Presenting with Purpose in AEC, Part II
- Kayla McCause, LSSGB, CPSM
- Jun 2
- 2 min read
Presenting Your VALUE (For Mid-Level Leaders)
You’re no longer just contributing to ideas—you’re leading them. Mid-career professionals often represent their firm in client-facing meetings or peer collaborations. At this stage, it’s about how you deliver, not just what you say. Your presence and polish can either build trust—or raise questions about your readiness.
Your Goal: Confidence and Credibility You want to be seen as someone who can deliver—not just think. The people you’re talking to need to believe in your expertise, your authority, and your ability to solve problems without needing a lifeline.
Common Challenge: Polish Even seasoned pros can struggle with conciseness, presence, or owning the spotlight. There’s a fine line between being thorough and being long-winded, and your audience’s time is too valuable to lose them to rambling.
Where It Shows Up:
Project updates for clients
Interview panels
Team leadership meetings
Soft Skills to Focus On:
Confident posture and movement. Plant your feet and move with intention when speaking. Avoid pacing or unnecessary gestures
Concise storytelling. Boil your experience down into relatable anecdotes that demonstrate results
Strategic silence. Don’t fear pauses; lean into them. They can give your message space to breathe and add weight to your points
Listening presence. Show that you're truly hearing others by nodding, rephrasing what they say, and responding directly
Collaborative language. Use "we" statements to show teamwork, and frame feedback as contributions, not critiques
Quick Tips:
Distill your value into a one-sentence headline
Share contributions through results, not responsibilities
Use transitions to keep your narrative tight
Practice:
Write and rehearse your personal elevator pitch in 60 seconds
Simulate a project interview Q&A with a peer
Watch a recording of yourself—look for nervous habits (fidgeting, uptalking, etc.)
