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Most culture problems start with people leaders not having what they need to support their teams: skills, habits, systems, and clarity. That’s why we built our diagnostic platform, CulturOS - so we can help HR transform culture through better leaders and smarter systems, powered by AI diagnostics and a 21-Day Executive Board-Ready Blueprint that accelerates culture transformation in weeks, not months. 

CulturWorks diagnoses precisely what levers drive culture, where trust is strong or fading, and which behaviours will create the fastest lift. Then we execute and operationalize all of the data through targeted leadership training, coaching, community cohorts, hands-on implementation support, and reinforced through our online leadership platform, CulturWorks Academy. Insights become consistent habits, and culture change becomes practical, predictable, and measurable. 

Our Promise to You: If progress stalls, we stay with you at no charge until it’s back on track.

Before founding CulturWorks, I spent 20 years as an employment and human rights lawyer. The courtroom taught me the limits of compliance. The real insight came later: most conflict isn’t legal at all—it’s cultural. People want clarity, consistency, and leaders they trust. That’s when I realized I didn’t want to fight about workplaces. I wanted to fix them.

Since 2008, CulturWorks has grown into a multidisciplinary team blending law, psychology, sociology, neuroscience, analytics, and AI. Our diagnostic system, CulturOS, identifies the real drivers of culture and gives leaders a clear, board-ready roadmap to improve trust, retention, and performance quickly.

Our impact includes:
• Average 340% ROI from reduced turnover and higher productivity
• Trusted by 600+ organizations and the data of over 400,000+ employees
• Early momentum in weeks, not quarters
• Executive-ready insights leaders can act on immediately

At CulturWorks, we turn analytics into action, insight into leadership habits, and culture into a scince-backed system organizations can rely on. If you’re an HR, People, or Operations leader ready to transform your culture, build strong leaders, have high retention, and all with zero chaos, reach out to our Transformation Team at transform@culturworks.com.

Naveen Mehta

Powerful, thoughtful, practical, bold. 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered what the world needed to hear today - a strong speech in Davos. Clear, steady, and grounded in values instead of theatre. He named the moment for what it is: the world is under strain, power is being used more bluntly, and pretending everything will revert back is not a plan.

What I respected most was the moral clarity. He pushed back on the idea that you keep yourself safe by staying quiet or playing along. He warned about the danger of normalizing what you do not actually believe, until the lie becomes the system.

That is culture, at every level. Culture is what we reward, tolerate, and defend when pressure rises. In a workplace. In a family. In a club. In a country. Globally.

The culture worth building is built on shared ethics we are willing to act on together: dignity, sovereignty, fairness, truth, and responsibility. It requires people who can think beyond themselves, who can hold the line on principles while still doing the hard work of building relationships and cooperation.

The culture we cannot normalize is coercion with polite language. Bullying as strategy. Fear as governance. Scapegoating as unity. That path does not create strength. It creates damage, then calls it reality.

Carney’s speech set a standard. Calm leadership under real strain, anchored in values, and aimed at bringing the willing together to build something better. Proud in the face of difficult times ahead.

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Here’s a line that usually makes HR rooms go quiet:

Most organizations don’t have a culture problem.
They have a leadership tolerance problem.

They tolerate poor coaching because the leader delivers results.
They tolerate burnout because “that’s the business.”
They tolerate silence because conflict feels risky.

Then they call it an engagement issue.

Here’s what 20 years of research and work with hundreds of organizations has taught us: culture is not shaped by what you reward on paper. It’s shaped by what you tolerate under pressure.

If a leader hits targets but erodes trust, culture pays the bill.
If managers are unclear, people disengage quietly.
If HR sees the pattern but leaders don’t act, the system stays broken.

This is why culture work fails when it stays abstract.

Real change follows a sequence most organizations skip:

Data determines learning.
Learning determines behavior.
Behavior determines culture.

When HR uses data to surface what’s being tolerated, leaders can’t hide behind intent. Learning becomes specific. Behavior becomes visible. Culture finally moves.

If nothing changes in 2026, ask yourself this:
What behaviors are we still tolerating that are costing us people, credibility, and performance?

