this simple question: ? “What does that look like?” It can transform vague feedback into actionable feedback by prompting your manager to be more specific and say exactly what they mean. So, if they say, “Improve your executive presence,” ask them: “What does that look like?” Hopefully, they'll respond with something along these lines: “Your emails need to be more succinct.” “Interrupt less in meetings.” “Avoid participating in office gossip." Once you have a list of behaviors, pick one of them to focus on for a set period of time. Observe what happens as you make the change and keep adjusting your behaviors as needed. As you take this approach you'll find that small, specific changes lead to meaningful improvement. As a bonus, you’re training your manager to give you better feedback. If you continue to struggle to get the feedback you need, keep refining your questions, or seek insight from someone else who can provide the perspective you’re looking for.

Join us at the Founded in FoCo kickoff party! Dain will be sharing some thoughts from his 8 years of experience within the Fort Collins entrepreneurial community.

The monthly(ish) newsletter went out today! Subscribers received a compilation of our latest resources and details for two upcoming conferences. If you want to join the list to stay in the loop, use this simple form to sign up: https://rev0.org/articles

In my time as a project manager, I saw projects approved with timelines and budgets that resembled fiction more than fact and was left with the impossible task of turning fantasy into reality. On April 18th, I'm leading a breakout session at the 2025 PMI Mile Hi Chapter Symposium on "The Psychology of Estimating Cost and Schedule." I'll show you why people are inherently poor estimators and how psychology plays a surprisingly influential role in how we approach estimating time and cost. I'll pull in stories from real-world experience and modern research to illustrate how the standard textbook estimation methods can fail to secure project approval or inevitably lead to cost and schedule overruns. We'll also discuss why experience often outperforms education, how to deliver tough news, and communicate estimates effectively with your entire team. I hope you can make it! More info & l i n k in first comment.

Registration is open for Founded in FoCo 2025! Sessions fill up in the weeks leading up to the event, so grab a seat now for Dain Johnson's session... "Success Through Succession: Hire and Outsource the Right Way" Succession planning isn’t just about preparing for the future of your business, it’s also for setting yourself and others up to be successful right now. In the session, you'll learn how to uncover the 30+ hidden roles in your business using role charts and role descriptions (not to be confused with org charts and job descriptions!) to delegate effectively, set expectations, and build accountability. If you're hiring, outsourcing, or just trying to get work off your plate, this approach will set you and your business up for long-term success. You'll walk away with: ? A framework for role charts that improve clarity and alignment. ? Practical techniques for assigning and delegating work using role descriptions. ? Strategies to set expectations and hold people accountable.

Thanks, ACEC Colorado for all you do to support the engineer community in Colorado!

HAPPY ENGINEERS WEEK! #Eweek2025 (Tag an engineer who deserves a shoutout!) Engineers are awesome. They don’t just talk about problems, they sit down and solve them. They ask “what if?” and then design it. This week, we celebrate the engineers working to make their corner of the world better. Your curiosity, problem-solving, and perseverance shapes the world around us. Thank you! ----------- Did you know? Engineers Week was founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951 to inspire future generations and ensure a diverse, well-equipped workforce in STEM.

3 common reasons we see great engineers struggle as managers... 1) They expect their people to behave in a logical way, but humans are not logical. Behavior, motivation, and communication are incredibly complex. 2) They want to maintain the same level of control they used to have over the technical work, which often leads to micromanaging their team. 3) They take on too much themselves instead of assigning work to their capable employees. Success as a leader starts with letting go. (If you could use some help in this arena, you're absolutely not alone. We'd love to meet you. Send us a message.)