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Embrace Hybrid & Flexible Work For Good Remember earlier this summer when we all thought COVID was just about beat, and we were headed back to a version of our old, in-person, in-the-office version of normal? Those seem like innocent days as successive waves of outbreaks keep happening. But in truth, regardless of what happens pandemic-wise, there was no going back. In a recent post, I wrote about how leaders can respond to the “next normal.” And yet, I see too many companies trying to force a return to the old ways, despite the lessons of COVID. Today’s savvy leader understands that instead of trying to enforce old ways, we should embrace what we’ve learned under tough circumstances and move forward with a flexible, adaptable approach. Because change and unpredictability are not limited to the pandemic–they are our true new normal. Our world moves too fast and changes too quickly for rigidity. Let Your People Go (Home) The biggest lesson? Your team can work remotely. Except for some jobs that are in-person by nature, such as servers, frontline healthcare professionals, or factory workers, most people just need a good internet connection to work from home–or anywhere. Remote work isn’t only possible–for many, it’s preferable. They don’t miss the commute, the dress policy, the small-p politics of the office. They are happier and even more productive from home. And yet, I keep talking to leaders eager to get everyone back to the office ASAP. Why the big push to revert to our old habits? Why the need to mandate where people work? Often, it doesn’t matter where somebody sits. What matters is engaging your team in delivering results. That's the benchmark. And we need to go beyond simply leading a remote or hybrid work arrangement: today, it’s the combination of hybridity plus flexibility. While we can't predict the next significant upheaval or shift, we know it’s coming. And fast. Challenge Your Thinking Great leaders are willing to challenge their assumptions and beliefs. This trait is especially valuable now when so many of our old systems, business models and go-to strategies have been upended. It makes many leaders uncomfortable. They’re tired of the uncertainties of COVID and eager for a return to more structure and order. But the most successful companies will be those that recognize that you're going to have to be different post-pandemic. And whether it's COVID, or the financial meltdown of 2008, or some new competitor, you’ve got to be willing to change to stay competitive and attract and retain top talent. If your team can work for anyone, anywhere, and you’re unwilling to budge on location, you’re at a disadvantage against other employers. Ask yourself: what can't you lead through for people working from home or remotely? As a leader, why do you feel compelled to dictate that people come back to the office? The answer is likely much more about control than the best way to get the work done. All About Engagement Less than 30% of people report being actively engaged in their work. If we want to boost engagement, we need to respond and adapt to the needs of our team members. That comes down to building relationships with our team and recognizing that each will have different needs. Can you flex your leadership style to meet them rather than be a stickler for in-person? Probably the biggest challenge in this new hybrid/flexible situation is how to connect and community with a team that may be wholly or partly remote. How do you build trust and rapport with the individuals and teams that report to you? How do you create a supportive work culture without in-person events? How do you ensure there aren’t relationship haves and have-nots because some people will opt to go into the office, and others won’t? How do you simulate those chance encounters in the hallway or the break room, where many meaningful conversations take place. When I was on the executive team at Perrier, a group of us worked out together in the company gym. We made most of the critical decisions in our 6 am workouts. You need to be more proactive to create opportunities for both structured and organic opportunities to get people involved and engaged. As Seth Godin, the master marketer, wrote in a recent post, “As social creatures, many people very much need a place to go, a community to be part of, a sense of belonging and meaning. But it’s not at all clear that the 1957 office building is the best way to solve those problems.” Be Clear For some leaders, hybridity feels like an undefined grey zone where expectations are hazy. But letting go of the rigid outlines of 9-to-5 office face-time doesn’t need to be a free-for-all. The key is to be clear about your expectations. What platforms and processes will you use to connect and collaborate most effectively? What expectations do you have around availability? Maybe instead of incidental encounters, you arrange a big offsite with everyone once or twice a year. Or you hold casual Friday afternoon catchups to create rapport, connection and engagement. And, yes, there are times when people need to be face-to-face. As a leader, you need to identify when being in the same room is still more productive and collaborative. And the rest? You need to be willing to let that go, to make hybrid and flexible work arrangements your new normal for a more productive, cohesive and engaged team. Want the latest update on how hybrid work is shaping 2025? Read our newest post [here] .