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.
What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.

You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real-world application.

https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

Canada is a newcomer nation.

But most workplaces still treat newcomer hiring like a staffing win and then hope it works out.

HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY.

Almost one in four people in Canada is an immigrant.  

In 2023, immigrants made up 28.9% of the Canadian labour force.

And many recent immigrants still land in lower skilled roles early on, even when they bring strong capability.  

So here is the real problem.

Most HR teams don’t total the true cost of turnover.  If you hire newcomers but do not build the environment for them to succeed, you pay for it dearly: 

Based on our research, conservatively here’s what a 21% turnover rate looks like in a 1,000 employee distribution company (about 210 exits a year), totaling about $14M.

RECRUITING SPEND (ads, agencies, background checks):   $6.M
OVERTIME AND TEMP BACKFILL:   $2.2M
TRAINING AND RAMP UP (trainers, buddies, materials):   $1.5M
LOST PRODUCTIVITY DURING RAMP:   $1.2M
ERRORS, REWORK, DAMAGE, RETURNS:   $1.0M
SUPERVISOR AND TEAM LEAD TIME (extra coaching, troubleshooting): $0.9M
HR AND ADMIN TIME (screening, scheduling, offers, paperwork): $0.6M
SAFETY INCIDENTS AND CLAIMS UPLIFT:   $0.4M
ONBOARDING AND SETUP (PPE, uniforms, IT access, badges):   $0.3M
SEPARATION AND DISPUTE COSTS:  $0.1M

Total: about $14M per year.

What works is intentional culture design, especially in the first 90 days of implementation.  Here’s a some highlights from a cheat sheet from one of the programs we built for a client in 2025, who experienced a 682% ROI over the first 12 months:

➡️Clear role expectations.

➡️Real buddy support, not a binder.

➡️Supervisor habits that build trust on day one.

➡️Simple reporting channels that people will actually use.

➡️Early measurement of confidence, clarity, and intent to stay.

When this is operationalized, the return is not small.

In year one, we often see ROI between 208% and over 2000%.
Not because of magic. Because you reduce churn, speed up ramp time, and save hundreds of hours of reactive work across HR, supervisors, and operations.

This is what we have learned and continue to implementfrom 20 years of research and supporting 600+ organizations.

Newcomer hiring is not the finish line. It is the starting line. Culture decides who thrives and who leaves. Start with this HR mindset shift.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.

What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.

You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real-world application.

https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

It’s 2026. HR leaders know this: Customer experience doesn’t start with the customer.
It starts with culture.

We’ve heard this directly from CEOs time and time again. When service drops, contracts are lost, or reputations take a hit, the root cause is almost never strategy. It’s leadership behaviors, role clarity, workload pressure, and how people actually experience work.

The HR leaders who grow influence fastest in the C suite understand this. They don’t treat customer experience as someone else’s problem. They see it as a cultural outcome and build a plan to execute on it.

As you plan for 2026, here are five moves HR should be making now, with intention.

	1.	Map culture to customer pain
Q1 focus: Identify where internal friction shows up in the customer journey. Missed handoffs, inconsistent standards, frontline burnout.

Q2 output: A clear view of which cultural issues are costing trust and revenue.

	2.	Measure what predicts customer impact
Q1 focus: Go beyond engagement scores. Look at trust in leadership, workload sustainability, and manager follow through in customer facing teams.

Q2 output: Data that explains why customer experience breaks down.

	3.	Equip leaders where it matters most

Q2 focus: Translate insight into targeted learning for leaders who shape daily client interactions.
Q3 output: Visible behavior change in how teams communicate, escalate, and recover issues.

	4.	Align accountability across functions

Q3 focus: Bring HR, operations, and commercial leaders into the same conversation.
Q3 output: Shared ownership for behaviors that protect client experience.

	5.	Reinforce and course correct in real time

Q4 focus: Track whether behaviors are sticking and intervene early when pressure rises.
Q4 output: More consistent service, lower turnover, and stronger client relationships.

The sequence matters and it’s the same one we use with every organization.

