MBI's BuildHer - Cedar Rapids
When:
- Jul 27, 2027 07:45 AM – 03:30 PM
Where:
- Wendler Café and Co.
- 415 12th Avenue Southeast
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
| Fee | Type of Fee |
|---|---|
| $150 | / Person - MBI Members |
| $300 | / Person - Non-Members |
| $375 | / Person - MBI Members for all sessions |
| $750 | / Person - Non-Members for all sessions |
Presenters: Dr. Kortney Peagram, The Ordinary Professor - Chicago, IL | Ali Matuszak, Founder + Principal Consultant, Noise+Signal - Denver, CO
Build Better Conversations: Communication, Conflict & Coaching for Construction
The most effective people in any organization do not simply communicate. They know how to be heard, understood, and trusted. Communication is not about saying more. It is about saying what matters in a way that creates clarity, connection, and action — especially when the conversation is hard. Whether you are navigating tension on a project, in the office, or across a team, addressing performance concern, resolving conflict between colleagues, or simply trying to get everyone aligned, the ability to communicate with confidence and intention is what separates good teams from great ones.
Dr. Peagram helps every participant strengthen their communication, coaching, feedback, and conflict resolution skills so they can lead conversations with greater confidence and influence — regardless of their title or role. Participants will learn how to leverage their natural strengths, navigate challenging and high-stakes discussions, address conflict directly without damaging relationships, and provide feedback that drives growth while maintaining trust. Whether the conversation is overdue, uncomfortable, or just plain difficult — this workshop gives you the tools to have it well. Through practical exercises, self-reflection, coaching conversations, real-world conflict scenarios, and live application, participants will leave with tools they can immediately implement with their teams and colleagues.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Lead conversations with confidence and intention — including the ones you've been avoiding
- Communicate clearly without overexplaining, overjustifying, or backing down
- Leverage natural strengths to enhance personal effectiveness in high-stakes situations
- Build trust and credibility through intentional, consistent communication
- Deliver feedback that people can receive, understand, and act upon — even when it's hard to hear
- Navigate difficult conversations and conflict with confidence and emotional control
- Recognize and de-escalate tension before it damages relationships or team performance
- Utilize foundational coaching techniques to develop others and resolve recurring issues
- Ask powerful questions that promote ownership, accountability, and resolution
- Increase influence through communication rather than authority or position
The Interrupt: Closing the Gap Between Assumption and Ownership
Ali Matuszak examines how perception shapes behavior, and how behavior shapes what others perceive. Participants will explore how interpretation, context, and assumption drive the accountability gaps that play out daily on jobsites and in office environments. The session centers on a guided reflective activity in which participants experience firsthand how their actions land on others without that context - followed by a second wave that introduces a structured interrupt between perception and response. Participants will leave with a repeatable framework for self-interruption and a clearer understanding of where accountability usually breaks down, why it breaks down, and why willpower alone won't fix it.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Identify how perception and interpretation shape their response to others' behavior.
- Recognize the role personal context plays in driving (and justifying) their actions
- Experience firsthand how their behavior lands on others without context
- Apply a structured self-interruption technique before responding in high-stakes situations;
- Name at least one pattern in their own accountability gaps and articulate a path forward
Master Builder Designation: Leadership - 4 Credits | Project Management - 2 Credits | Your Choice - 1 Credit