PMI SOUTH DAKOTA CHAPTER

Calendar of Events

January CoP: Amber McMillan presents "Beyond Buy-in: Human-Centered Stakeholder Engagement"

Business Acumen

Beyond Buy-In: Human-Centred Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder engagement is often transactional (securing buy-in, minimizing resistance), yet many challenges are relational, shaped by trust, emotion, and power.This session urges leaders to rethink engagement during contentious decisions or differing perspectives. Drawing from human-centred communication, participants will explore how their presence impacts trust and collaboration.

Instead of persuasion, the focus is on how respect, presence, and intentional listening transform difficult interactions, even without agreement. Participants will reflect on their habits and learn strategies for creating psychological safety while maintaining clarity and accountability.

This practical approach shifts engagement from transactional exchanges to resilient, complex-ready relationships.

 

Key Learnings

  1. Why Engagement Fails: Identify common pitfalls (assumptions, defensiveness, power dynamics) that erode trust.

  2. Building Trust Without Agreement: Learn to engage stakeholders with steadiness and respect during disagreement, maintaining relationships and boundaries.

  3. Shifting to Relational Engagement: Gain tools to change the quality of conversations so people feel heard, increasing commitment, not just compliance.

 

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PMI South Dakota is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: January CoP: Amber McMillan
Time: Jan 22, 2026 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83927815961?pwd=n10V9uhUmcdCXQPp63Df0a9lMJVhyc.1

Meeting ID: 839 2781 5961
Passcode: 381943

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https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/83927815961/invitations?signature=7Z4nzqDTRvHjscp6M2oO0cLYWHL1EZy4CqS-_NiFJRc

 

Speakers


Amber McMillan

The Feisty PM
Amber McMillan, also known as The Feisty PM, is an impact coach, project management thought leader, and champion for human-centred leadership with over 30 years of experience across profit and non-profit sectors. She specializes in the people side of projects—communication, change, and navigating conflict—helping leaders build trust, clarity, and momentum in complex environments. Known for her candid, grounded approach, Amber empowers individuals to leverage their unique strengths while creating spaces where people feel safe to speak honestly, think critically, and contribute fully. Her work focuses on strengthening emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and leadership presence so teams can move forward together—even when the work is hard. Amber currently serves as the PMI Region 1 Mentor and teaches at institutions including York University and the University of Victoria (UVic). Guided by Maya Angelou’s words, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better,” Amber challenges leaders to grow with intention and lead with courage.

By registering, I grant permission to PMI South Dakota Chapter to take photographs/videos during this event. I understand that this media may be used for promotional purposes on social media platforms, websites, and other marketing materials. 

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Information

Type of category: Communities of Practice

Type of activity: Business Acumen

Date: January 22nd, 2026

Hour: 12:00PM to 1:00PM

# of PDUs: 1

Price

Members: Free

Non members and Guests: Free

Location