Five years after COVID reshaped the way we work, the world has moved on. What started as a short-term fix has now become a core strategy. Hybrid work isn’t just a pandemic relic—it’s now the foundation for how teams drive productivity and engagement today. Teams have adapted. Employees have embraced new levels of flexibility. And contrary to early concerns, performance has not declined. In many organizations, it has actually improved. Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report  shows that roughly one-third of hybrid employees are fully engaged, around 35 to 36 percent, compared to significantly lower engagement among those required to be on-site every day. This suggests that offering a mix of remote and in-office time is a powerful strategy for boosting workplace engagement. Still, despite everything we’ve learned, some leaders are doubling down on return-to-office mandates—asking employees to come back four or five days a week. It begs the question: if the future of work is clearly moving forward, why are some trying to drag it backward? Why Hybrid Work 2025 Keeps Winning The early returns are clear. Companies that offer flexibility are seeing employees stay longer, work more effectively, and bring greater diversity to their teams, benefits that directly impact the bottom line. Today’s workforce expects—and values—workplace flexibility. In knowledge-based roles where location isn't critical, employees have proven they can deliver outstanding results when given the right tools and leadership support. Forcing a full-time office return risks undoing these gains, and sends a troubling message: that physical presence matters more than performance. Presence Isn’t a Proxy for Productivity Some leaders still tie productivity to office presence. But the high-performing teams of 2025 won't be judged by how many hours they spend at a desk, they'll be measured by the clarity of their goals, the trust invested in them, and the real-world results they deliver. Mandating rigid schedules sends an unintended signal: We don’t trust you unless we can see you. That mindset is more than outdated, it’s a strategic risk. All About Engagement Strong cultures don't emerge simply because people share a building. They are built through deliberate leadership: transparent communication, regular connection points, and a clear, shared purpose. The best teams today blend structure with spontaneity. They mix formal rituals like virtual town halls or quarterly offsite gatherings—with everyday interactions such as quick one-on-ones or casual project huddles. None of this requires a daily commute to succeed. The office still has value—but it should serve as a tool, not a rule. Certain moments still benefit from being in-person: strategic planning sessions, onboarding new hires, or navigating complex conversations. But success comes from intentionality, not default habits. When leaders embrace a hybrid-first mindset , the office stops being a place people have to go—and becomes a resource they actually want to use. It’s there to spark collaboration and support the work that benefits most from being together. Be Clear Business isn’t slowing down, and neither are the demands on leadership. The ones making real progress aren’t stuck trying to preserve the old ways. They’re adapting with their teams, trusting them to do great work, and seeing flexibility for what it really is: a major competitive edge. Hybrid work is no longer a perk in 2025 , it’s a standard. Companies that resist flexibility aren’t just making things harder for their teams, they’re putting themselves at a serious disadvantage in attracting, inspiring, and retaining the best talent. Employees have already proven they can deliver exceptional results when given the freedom to work where and how they perform best. The most forward-thinking leaders are paying attention, and adjusting their workplaces accordingly. Rather than asking, 'How do we get people back to the office?', the smarter question is:' What kind of workplace are we creating for the future—and who will choose to thrive there?' For a deeper look at how hybrid work evolved in the wake of the pandemic, check out our earlier insights [ Here ]

The three key elements for success Welcome to the third installment in our four-part series on scenario planning. Our clients—leaders like you—are facing rapid change and uncertainty. The new Trump administration, geopolitical upheaval, environmental crises, and shifting social movements make the future feel unknowable. The worst response? Panic or paralysis. Instead, proactive preparation is key—starting with scenario planning, a dynamic approach to anticipating multiple uncertainties. At WhiteWater , we created a free whitepaper on scenario planning, covering its history, evolution, and implementation. It also highlights the three essentials of success. Why Scenario Planning Matters for Your Business If you lead a mid-sized company, uncertainty still looms—supply chain disruptions, shifting regulations, and economic downturns threaten stability. Take a fast-growing manufacturer expanding at 25% annually. To prepare for uncertainty, they develop three scenarios: Base Case – Growth continues at 20–30% per year. Downside Case – Higher tariffs raise raw material costs, forcing cutbacks. Upside Case – Tariffs boost domestic demand, improving margins. By tracking key triggers (policy changes, supply costs, competitor reactions), they can pivot before crises escalate. The takeaway? Leaders who embrace scenario planning turn uncertainty into opportunity. The Three Essentials of Scenario Planning Scenario planning helps by exploring options, naming triggers, and defining success. Explore Your Options Develop multiple scenarios (e.g., trade policy changes, labor market shifts). Assess risks, identify opportunities, and plan contingencies. Name the Trigger Define clear real-world indicators—like a law passing, a labor market shift, or industry changes—to activate a response plan. Define Success Track qualitative and quantitative indicators to measure success. Attach timelines for accountability. There you have it—simple as 1, 2, 3. We’d love to hear from you. What potential changes are you bracing for? How does your organization prepare for uncertainty?