Data determines learning.
Learning determines behavior.
Behavior determines culture.

And culture determines customer experience.

And Customer Experience = ROI. 

HR leaders who internalize this don’t just support the business. They shape it.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.
What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.

You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real world application.

https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

If you can’t #connect #culture #to #revenue, expenses, and cost, you’re missing a foundational part of the HR role.

Culture shows up on the P&L whether you name it or not.

It shows up in turnover costs when good people leave.
It shows up in absenteeism and disability claims when workloads and trust break down.
It shows up in lost revenue when burned out teams deliver a weaker client experience.
It shows up in legal spend, safety incidents, and rework when accountability erodes.

This is why the strongest HR leaders don’t talk about culture as a feeling. They talk about it as a system that drives financial outcomes.

The work always follows the same sequence:

#Data determines learning.
#Learning determines behavior.
#Behavior determines culture.

And culture determines whether your organization grows profitably or leaks money quietly.

When HR uses data to show where leadership behavior is costing the business, learning becomes focused. Behavior changes become measurable. Expenses come down. Revenue stabilizes. Trust improves.

That’s when HR earns real influence at the table. Not by advocating harder, but by showing the math.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.
What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.

You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real-world application.

https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

HR leaders, do you want to finally look like the superstar you are in 2026? 

Your 2026 mantra must be:  

Our culture is our your employee experience.
Our culture is our your employee experience.
Our culture is our your employee experience.

If your people feel unseen, unsafe, or worn down, your clients feel it next.
And then your revenue pays the bill.

In 2025, we worked with 12 X 1,000+ employee employers who had the same story.

⬆️ Turnover was rising.
↘️ Service quality was slipping.
↔️ Leaders were spending their weeks managing problems instead of growing the business.

Using our CulturOS Platform, we ran a culture reset focused on daily leader habits, manager coaching, and team trust.

Not perks.
Not posters.
Practice.
Learning.
Execution.

Average Year one ROI came in at 612%, mostly from lower turnover, fewer sick days, and greater production. In real numbers, that equates to an average ROI of $12 million dollars for each company.

Those employers now have a system set in place that all do the same 3 things.

✅ They measure trust like a business asset.
✅ They train and retrain managers like it is job one.
✅ They act on early warning signs before people quit.

Because turnover is not random.
It is feedback.
And the cost is real.

Research often puts turnover costs as high as 200% of salary for some roles. (Harvard Business Review)

Culture is not a strategy. It is THE strategy. What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.
You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real world application.
https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

A high-impact, professional LinkedIn graphic with a 4:5 aspect ratio. The background is a sophisticated charcoal grey. In the center, a large, bold headline in white and CulturWorks orange reads: "YOUR CULTURE IS YOUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE." Below the headline, a prominent callout box in brand orange displays "612% ROI" with the subtext "from a systemic culture reset." The CulturWorks logo is positioned professionally at the bottom, accompanied by the footer: "CULTURE IS THE STRATEGY." The design is clean and high-contrast, emphasizing the financial impact of leadership behavior.

If HR has to hold a supervisor’s hand to give feedback, you do not have a culture problem. You have a risk problem.

And it spreads fast.

Managers drive about 70% of the variance in team engagement, which means the first layer of leadership is where your culture is being built or broken every day.

Here is the mistake most organizations keep repeating. You promote great individual contributors into supervisor roles, then you give them little to no practical support for the hardest part of the job: the people part.

So the pattern is predictable. Feedback gets avoided. Conflict gets mishandled. Rules get enforced inconsistently.

Then the business symptoms show up. Turnover. HR escalations. Absenteeism. Safety and compliance risk.

Most organizations respond by adding training. A workshop. A module. A one time program.

It rarely sticks because it is content without adoption. And because the moment things get busy, it becomes optional. Everyone means to do it, but nobody has time, so it never becomes the way the place runs.

What you actually need is a permanent frontline leadership system that runs even when the business is on fire.

