Breakout Speaker

Bio:

Ruth Pearce is a speaker, author, and coach who transforms how professionals lead, listen, and communicate. With a unique blend of legal acumen, project leadership, and behavioral science, Ruth helps audiences unlock the unseen dynamics that drive trust, influence, and engagement.

As the founder of Pearce Insights and creator of the FOCUS Coaching Model™, Ruth has trained hundreds of project leaders and coaches to move from information-sharing to transformation-leading. Her approach draws on the science of positive psychology, character strengths, and neuroscience to teach communicators how to prime their listeners for action—before a single word is spoken.

Ruth is a certified professional coach (PCC), a Project Management Professional (PMP), and holds a JD in Law. She is also a LinkedIn Learning instructor, a contributing author on ethical AI coaching, and a recognized voice on the intersection of communication, leadership, and mental well-being.

Whether working with government agencies, Fortune 500 teams, or emerging leaders, Ruth brings energy, empathy, and evidence to every stage she steps on. Her mission? To help you be heard—not just because you’re speaking, but because your audience is ready to listen.

Session Topic:

Priming Your Listeners: Get Your Audience Ready to Hear What You Have to Say

Abstract:

As NCPMI celebrates 40 years of empowering professionals, the ability to communicate effectively remains a foundational skill for innovation, growth, and transformation. In this session, Ruth Pearce draws on behavioral science, positive psychology, and her extensive experience in coaching and leadership to explore how project leaders and communicators can prime their audiences—mentally and emotionally—for deeper engagement and impact.

You’ll learn how small, intentional choices in tone, timing, and context can transform a passive audience into active collaborators. By understanding the neuroscience of attention and receptivity, and by leveraging your own unique character strengths, you’ll leave this session with actionable tools to make your messages more powerful, memorable, and transformative.

Whether you’re managing a team, leading a workshop, or delivering a high-stakes presentation, priming your listeners can be the key to being heard, understood, and remembered.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the Science of Priming for Communication

Learn how cognitive and emotional priming affects audience engagement and retention—and how to use it strategically in project settings.

2. Apply Character Strengths to Build Trust and Connection

Use your own strengths—and recognize those of your audience—to foster psychological safety, curiosity, and shared purpose before delivering content.

3. Craft Messages That Inspire Innovation and Growth

Create communications that not only inform but also unite and inspire action, aligning with the theme Innovate – Grow – Transform: Together We Can.