Courageous Communications, Part 5: Conflict Is All Around Us – Are You Ready? Conflict is all around us—whether in the workplace, leadership, or daily interactions. But not all conflict is bad. In fact, when managed correctly, healthy conflict fuels innovation, strengthens relationships, and drives team performance. They have different perspectives on goals and objectives and the best way to accomplish them. Leaders and their teams have different perspectives on performance and how well people are supported in their efforts to perform well. Few people see eye-to-eye with their managers or peers all the time. Creating an environment for healthy conflict is critical to creating organizations where everyone can perform their best. How leaders resolve conflicts is one of the key indicators of their overall effectiveness as leaders. Organizations that relish healthy conflict and deal with it in positive ways tend to outperform those that shun conflict or believe that conflict and disagreement are bad. Conflict is imperative within any organization for growth, and can be managed in healthy and helpful ways. In Part 2 of this series we outlined the cast of an organization in which the outward appearance was that everything was okay, maybe even great. The organization was performing well. Yet, as we uncovered the challenges the division leaders had in dealing with conflict, it was clear that they were leaving far more opportunities on the table. They had the ability to perform so much better if only they were more skilled at dealing with the underlying conflict. Healthy Conflict in your Organization: How healthy is it? So, I’ll pose these questions. I’d love your thoughts and feedback: How effectively are you managing conflict in your organization? How willing are people to hold the Courageous Communications that are necessary? Is everyone in your organization having the conversations they need to be having with others? For that matter, are you holding the conversations you need to hold with others in your organization? What forces enable your organization to deal with the healthy conflict? What forces are blocking courageous communications from happening? Do people have the skills and abilities to handle those emotionally charged situations in which they feel their careers may be put at risk? Do you have mechanisms in place to ensure that if there is an issue with communications, people have an outlet to by-pass the blockage? I will much look forward to your thoughts and comments as we “dialogue about dialogue!” Intrigued by what you’re reading? Download our white paper on converting strategy into execution and learn more about us by visiting our website . WhiteWater International Consulting, Inc. helps organizations understand the challenges they face and helps enterprises achieve and sustain outstanding performance through unleashing the passion and capabilities of its people. Because an organization is only as good at the people who power it.

What is Strategy Canvas? The strategy canvas was developed by Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, professors of strategy at INSEAD business school and co-directors of the INSEAD Blue Ocean Strategy Institute in Fontainebleau, France. They created it as an alternative to the typical strategic planning process. In part 1 of this series, we dug deeper into this powerful diagnostic tool that captures your organization’s strategic landscape and prospects in a simple visual. Kim and Mauborgne note that getting down to basics and seeing the big picture is challenging. “Drawing a strategy canvas is never easy,” they write. “Even identifying the key factors of competition is far from straightforward.” You’ll have to put aside conventional thinking about your company, your competition and even your customers. So if it’s a struggle, don’t worry. It’s just a sign that your current strategy is weak and needs this kind of attention. As the authors write, “From this awakening, comes exploration.” The Four Stages of the Strategy Canvas. Stage 1: Visual Awakening In this step, the strategic planning participants in your company arrive at a common understanding of your current condition by: • Comparing your business with your competitors’ by drawing “as is” strategy pictures • Seeing where your strategy needs to, or could, change. The draft strategy canvas shows where you overlap on the customer choice factors with your key competitors, where you may have competitive advantage, and where they may have competitive advantage currently. Stage 2: Visual Exploration This is the fieldwork component, where leaders get busy with outreach. Talk to your customers. Talk to your competition’s customers. Talk to users if they’re different from customers. In this stage, managers come face-to-face with their products/services to learn about: • Adoption hurdles for noncustomers • The competition’s distinctive advantages • Factors you should eliminate, create, or change “There is simply no substitute for seeing for yourself,” Kim and Mauborgne write. This step is critical to seeing the world through the eyes of your customers, potential customers and lost customers. There is often a huge gap between how an organization sees itself during the Visual Awakening stage and how customers see it during the Visual Exploration stage. Stage 3: Visual Strategy Fair This is the time to revise based on your exploration, and share your results more widely by: • Drawing new “to be” strategy canvases based on your fieldwork • Getting feedback on alternative strategy pictures from customers, lost customers, competitors’ customers, and noncustomers • Using this feedback to build the best “to be” strategy Challenging your thinking–your underlying assumptions, beliefs, perceptions, etc.