That system needs five things:

1️⃣ Scripts for the conversations supervisors avoid most: feedback, conflict, attendance, performance.
2️⃣ Simple daily and weekly routines that make leadership consistent instead of reactive.
3️⃣ Built in practice using real situations, not hypothetical scenarios.
4️⃣ Manager to manager reinforcement so supervisors are coached routinely, not rescued by HR.
5️⃣ Measurement of adoption first, then early indicators, then outcomes so you can prove impact, not just feel it.

Because adoption is the leading indicator. If supervisors are not using the tools, nothing else matters.

If you are promoting supervisors this quarter, do not ask “What training should we buy?” Ask this instead.

What is the system that makes good leadership inevitable when time is tight.

We have been installing these systems for over 15 years.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.
What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, subscribe to LEADING CULTURE newsletter.  

You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real-world application.

https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

When your people are the ones walking into client sites every day, culture shows up directly in dollars and cents.

Not in abstract ways. In missed renewals. In client complaints. In safety incidents. In quiet reputational damage that never makes it into a dashboard until it’s too late.

The research is clear. In client facing environments, culture affects:
• How consistently standards are followed
• How safely work is done
• How clients experience trust and professionalism
• How often small issues turn into costly problems

Teams under pressure without trust cut corners.
Burned out staff disengage from client needs.
Poor leadership behaviors ripple outward and land squarely on the customer.

The roadmap is not complicated, but it requires discipline.

First, use data to see where strain, risk, and disengagement are actually showing up across client facing roles.
Second, translate that insight into focused learning so leaders know exactly what behaviors must change.
Third, reinforce those behaviors until they become the way work actually gets done in the field.

That sequence matters:

Data determines learning.
Learning determines behavior.
Behavior determines culture.

And culture determines outcomes your CFO already cares about. Fewer incidents. Stronger client relationships. Lower turnover. More predictable revenue.

When culture is treated as a system, client experience stabilizes. Costs come down. Performance becomes repeatable.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.
What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.

You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real world application.

https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

HR needs to hear this, even if it’s uncomfortable.

Most culture problems are not caused by bad people.
They’re caused by promoted people who were never taught how to lead.

We keep hiring for skill.
We keep promoting for results.
Then we act surprised when teams burn out, trust erodes, and turnover spikes.

Here’s the hard truth.
If leadership behavior is left to chance, culture will fail by design.

Exit interviews won’t fix it.
Engagement surveys won’t fix it.
Values posters definitely won’t fix it.

What actually works is treating leadership like a system, not a personality trait.

The HR teams with real influence do three things differently:
They measure the behaviors that predict trust and retention.
They turn that data into focused learning, not generic training.
They hold leaders accountable for how people experience work, not just what gets delivered.

This is the operating logic we use everywhere:
Data determines learning.
Learning determines behavior.
Behavior determines culture.

If you don’t change behavior, nothing changes.
And if nothing changes in 2026, ask yourself what you’ll be losing next. People. Credibility. Performance.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.
What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.

You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real world application.

https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

If you work in HR, you’ve lived this.

HR rolls out the policy.
HR writes the comms.
HR runs the training.
HR answers the questions.

Then something breaks.

And the headline becomes:

“HR didn’t tell us.”
“We didn’t know.”
“HR dropped the ball.”

HR isn’t failing.
The leadership operating system is failing.

Because in most organizations, communication still follows a broken model:

Announce it once.
Assume it landed.
Blame HR when it didn’t.

Here’s the practical tool that fixes the credibility gap.

➡️ THE COMMS PROOF LOOP
For any major change, do three things every time:

1.Announce
One clear message in plain language.
What is changing.
Why it matters.
What to do next.

2. Equip managers
One short talking point for leaders to use with their teams.
Not a memo.
A script.

3. Confirm understanding
A two question check, within 7 days:

What do you understand is changing for you
What question do you still have

If people “didn’t know,” the confirmation step was missing.
Not because HR did nothing.
Because the system never proved the message landed.

Do this consistently and two things happen fast:
Less confusion.
More trust. 🙂 

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.
What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.
You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real-world application. https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

Most workplaces don’t have a newcomer retention problem.

They have a system problem.

They hire newcomers.
They hope people “settle in.”
They wait for issues to surface.
Then they act after turnover, conflict, or performance dips.

