Insights
The Honeymoon Tax
Around 90 days into any big change, the energy goes quiet. The dashboard stays green. The strategy holds. But the thing that was moving is suddenly not. Here is the math behind why
Your Team Is Doing Math In Every Meeting
Your team runs a quiet formula before speaking up in any high-stakes meeting. The math is rational, the silence is not weakness, and somewhere in that formula is a variable for you. Here is what they are calculating, and how to change the answer.
Your Team Isn’t Disengaged
Your team looks aligned in the meeting. But the real conversation is happening somewhere else. Here are the three layers of silence and how to bring teams back.
The Unspoken Expectations Killing Your Team
Your boss emails at 11:07 PM. Does she expect a response, or is she just working late? Your team is constantly guessing what you actually expect—and that guessing is quietly killing performance. One conversation about six specific questions can end the uncertainty forever.
What Will Still Matter When AI Changes Everything About Work
AI is changing work fast, but human connection, creativity, and judgment aren't just surviving—they're becoming your only competitive advantage.
Silence is Communication
When leaders stay silent during organizational change, teams fill the information vacuum with worst-case assumptions. This triggers the brain's threat response, particularly around certainty - one of five domains in David Rock's SCARF model. Effective leaders communicate about uncertainty itself: acknowledge what's unknown, share what they do know, explain how decisions are being made, set update cadence, and give teams actionable steps.
Why Your Team Won't Say No
Stop thinking psychological safety is some touchy-feely HR initiative. It's your organizational immune system. When your team's immune system is strong, problems surface early. Course corrections happen naturally. Disasters get prevented, not managed. When it's weak? People retreat into survival mode. Your team is constantly calibrating: "What happens when I speak up here?" The answer to that question, accumulated over dozens of small interactions, determines whether they'll save your next big initiative or watch it burn.
Stop Treating AI Adoption Like a Light Switch
I've had multiple friends and colleagues tell me AI is making their work HARDER. Seriously? The technology that's supposed to revolutionize everything is creating more friction, not less. Why? Because "AI as a strategy" doesn't work. AI is a tool. A powerful one, sure, but still just a tool. And like any tool, it's only useful when you understand what problem you're trying to solve.
Communication & Team Connection: Building Trust Through Better Relationships
Every team is a collection of unique perspectives, communication styles, and working preferences. What looks like a simple conversation to one person might feel overwhelming to another. The challenge isn't having different viewpoints—it's creating the shared language and understanding that allows these diverse minds to collaborate effectively
When Teams Unite Under Pressure
These scenarios never cease to amaze me because of how deeply connected they make us feel. They tap into our identity as valued members of our work community, and when that community faces a crisis, people respond instinctively. This might mean staying late, contributing extra effort, or stepping outside comfort zones to help the team succeed.
Use Assessments to Spice Up Your Team
One of the best things I ever did as a leader was have my team take a personality assessment. Yet when I talk to many leaders, they often get dismissive about assessments, with responses like "not another assessment" or "I hate how these put me in a box." Let me share a couple of stories that changed my perspective.
The Team Assessment That Speaks Human
As a facilitator, one of my core beliefs is that better understanding leads to better collaboration. The Principles US assessment gives teams a shared language to discuss how they work best - whether they're natural leaders who inspire others, methodical problem-solvers who dive deep into details, or adaptable collaborators who thrive on change.