–about your current and potential “to be” strategies is critical here. Far too many organizations are constrained by their historical success–“this is the way we’ve always done it”–to allow themselves to see what’s possible, or where potential disruption will occur. As Matthew Olsen and Derek Van Bever wrote in Stall Points, “...it is the assumptions you believe the most deeply or that you have held as true for the longest time that are likely to prove your undoing.” As a result, they are too late to truly change when a disruptor appears out of seemingly nowhere. Stage 4: Visual Communication Now it’s time to share your final strategy canvas with everyone in your organization by: • Distributing your before-and-after strategic profiles on a single page for easy comparison • Pursuing only the projects and actions that support the new strategy and letting the rest go This one-page image should become the referential document for all investments and other business decisions moving forward. Strategy requires making choices about both what you will, and won’t, do. If an idea doesn’t support the strategy, it doesn’t happen. Ideally, your strategy canvas is being referenced across your organization to ensure actions across departments and units align to the same strategic goals. As the authors indicate, strategic planning doesn’t end with the canvas. What it does do, however, is set the process off in the right direction by putting, as they write, the “strategy back into strategic planning.” In a world of perpetual whitewater, your strategy -- how you position yourself in the market to win your customers’ choice -- must constantly evolve. Our consultants and coaches can help. We’ve worked with dozens of organizations from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies to help them deliver better results. Reach out and let’s get started.

The final post in our four-part Scenario Planning Series  As I write this post, the U.S., where I’m from and work on a near-weekly basis, has delayed imposing 25% tariffs on most imports from Canada, where I live.  By the time this goes live, that may still be true. It may not. Retaliatory tariffs might have increased in the game of economic chicken Trump is playing with America’s closest ally. Or a near deal may have been reached. Or some other new twist may have developed.  We don’t know– can’t  know–what will happen, and this uncertainty has created incredible pressure on leaders who are grappling with multiple scenarios and their implications. This suspended state can be overwhelming and even paralyzing. And yet, even though so many things are out of our control or beyond our knowledge, we are not helpless, as Fernando F. Suarez and Juan S. Montes remind us in “Building Organizational Resilience,” a fascinating Harvard Business Review piece that we cite in our new, free Scenario Planning Whitepaper, which I invite and encourage you to download.   In their enlightening 2020 article (a time also notable for its volatility, uncertainty,  complexity, and ambiguity), the authors explore the value of improvisation—which they define as spontaneous, creative efforts to address an opportunity or a problem. They find that leaders who create conditions for more improvised responses are more successful overall.  In times of extreme uncertainty (i.e., now!) that fluency with shifting to approaches that aren’t “business as usual” becomes essential. “In fact, we believe that the ease with which teams refashion how specific tasks get done—whatever the level of turbulence—is the defining capability of a resilient organization,” they write.  And if “turbulent” doesn’t describe our current moment, I don’t know what does!  Open Up Your Processes to Navigate Uncertain Times The routines that we take for granted in relatively stable moments are upended. As we write in the whitepaper, scenario planning requires an intentionally flexible, open, and creative approach to uncertainty.  The approach is required when it comes to getting the work done. Enter improvisation. And while it may feel like things are spiraling out of control, as the authors remind us, “organizations aren’t helpless.” The more comfortable you become with uncertainty and changeability, the more resilient and responsible your organization will be as you navigate these turbulent whitewater times, and the more quickly you can move in a crisis. Click here to grab the whitepaper, which we made to give actionable ideas and more confidence to prepare for this unknowable future. It can help make your strategy as dynamic as the current business climate.  Open the Lines of Communication : A Key to Success in Uncertain Times Along with openness to new ideas and new ways of doing things, times like this also demand a new openness when it comes to communication within your organization.  Even in “normal” times, it is essential for any plan’s success. But the imperative to keep people informed and engaged only increases alongside uncertainty and the likelihood of change.  In my work with clients, I tell them that they almost cannot communicate enough. Too often, though, they’ll host a single town hall or presentation or send an email and consider the message sent.  Nope! However often (and how much) they think they need to share, triple it! That means ongoing and open communication across the organization. Sometimes, I see a tendency to keep information in a tight inner circle. But responding to change will require an all-hands effort. The sooner and deeper your communication, the more engaged your team will be when it’s time to act.  And when you add improvisation to the mix, dynamic responses to evolving situations, the need for ongoing communication becomes even more important.  As scenario planning demonstrates, there’s a power to being proactive, open, and flexible. It naturally follows that communications around the planning should share these traits.  Click here to download the Scenario Planning Whitepaper for free!