A culture that supports newcomers is not a program.
It’s a reliable, science backed system.

Here’s what that system actually looks like.

➡️ Step 1: Measure the newcomer experience, not the vibe
You need data that is specific enough to act on.
The minimum viable dataset:

Role clarity
Manager support
Psychological safety
Belonging
Workload and pace
Learning and onboarding quality
Respect and fairness
Career path visibility

And you need it sliced by time in role:
0 to 30 days
31 to 90 days
3 to 12 months
Because risk is not evenly distributed.
The first 90 days are where most breakdowns happen.

➡️ Step 2: Combine numbers with lived experience
Surveys tell you where the heat is.
Open text tells you why.
Interviews tell you what is actually happening on the floor.

When all three point to the same friction, you have signal.
Not noise.

➡️ Step 3: Turn insights into a small number of behaviors
Most organizations drown in recommendations.

A system focuses on the few behaviors that move outcomes.

For newcomers, the behaviors are usually predictable:
Clear expectations in plain language
Weekly check ins that catch confusion early
Coaching instead of correction
A buddy system with real accountability
Safe ways to ask questions without fear
Leaders who explain the unwritten rules

➡️ Step 4: Operationalize through training, coaching, and reinforcement
This is where culture becomes real.
Train leaders on the exact behaviors the data shows are missing.
Coach the managers who are struggling.
Give supervisors simple scripts and routines.
Reinforce the habits for 6-12 months
No habits, no culture change.

➡️ Step 5: Build the feedback loop so it keeps working
This is the part most employers skip.
Run a monthly pulse for newcomers.
Track trend lines by team and supervisor.
Respond fast where the data flags risk.
Repeat.

Data determines learning ➡️ Learning determines behaviour ➡️ Behaviour determines culture.

If you want newcomer retention, stop relying on good intentions.
Build the system.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.
What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.
You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real-world application.
https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

Superstar frontline employees are often poor supervisors. We have all seen or lived it. 

And we ignore it.

After working with 600+ employers, here’s our simple System that fixes it:

➡️ DATA
Find the supervisors driving turnover and underperformance.

Culture is experienced through the direct supervisor.

Use a simple Supervisor Scorecard.
Ask employees to rate these 1–10 for their direct supervisor:

Clarity: I know what a great week looks like
Coaching: I get feedback early enough to improve
Support: My supervisor removes barriers quickly
Fairness: Expectations are applied consistently
Safety: I can raise issues without fear
Respect: I’m treated with dignity
Growth: I’m learning, not just being corrected

Then segment the data:
By supervisor
By time in role (0–30, 31–90, 3–12 months)
By newcomer status where relevant

Look for patterns. If one supervisor is consistently lower on clarity, coaching, or safety, that’s your priority area.

➡️ LEARNING
Teach supervisors the few skills that drive everything else.

Train the moments that happen every day.

Here are the three skills to teach first:

	1.	Set expectations in plain language
What matters this week
What good looks like
What to do when stuck
	2.	Coach early, not late
Name the issue fast
Use one example
Ask one question
Agree on one next step
	3.	Create safety so people tell the truth early

Surface problems before they become incidents, errors, or resignations

Give them scripts, not theory.

✔️ CLARITY SCRIPT
“This week, the priority is X.
Great looks like Y.
If you’re blocked, tell me by Z.”

✔️ COACHING SCRIPT
“I noticed X.
Here’s one example.
What’s your view of what happened?
Let’s agree on one next step and check in Friday.”

✔️ SAFETY SCRIPT
“What’s one thing making your job harder right now?
What do you need from me?”

➡️ BEHAVIOR
Make learning real by turning it into routines.

If supervisors don’t practice weekly, it disappears.

Build three non negotiable routines for 90 days:

✔️ WEEKLY CLARITY
Every Monday: priorities and standards in writing.

✔️ WEEKLY COACHING
Every week: one short coaching moment per person.

✔️ WEEKLY SAFETY CHECK
Every week: one barrier raised and removed or escalated.

Track adoption.
Not attendance.

