Join us at the ASTM (Advancing Standards, Transforming Markets) December 2025 Committee week. ASTM Alliance for Empowering Women (AFEW) Speaker Workshop on Tuesday, December 9th – 5:00pm – 6:00pm (CST).
The Alliance for Empowering Women (AFEW) group is hosting its bi-annual educational Speaker Workshop. This is an inclusive event open to all ASTM Committee Week registered guests who wish to attend. All are welcome!
New Horizon Strategies CEO and Founder, Laurie Hall, will be providing her classic take on making organizations better by enhancing our skills at giving FEEDBACK!
Description: Many technical organizations pride themselves on being collaborative, respectful, and “pretty good” at communication — yet often find themselves *too nice* to be truly effective. When teams avoid hard conversations in the name of harmony, they risk missing critical opportunities for innovation, accountability, and clarity.
Researchers studying high-performing teams have found that the greatest barrier to courageous leadership isn’t just skill—it’s the discomfort of addressing difficult issues directly. What would happen if technical leaders replaced “being nice” with “being courageous”? How might that change accelerate problem-solving, strengthen trust, and improve outcomes with clients and colleagues alike?
In this interactive session, you’ll learn practical tools to navigate the emotions and fears that come with tough conversations—and discover how expressing honest perspectives can unlock alignment, innovation, and better performance across your teams and projects.