We are excited to announce that Whitewater International Consulting Inc. has joined three leading Chambers of Commerce in New Brunswick, Fredericton, Saint John, and Greater Moncton! This step reinforces our commitment to building strong business relationships, expanding our reach, and contributing to the province’s thriving business community. Why We Joined: Joining these chambers enables us to: Network with other business leaders at networking events, speaker series and industry mixers. Stay aware of top-level business policy issues and make your voice heard when shaping a more substantial business climate. Increase brand visibility with directories, social media promotions, and marketing opportunities. Benefit from member-exclusive discounts, group health plans and business development tools. About Each Chamber of Commerce in New Brunswick Fredericton Chamber of Commerce  – The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce acts as a main spot for help and business growth, backing firms at all levels. Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce  – The Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce is one of the oldest in Canada. It has a big network and helps businesses grow. Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton  –A long-standing advocate for business success that provides valuable networking and promotional opportunities.   Becoming a member of these chambers is not just a membership, but a vehicle for connecting, learning, and growing with other like-minded businesses. We look looking to connect with more members, utilize new opportunities and help the New Brunswick business community thrive. As a business looking to grow, if you want more from it, try the benefits of being a member of your local chamber.

Creating Effective 360 Degree Feedback: Our Thoughts Over the years, we’ve developed some thoughts about how to make the 360 process work. They include: The Purpose of 360-Degree Feedback The focus of the process should be on learning and growth for the leaders, not creating accountability for the results. However, we must create accountability for following the process, but not for the numbers people receive in their feedback. Leaders who choose not to participate in the process probably need to find other things to do. Key Principles for an Effective 360-Degree Feedback Process The feedback can, and should be used, to support both individual and collective leadership development strategies. Patience is required. Real growth and improvement takes two to three iterations of the process. Most people don’t really think you’re serious after the first try. (And, most organizations quit after the first time.) Feedback from the leader’s boss and peers can be helpful. Feedback from the leader’s direct reports is vital. Best Practices for 360-Degree Feedback Sharing is critical. Most leaders improve more rapidly when they share their feedback with their direct reports and use it as a forum to gather more feedback, prioritize key issues and establish action plans. Worse, not sharing the feedback with the survey participants indicates (perhaps, unintentionally) a lack of caring about the feedback. Repeat at regular intervals. Most organizations collect financial performance data monthly. Sales data is daily or weekly, and maybe even hourly. Some organizations collect manufacturing and quality process data continuously. Hence, it’s great folly to think we can collect 360 degree feedback data once and think we’ve given our leaders enough feedback to significantly improve. Confidentiality is key. This is a difficult process for both those getting feedback and those providing the feedback. It’s critical to protect the confidentiality of those providing feedback so that you can collect the most open and honest feedback possible. Even then, expect that it will take two or more iterations before people really get comfortable with the process. Any leader who attempts to figure out exactly who provided what feedback in the process needs to be shot on sight. It’s natural to want to know. Almost everyone asks, “Who said that?” in their survey feedback. But, actually attempting to find out lifts that security that confidentiality provides…which limits the effectiveness for everyone. Need help implementing 360-degree feedback in your organization?   Contact us today to get started! Intrigued by what you’re reading? Download our white paper on converting strategy into execution and learn more about us by visiting our website . WhiteWater International Consulting, Inc. helps organizations understand the challenges they face and helps enterprises achieve and sustain outstanding performance through unleashing the passion and capabilities of its people. Because an organization is only as good at the people who power it.