➡️ CULTURE
Culture is the predictable result of what supervisors do every week.

When supervisors lead with clarity, coaching, and safety:

People know what to do.
Mistakes drop.
Learning speeds up.
Trust increases.
Turnover drops.
And you build a bench of capable leaders instead of hoping someone figures it out.

Data determines learning.
Learning determines behavior.
Behavior determines culture.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy. What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.

You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real-world application.

https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

graphical user interface, text, application, chat or text message

From healthcare to factories to government, most new People leaders are sitting on a problem they could fix in 90 seconds.

They’re avoiding one conversation.

Not because they don’t care.
Because they don’t know what to say.

So the issue drags on.
The team notices.
Resentment grows.
Standards slip.
And eventually it turns into a “performance problem” or a resignation.

I watched this happen with a new supervisor last month.

One employee was consistently late.
Not dramatically.
Five to ten minutes.

The supervisor did what most untrained supervisors do.
He hinted.
He joked about it.
He said “try to be on time.”

Nothing changed.

Two weeks later, the rest of the team started copying it.
Because culture is learned through what gets tolerated.

That’s the real problem.

Most workplaces don’t have a policy gap.
They have a conversation gap.

Here’s the solution.
A simple script that makes the conversation clear, respectful, and fast.

Practical tool: The 90 Second Performance Conversation
	1.	State the issue in one sentence
“I’ve noticed you’ve been arriving after start time.”
	2.	Give one example
“Three times this week you arrived between 8:05 and 8:10.”
	3.	Name the impact
“It delays handoff and puts pressure on the rest of the team.”
	4.	Ask one question
“What’s your view of what happened?”
	5.	Agree on one next step and one check in date
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll be ready at 8:00. Let’s check in next Friday.”

That’s it.

No lecture.
No anger.
No ambiguity.

Most managers talk too much, too late, and too vaguely.
This forces clarity early.

Data determines learning.
Learning determines behavior.
Behavior determines culture.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.
What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.

You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real-world application.

https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

"Nice" managers are the leading cause of cultural rot. 🚩

It sounds harsh, but it’s the truth.

When a new manager moves from "peer" to "leader," they often choose comfort over clarity. They’re so afraid of being the "bad guy" that they hide critical feedback inside a "Feedback Sandwich" of fake praise.

Here is what actually happens when you prioritize being liked over being clear:

Your A-Players quit. They are tired of carrying the load for underperformers who don't even know they're failing.

Resentment grows. The team knows who isn't pulling their weight. When you don't address it, you lose your authority.

Mediocrity becomes the standard. If you don't define the floor, the ceiling will continue to drop.

At CulturWorks, we teach the "60-Second Performance Script." It’s not mean—it’s the highest form of professional respect.

The 4-Step Framework: 
1️⃣ State the Issue: One sentence. No padding. 
2️⃣ Give the Example: One data point. No opinions.
3️⃣ Ask the Question: Stop talking. Listen. 
4️⃣ Set the Next Step: If it’s not on the calendar, it’s not a plan.

Clarity isn't mean. Ambiguity is. 
Stop hiding behind "nice" and start leading with purpose.

🚀 Build a culture that actually works. Join the conversation here by LEADING CULTURE: lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

#CulturWorks #Leadership #Management #CompanyCulture #Feedback #NewManagers #Performance

82% of your managers have a secret they are too afraid to tell you: They have no idea how to lead people.

In 2026, technical brilliance is no longer enough to sustain an organization. As Artificial Intelligence achieves near-total proficiency in executing technical workflows, the only remaining competitive differentiator is the quality of human-centered leadership at the frontline.

Yet, most companies are still paying the "hidden tax" of the Accidental Manager—high performers promoted for technical excellence but left unsupported in people management.

The 2026 Reality Check:

• The Training Gap: 82% of managers receive zero formal training before stepping into their roles.
• The Economic Cost: In the UK alone, 2.4 million untrained managers cost roughly £84 billion in lost productivity and turnover.
• The Identity Crisis: These "doers" often struggle to measure their value when they are no longer the primary executors of technical tasks, leading to micromanagement and burnout.

