Steady Reads
Insights on communication, confidence, and showing up ready.
How to Prepare for a Difficult Conversation at Work (Without Overthinking It)
Most people either overthink difficult conversations or wing them entirely. Here's a simple 4-step approach to walk in clear, grounded, and ready.
Read more →How to Ask for a Raise at Work (Without Talking Yourself Out of It)
Most people who deserve a raise never ask for one. Here is a practical, research-backed approach to preparing for the conversation so you can walk in clear, grounded, and ready to make your case.
Read more →How to Give Difficult Feedback to a Colleague or Employee (Without Dreading the Conversation)
Giving difficult feedback is one of the most avoided conversations at work. Here is a practical, research-backed approach to preparing for it so the message lands clearly and the relationship stays intact.
Read more →How to Prepare for a Difficult Conversation With Your Partner or Family (Without Putting It Off Any Longer)
Difficult conversations with the people closest to us are often the hardest to start. Here is a practical, research-backed approach to preparing for them so you can speak clearly without the conversation going sideways.
Read more →How to Prepare for a Job Interview Without Over-Rehearsing
Over-rehearsing for a job interview can make you sound scripted and increase anxiety. Here is a smarter, research-backed approach to preparing so you walk in confident and sounding like yourself.
Read more →How to Have a Difficult Conversation With Your Manager (Without the Fear Getting in the Way)
Raising something difficult with your manager is one of the most avoided conversations at work. Here is a practical, research-backed approach to preparing so you can say what needs to be said clearly and confidently.
Read more →Why You Go Blank in Important Meetings (And How to Stop It)
Going blank in a meeting is not a sign of incompetence. It is a predictable biological response to stress. Here is what is actually happening and what you can do about it.
Read more →How to Present Your Ideas With Confidence at Work (Even When You're Not Sure They'll Land)
The difference between someone who presents ideas confidently and someone who stays quiet is rarely the quality of the thinking. It is usually the quality of the preparation.
Read more →How to Set Boundaries at Work Without Damaging Relationships
Most people who struggle to set boundaries at work are not struggling because they do not know what their limits are. They are struggling because they believe that expressing those limits will cost them something.
Read more →How to Handle a Confrontational Colleague (Without Making It Worse)
Most people who have a confrontational colleague go through the same cycle: they tolerate the behaviour longer than they should, then either explode in response or escalate feeling like they have failed.
Read more →How to Ask for a Promotion (It Is Different From Asking for a Raise)
Asking for a promotion is not the same conversation as asking for a raise. Here is what makes it different, and how to prepare for it so the ask lands as a business case, not a personal plea.
Read more →How to Present Bad News to Your Boss or Stakeholders (Without It Going Worse Than It Has To)
Delivering bad news at work is one of the most dreaded conversations professionals face. Here is a research-backed approach to doing it clearly, credibly, and without the delay that makes it worse.
Read more →How to Pitch to Investors Without Sounding Rehearsed
The most common mistake founders make when pitching is over-rehearsing until they sound scripted. Here is how to prepare thoroughly while staying natural, credible, and human in the room.
Read more →What Happens to Your Brain Before a High-Stakes Conversation
The dread before a difficult conversation is not weakness. It is biology. Here is what is actually happening in your brain and body in the lead-up to high-stakes moments.
Read more →Why Talking Out Loud Helps You Think More Clearly
Talking to yourself out loud is not a sign of eccentricity. It is one of the most effective cognitive tools available. Here is what the science says.
Read more →How to Prepare for Your First Day Managing a Team (Without Pretending You Have Done It Before)
Your first day managing a team is one of the most significant transitions in any career. Here is what the research says about preparing for it well.
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