Leaders Practice Performance-Driven, Values-Based Leadership™ True leaders are responsible for both WHAT (Performance-driven) gets done and HOW (Values-based) those results are accomplished.  They create value for the organization, its owners and its employees AND they do it in a way that engages people and inspires them to perform their best.  HOW results are achieved becomes as important as WHAT results are achieved. Is there a set of consistently applied values that guide peoples’ actions? Are results achieved with, or at the expense, of others? Does the organization succeed in the short-run only to put its long-term viability at risk? Are people engaged and committed or are they run over or de-valued? Is everyone shown respect? Does everyone behave with honesty and integrity? Do differing opinions count or are they disregarded? Do people feel valued and do they have the opportunity to contribute their best? Intrigued by what you’re reading? Download our white paper on converting strategy into execution and learn more about us by visiting our website . WhiteWater International Consulting, Inc. helps organizations understand the challenges they face and helps enterprises achieve and sustain outstanding performance through unleashing the passion and capabilities of its people. Because an organization is only as good at the people who power it. Performance-Driven Values-Based Leadership.

In early June, my wife, Heather, a professional chef and the best baker you’ll ever meet, hosted a cooking class at our home. The hands-on session was a team-building exercise for a half-dozen staffers of a local business.   As I popped upstairs to grab a coffee, I could tell everyone was having a great time. After a long winter here in Atlantic Canada, the sunshine and lilacs were a welcome boost, but it was more than the perfect spring weather that was making them so happy: they were also genuinely enjoying the chance to be together in person.  Like many workplaces, this team began working from home during the pandemic and continued working virtually when the high risk of COVID-19 passed. While the benefits of virtual or hybrid work arrangements are well-known, there’s nothing quite like being together in living color.   So, a couple of times a year, they make a point to get together physically for a fun, team-building exercise, like Heather’s cooking class, followed by a strategy session.  As the group laughed and tasted each other’s culinary creations on our back deck, I was reminded of the importance of these kinds of gatherings. It’s so essential for team cohesion, morale, and strong relationships (which I’ve written about lately through the lens of empathy, a vital leadership trait).  While vacations and holidays make an all-staff session challenging, if not impossible, this time of year, you can still take advantage of the warm weather, longer days, and summer’s more casual vibe to find creative ways to connect at a deeper level with your teammates one-on-one or in smaller groups.  Speaking of team fun, I’m reminded of a time when I was consulting with the parent company of Chili's restaurants. A staffer cryptically warned me in advance of a Friday meeting at their corporate offices outside Dallas: “Look, our motto is ‘Work hard, play hard.’ So don't be surprised when you come in.”  When I arrived for my meeting, I literally ran into a lively foursome playing elevator golf. They were clearly having a ball. This kind of activity was authentic to Chili's light-hearted culture.  I share this to remind you to ensure that whatever you plan for a bit of summer team time genuinely connects with your people and aligns with your culture. Forced fun is no fun at all, and silliness is no substitute for actual bonding with people.  Here are some creative ways to build connection and camaraderie this season.  Simple Summer Team Building: Go for Ice Cream If possible, spend a little one-on-one time with each team member over the summer–and leave the agenda at the office. This is all about getting to know each other. Go for lunch, a coffee or beer (if appropriate in your organization), or even just an ice cream. The idea is to spend a little unstructured time out of the office.  Outdoor Team Building: Join a Summer Sports League If your team is athletically oriented, joining a recreational summer league is a fantastic way to spend time together outside work. From slow-pitch softball to ultimate frisbee, soccer, or beach volleyball, a little friendly competition is a fun and healthy way to strengthen team bonds. Take an outdoor meeting Remember how exciting it was in grade school when your teacher would hold class outside at the end of the school year for a treat? That same strategy is an excellent way to break up the boardroom routine. Change up the usual location by holding some meetings outdoors, in the park, or on a patio. The change of scenery is refreshing–and it might even spark some creative ideas! Host a Friday barbecue End the week with the quintessential summer meal: a barbecue. These casual gatherings provide an informal opportunity for team members to unwind, socialize, and connect on a personal level outside the typical structure of your work environment.  Support a community project If your team likes to give back, look for opportunities to come together to support community initiatives. Whether it’s a fundraiser for a local charity, a fun run, or volunteering at a local shelter or other non-profit, this kind of community-minded activity is rewarding, builds relationships, and fosters a shared sense of purpose—a triple win!   And there you have it, some simple ways to build camaraderie and connection over the summer. What are we missing? And what does your organiza tion do to build bonds before Labor Day?  Discover more tips, success stories, and creative strategies on our blog . Click below to explore additional insights that can help your team thrive! Summer Team Building.