How to move from "Doing" to "Leading":
1️⃣ Redefine Success: Stop "fixing" problems and start coaching the people who solve them.
2️⃣ Prioritize Human Judgment: AI provides the data, but only a human leader can navigate the ambiguity of a diverse, distributed workforce.
3️⃣ Design an Intentional Identity: Don’t stumble into leadership—build a structured practice of growth tied to real outcomes.
Success in the modern workplace isn't defined by what you do, but by the impact you enable.

🚀 We're on a mission to help HR leaders turn technical experts into culture-defining managers. If you’re building a people-first organization in 2026:

Follow me for daily data-backed strategies and frameworks on frontline leadership.

Most new supervisors don’t have a performance problem.

They have a conversation delay problem.

I saw it last month with a brand-new supervisor who inherited a strong team.

One person started missing small deadlines.
Nothing huge.
Just enough to create rework.

The supervisor did what most untrained supervisors do.
He hinted.
He waited.
He stayed vague because he didn’t want to “damage morale.”

Two weeks later, the rest of the team stopped taking deadlines seriously.
Not because they’re bad people.
Because the standard wasn’t being protected.

That’s the problem.

Culture isn’t what you say in onboarding.
It’s what gets corrected early, and what gets tolerated under pressure.

Here’s the research point most leaders miss:
When people don’t feel safe to speak up, they stay quiet, problems stay hidden, and learning slows down.  
And feedback only improves performance when it stays specific and task-focused. Generic feedback can backfire.  

So the fix isn’t “be tougher.”
It’s “be clearer, sooner, with a simple structure.”

Here’s the tool I want every new supervisor to use.

The 90-Second Performance Reset
Use it within 48 hours of the issue showing up.
	1.	State the issue in one sentence
“I noticed the report came in after the deadline.”
	2.	Give one example
“It was due at 2:00 and came in at 4:30.”
	3.	Name the impact
“That delayed the client update and created rework.”
	4.	Ask one question
“What’s your view of what happened?”
	5.	Agree on one next step and one check-in date
“Next time, send me a draft by noon. We’ll check in Friday.”

Then write one line for yourself right after the conversation:
Agreed next step: __. Check-in date: __.

This is not harsh.
It’s respectful.
Because it gives the person clarity and a fair chance to succeed.

If you lead new supervisors, here’s the standard to set:
Small issues get addressed early, specifically, and calmly.
Every time.

Data determines learning.
Learning determines behavior.
Behavior determines culture.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.
What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.

You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real-world application.

https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

Here’s a line most managers avoid until it’s too late:

“We need to talk about your performance.”

Not because they do not care.
Because they do not know how to do it well.

So they delay.
They soften the message.
They talk around it.
They hope it fixes itself.

It doesn’t.
Most performance problems persist because leaders talk too much, too late, and too vaguely.

And that creates the exact outcomes HR gets stuck cleaning up:
Risk
Turnover
Confusion
Resentment
Underperformance

Practical tool: The 60 Second Performance Script

1. State the issue in one sentence.
“Yesterday, the customer file was submitted late.”

2. Give one example.
“It was due at 2:00 and it came in at 4:30, which delayed shipping.”

3. Ask one question.
“What’s your view of what happened?”

4. Agree on one next step and one check in date.
“Let’s set a reminder at noon and confirm progress by 1:30. We’ll check in Friday.”

That’s it.

Say less.
Be specific.
Document the next step.

20 Years of research and experience come down to this skill which has changed the lives of thousands of HR leaders: 

The goal is not to win the conversation.
It’s to change the behaviour.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy.
What’s your next move?

P.S. If this resonates, join LEADING CULTURE.
You’ll be the first to receive updates on the most compelling advancements and practical toolkits for making workplace cultures actually work better, grounded in data, social science, and real-world application.
https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

The "High Performer" Trap

We take our best individual performers.
We give them a promotion.
We give them a title.

And then we abandon them.

This is the standard operating procedure in most companies.

We assume that because someone is an excellent engineer, a top-tier salesperson, or a brilliant accountant, they will intuitively know how to lead humans.

