Performance psychology

Performing under pressure

An 8-week online group coaching course in performance psychology for project delivery professionals, built on ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Training). Learn to think clearly, hold your ground and act on what matters when the pressure is on.

Why this course

The pressure is not going away. Your response to it can change.

IT projects put steady pressure on the people who run them: hard deadlines, hard conversations and high stakes. Most training targets your technical skills. This course targets the other half of the job, which is how you think, settle and act when things heat up.

The course is built on ACT, a well-researched approach used in sport, business and the military to help people perform under pressure. You will train practical skills, week by week, in a small group of peers who face the same pressures you do.

This is coaching and training for professional performance. It is not therapy or clinical treatment, and it does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you need clinical support, we will say so plainly and point you to the right help.

Who it's for

Built for project delivery professionals

Project managers, business analysts, delivery leads and the people who work alongside them. The roles that carry a project's pressure: the status meeting that turns into an ambush, the stakeholder who won't budge, the outage at the worst possible time.

Every module is applied to delivery work. You bring real situations from your projects, and each week's scenario card puts the skill straight to work in your world.

How it works

Eight weeks, one skill at a time

You start with a short baseline self-assessment (week zero). Then one module a week, each with a core lesson and a delivery scenario to apply it to.

Week 1: The high performer's trap

Workability. Spot the habits that got you here but now cost you, and test what actually works.

Week 2: Steady under fire

Present-moment focus. Train your attention to stay in the room when the pressure spikes.

Week 3: Unhooked

Defusion. Notice the unhelpful thoughts, let them pass and get on with the job. Unlocks the Unhook AI companion.

Week 4: Room for pressure

Acceptance. Make room for the discomfort that comes with high stakes, instead of fighting it. Unlocks the Rehearsal Room.

Week 5: Your professional compass

Values. Get clear on what you stand for at work, so hard calls get easier. Unlocks Compass Check.

Week 6: Committed action under load

Turn the skills into behaviour you keep when the load is heaviest.

Week 7: Identity beyond the role

You are more than your job title. Loosen the grip of the role so setbacks hit softer.

Week 8: Your performance playbook

Pull it together into a personal playbook you can use long after the course ends.

What's included

You train with people, and practise with AI

Live group check-ins

Two live sessions a week, shared across cohorts: Wednesday 12pm and Friday 8am AEST. Bring a real situation and work it through with the group.

Delivery scenarios and community

Weekly scenario cards drawn from real project situations, and a community of delivery peers on the same path.

Three AI practice companions

Unhook for defusion drills (from week 3). Rehearsal Room, a pressure simulator (week 4). Compass Check, a weekly values review (week 5).

Ways to take it

Two ways in, all by enquiry

Take it self-paced from early 2027, or join a cohort intake with fixed start dates so you move through the eight weeks with the same group. Enquire and we'll help you pick.

Designed to align with the PMI Talent Triangle's Power Skills. Participants may be eligible to self-report PDUs or CDUs toward PMI or IIBA certification maintenance. Check your certification body's current requirements.

Founding cohort

First intake: Q1 2027

The founding cohort is kept small, 8 to 12 people, so the group stays close. Places are by enquiry. Register your interest and you will be first to hear when the intake opens.

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