How Understanding Fuels Success Lead with empathy and transform your organization's culture. Discover the power of empathetic leadership—where understanding, compassion, and emotional intelligence drive morale and boost the bottom line. Empathy in leadership isn’t soft; it’s smart. This post unpacks the role it can play in your leadership style and your organization to foster collaboration and create a culture where everyone feels seen, valued and supported. We’ll explore the Empathy Spectrum and Empathy Map, two tools you can use to build your empathetic leadership practice. Leading with Empathy: The empathetic leader Leadership is not about just getting stuff done. Sure, leaders need to deliver results. But outstanding leadership is about fully engaging the team to achieve great things together. That means that leadership is about who  you are - your character. That encompasses characteristics like integrity, trust, trustworthiness and respect. At the very center of that core is caring…caring for your team and your organization to be their best.  Most leaders genuinely care about their team members. The big question is: Do your team members know  you care? Unfortunately, when we ask them, the answer is usually either “no” or “I really don’t know.” We created Lead with Empathy,  our professional empathy program, to help close this gap. The program results from many years of fieldwork with hundreds of leaders. Along the way, I realized that character and how we relate to others are essential. And I saw, time and time again, that so-called “soft skills,” like active listening and empathetic communications, weren’t just about being “nice” but were essential to successfully navigating change and leading through uncertainty.  What is empathy?  Whenever I talk about empathy and leadership, I’ve encountered confusion about what it is and why it’s an essential leadership skill.  So… what is empathy? Empathy is simply being able to understand how someone else feels. It’s seeing how your words, actions and decisions might affect them.  And empathy matters.  A recent study found that up to 92% of people seek out an empathic organization when looking for a job. And yet, other recent data shows that only 41% of employees feel like someone cares about them at work. There’s a real empathy shortfall!   And it’s not just about not hurting people’s feelings–it’s hurting your company’s performance. Leader empathy directly correlates with results.  Empathy builds trust and connection, which is just another word for engagement. When people feel known and seen and know their leaders care for them, it fosters collaboration and creates a culture where everyone feels valued and supported. That’s a workplace people want to go to every day because they feel like they’re part of something that matters.  I believe that it is increasingly a competitive advantage. As I wrote in a recent post, empathy and innovation are inherently related.  The Empathy Spectrum One of the first things we cover in Lead With Empathy is the Workplace Empathy Spectrum, which outlines four levels of emotional engagement in a workplace: Leaders feel sorry for others but don’t fully comprehend or connect with their experiences. Pity often involves a superficial acknowledgment of another's challenges. Sympathy involves a greater degree of emotional connection than pity. You may understand and acknowledge teammates' struggles, but there could still be a degree of separation between you and your teammate. A deeper level of understanding and connection. Leaders who demonstrate empathy understand others’ perspectives, emotions and challenges. This level of empathy fosters stronger bonds and trust within teams. The highest level of engagement in the Workplace Empathy Spectrum. At this level, leaders understand and empathize with their teammates and are deeply committed to supporting them and driving positive change.  Ultimately, you want to hit Level 4—passion—where everyone feels connected to the organization. Passionate leaders go above and beyond to create a supportive and inclusive work environment. In return, teammates feel connected to the organization and are passionate about their success and the organization's success.  An empathetic leader can not only dictate vision but also create a culture where the team feels heard, valued, and inspired. And we know that this translates into higher engagement, reduced turnover, and the ability to attract and retain top talent. Reflect on your own level of understanding and engagement. What level are you typically at? How can you cultivate empathy and passion within yourself and your team? The Empathy Map An Empathy Map is a powerful visualization tool for understanding team members’ needs, perspectives, and emotions. It's a simple yet effective way to imagine yourself in their shoes and see things through their eyes.  The Empathy Map was created by Dave Gray, an author and founder of XPLANE, a consultancy focused on visual thinking and design, as a tool for helping individuals understand and empathize with their target users or customers to improve product design and communication strategies. But it’s just as valuable within your organization, and your teammates.  