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Wednesday, January 20, 2027
Kutztown University – McFarland Student Union Building
8:00 am - 11:30 am

Why the Conversation You are Not Having is Holding You Back: Getting to The Last 8%

Top Booked Keynote Speaker on Leadership and High Performing Teams, JP Pawliw

Our research has found that most people are relatively effective at getting to 92% of what they want to say in a feedback conversation. But when they get to the Last 8% of what they really want to say–the hardest part of the feedback they want to give–the part of the conversation that has consequences for the other person, they sense the potential emotional impact this feedback might have, and they back off, avoiding giving the feedback that’s needed.

This creates significant challenges for the other person: not only do they not know how or where they stand, which increases their anxiety, but they are also not given a chance to improve. Worse, they feel less psychologically safe and emotionally connected, which diminishes their performance.

The goal of this program is to give your people the insight and tools to manage their emotions to get to the Last 8% of what they want to say in any feedback conversation. The good news is that there is a burgeoning science of how to give and receive feedback that anyone can learn. It starts by becoming a ‘student of human behavior’, understanding the brain under pressure, and learning the concrete skills needed to give feedback in a way where the other person can hear it.

In this powerful program, your people will learn:

• What The Last 8% is and why it provides the biggest opportunity to learn, grow and boost their performance.

• How the brain reacts under pressure and why that is at the heart of why people avoid giving Last 8% feedback.

• Self-awareness: what their habitual way of reacting to receiving feedback is and why that matters as a signal to the other person that they are open to receiving this important feedback.

• How to start a Last 8% feedback conversation: most people do not know where to start, which causes anxiety. Along with trying to be perfect, this stops them from beginning this important conversation.

• What the key components are to building an environment of high psychological safety, and why it matters to innovation.

Dr. JP Pawliw is a respected and award-winning visionary when it comes to building high-performing teams and cultures. Organizations such as United Healthcare, Blue Cross and even Harvard have consulted JP and his firm when it comes to building high-performing teams.
He is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When it Matters Most, published in 65 countries and named as one of Inc. Magazine’s Best Business Books of the Year.

Watch a Preview of JP Pawliw