What your program manager hears every week (that your competitors would kill for)

You ask your program manager how they're positioning for the recompete. "Customer's happy. We're on schedule. Should be good."

You press a little. "Any specific changes they need going forward? Contract changes?"

"Probably not. I've got a ton on my plate, but they would have told me. We're tight!"

Six months later, you lose the recompete.

Your PMs are hearing the most valuable competitive intelligence—hints about budget constraints, shifting leadership priorities, and critical unmet needs. They just don't recognize its value.

The Real Reason PMs Resist Growth Conversations

Most PMs want to keep their programs and grow them, but they lack the skills to do it. When you ask them to focus on growth, they come back with:

"I'm too busy delivering to focus on that right now."

"I don't want to come across as a sleazy sales rep."

"If I start asking about future work, it might damage my credibility."

Not excuses. Real fears from PMs who were never taught how to grow a program without sounding like a sales pitch.

The signals are there. PMs just don't know they're signals. Without training, they default to delivery mode and cross their fingers.

It's Not Additional Work. It's a Different Focus

Your PMs are already in the meetings, having the conversations. They're not too busy. They're paying attention to the wrong things.

What's missing? What we call Hi-Q—human intelligence. Three capabilities: emotional intelligence to read what's not being said, trained curiosity to ask questions that reveal real needs, and opportunity recognition to spot growth pathways others miss.

Customer asks for something outside the scope. Untrained PM says yes, leading to scope creep and uncompensated work. Trained PM with Hi-Q thinks: unmet need. If they need it now, they'll need to fund it later. That's how you grow a program.

Something feels off in the meeting. Untrained PM sticks to the agenda and ends meeting on time. Trained PM asks: "You seemed concerned when we discussed the timeline—what's driving that?" Discovers budget pressure that could shrink the next option year. Now they can help shape a lower-cost solution.

Customer mentions being overwhelmed next quarter. Untrained PM sympathizes and returns to the agenda. Trained PM asks: "What would make that easier?" Suddenly, they're discussing a contract mod to bring on five additional personnel.

Same meetings. Different focus. One PM leaves with status updates while the other leaves with actionable intelligence.

The Competitive Advantage Most Contractors Miss

Your PMs are already talking to customers. They already have the relationships. But if they can't read customer signals or ask the right questions, those relationships are worthless as a growth engine.

Companies that train PMs in customer intelligence see 63% higher recompete win rates (APMP). Teams excelling at customer engagement win at 80% (Deltek 2023). Yet, only 28% of contractors have adopted a systematic method.

Every week this happens, your competitors get ahead in building their win strategy around the intelligence your team should have captured.

Your competitors are figuring this out and are using it to actively target your contracts. They're training PMs to read signals, ask better questions, and position naturally without feeling like sales reps. While you're hoping your relationships hold, they're actively managing theirs.

Find Out Where You Stand

So, here's the real question: Are you operating on trusted data or optimistic assumptions?

Most executives think their PM relationships are solid. Then they lose a recompete and find out those relationships weren't as solid as they thought.

Customers won't tell you when they're unhappy. They stay polite and professional while quietly shopping for your replacement. Most executives overestimate relationship strength by 30-40% because they mistake social pleasantries for loyalty.

The PM Growth Risk Assessment tells you exactly which problem you have. Takes three minutes. You'll get one of four risk profiles—Flying Blind (no relationship governance), The Deliverables Trap (technical excellence, no strategic influence), PM Lottery (can't predict which PM will succeed), or Talent-Dependent (strong performers but no system to scale it).

Each profile shows you what it's costing you and what to fix first.

Your PMs are already in position. They already have the access. Give them the skills to recognize what they're hearing, and you'll have competitive intelligence your competitors can't match.

Nic Coppings is Senior Partner at Hi-Q Group, where he helps government contractors transform customer engagement into competitive advantage. With more than 20 years of experience in federal contracting, Nic has worked with hundreds of contractors to develop what he calls Hi-Q (human intelligence)—the capabilities that drive on-contract growth, win recompetes, and identify adjacencies competitors never see. He can be reached at ncoppings@hi-qgroup.com