The Empathy Map increases understanding of others by visualizing their thoughts, feelings, and experiences by charting insights into their perspectives through four key quadrants: SEEING What does your team see that impacts their work? This could include their physical work environment, customers' expressions, or data. HEARING What are team members hearing or reading? These are the messages they're receiving from you, customers, other team members, or the broader culture of your organization. DOING What actions are your team taking? These can be related specifically to their job tasks, interactions with customers, or even off-hour pursuits that impact their work life. SAYING What is your team communicating with one another or with customers? This ranges from formal channels like meetings to informal channels like water cooler conversations and social media. By taking the time to fill out this map and regularly updating it, you can gain a deeper understanding of your team's experiences, which in turn can inform your leadership decisions. The Empathy Map can help you:  Understand teammate’s needs Prepare for discussions Anticipate reactions I hope this post inspires you to be more intentional about bringing empathy to your workplace. As we can see, the higher the level of understanding and engagement a teammate experiences, the greater their motivation and effort in the workplace. By cultivating empathy and moving toward passion, organizations can enhance teammate satisfaction, productivity, and overall success.

The Strategy Canvas: Ditch Strategic “Planning” for Strategic “Thinking” The strategy canvas  is a powerful strategic planning tool  that helps businesses visualize their market position and competition. In this post, we’ll explore how this tool can replace outdated planning methods with agile, big-picture strategic thinking . The strategy canvas was developed by Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, professors of strategy at INSEAD business school and co-directors of the INSEAD Blue Ocean Strategy Institute in Fontainebleau, France. They created it as an alternative to the typical strategic planning process. You know the drill: consultants swoop in and gather random, potentially contradictory intel from key team members. They go away and conduct independent market research. From this dog’s breakfast, they piece together disparate pieces of data and perspective into thick, densely written reports full of figures and jargon. Not only does this approach, in which strategy is done to rather than with or, even better, by your team, not engage people, but it can also create confusion, resulting in opaque direction and subpar execution. “No wonder so few strategic plans turn into action,” Kim and Mauborgne write in a Harvard Business Review article in which they break down their strategy canvas process. “Executives are paralyzed by the muddle.” I couldn't agree more. In more than 30 years of corporate and consulting work, I’ve seen managers’ bookshelves groan under these dust-collecting bricks. And I’ve seen too many organizations miss a chance to grow and thrive because they couldn’t get clarity and alignment at the strategy creation stage. There’s specificity in simplicity. If strategy is all about having a clear vision that can be easily shared and translated into the right actions to deliver better results, it’s no wonder 75-90% of strategy fails at the execution stage. No one knows how to turn that big, rambling strategic planning report into action. Kim and Mauborgne’s deceptively simple solution is an elegant alternative. It favors brevity, big-picture thinking and aligned research that literally gives you a picture of where your organization’s at, and where to focus future efforts. It’s clear, easy to understand and share. It’s tangible, in other words. The strategy canvas does three things in one picture. It shows: Your industry’s strategic profile–what the authors call your value curve–by mapping current and potential future competition factors. The value curve of current and potential competitors. Your company’s strategic profile, showing current and potential future investment in customer choice factors. To get started, chart the choice factors, such as price, quality, flexibility, etc. (this will vary depending on your industry, of course) along the horizontal axis. The vertical axis is where you chart the degree of investment in each, moving from low to high. Connect the dots across all factors to reveal your and your competitors’ value curves. Key Elements of an Effective Strategy Canvas Kim and Mauborgne have found that all effective strategies have these three things in common: Want to apply the Strategy Canvas to your organization? In our next post, we’ll break it down into 4 actionable stages to help you gain clarity and alignment. Read it here   If you're interested in how strategic thinking applies to leadership, check out this post on leadership strategy.