It is a lie.
And it is dangerous.
The skillset required to do the work is 100% different from the skillset required to lead the work.

Without an industry, specificleadership development system, you aren’t creating leaders.
You are creating anxiety.

I see new managers drowning every day.
They are micromanaging (because it feels safe).
They are avoiding conflict (because they want to be liked).
They are working 12-hour days (trying to do their old job AND their new one).

If your organization doesn't have a roadmap for them, give them this with my compliments. 

➡️The 3 Shifts Every New Manager Must Make:

1. The Output Shift (From "I do" to "We do")

As an individual contributor, your value was how much work you could crush.

As a leader, your value is how much capacity you can build in others.

Stop doing the work. Start clearing the path.

2. The Relationship Shift (From "Buddy" to "Boss")

This is the hardest one. You can be friendly, but you cannot be their peer anymore.

Peers vent to each other. Leaders absorb the vent and redirect it toward solutions.

Trade popularity for respect.

3. The Answer Shift (From "Fixer" to "Coach")

You got promoted because you had all the right answers.

To succeed now, you need to start asking the right questions.

If you solve every problem, your team learns nothing.

To the HR Leaders reading this:

Hope is not a strategy.

"Sink or swim" is not a curriculum.

If you want a culture of high performance, you have to build a system of support.

Data determines learning.
Learning determines behavior.
Behavior determines culture.

Culture isn’t a strategy. It’s THE strategy. What’s your next move?

P.S. If you are building a leadership pipeline (or stuck in one), subscribe to our 30,000 strong newsletter LEADING CULTURE. 

We build the systems so you don’t have to guess.

https://lnkd.in/gMw68Pc8

Stop trying to fix your company culture from the top down.
It’s the most expensive mistake in modern business. 📉

The global economy is currently paying an $8.8 trillion "Accidental Manager" Tax every single year—equivalent to roughly 9% of global GDP. 

Whether you are in Healthcare, Tech, Retail, or Manufacturing, the crisis is identical: We promote technical experts but leave them to lead human beings without a manual.

At CulturWorks, our research into the 2026 workforce landscape shows that:
➡️ 82% of managers enter their roles with zero formal leadership training.
➡️ Nearly 60% of first-time managers receive no support during the most critical transition of their career.
➡️ 70% of all team engagement variance is determined by just one person: the direct manager.

💡 The Frontline Multiplier: Your Highest Leverage Investment

If you want the quickest fix with the biggest bang for your HR investment dollar, stop looking at broad culture initiatives. Start building a Frontline Leadership Development System.

Frontline supervisors manage 80% of your workforce. They are the primary architects of your culture. When you fix the frontline, you don't just improve a manager—you stabilize the engine of the entire business.

The Logic of the Investment:

➡️ Velocity of Impact: Frontline training yields a 29% ROI within just 3 months, scaling to a staggering 415% annual return.
➡️ Direct Financial Gains: For every $1.00 invested in leadership, organizations recover $7.00 in bottom-line value.
➡️ Performance Gap: Organizations with strong leadership pipelines see 34% higher revenue per employee and a 77% decrease in turnover.
➡️ The Bottom Line: You likely don’t have a "performance problem"—you have a frontline leadership gap.

At CulturWorks, we've helped turn over 71,000 "Accidental Managers" into intentional leaders through data-led, reproducible systems. It’s time to move beyond "soft skills" and start treating leadership as the precision-engineered business driver it is.

Stop leaving your culture to chance. Build a Leadership Factory. 

🚀 We're on a mission to help HR leaders turn technical experts into culture-defining managers. If you’re building a people-first organization in 2026, follow me for daily data-backed strategies and frameworks on frontline leadership.

#FrontlineLeadership #PeopleAndCulture #ROI #ManagementConsulting #AccidentalManager #CulturWorks #HRStrategy #LeadershipDevelopment

HR Leaders, most frontline supervisor problems are predictable.

My experience:
They’re not personality problems.
They’re training and system problems.

Curious what HR is seeing most right now.

Vote below.

What is HR’s biggest frustration with NEW supervisors? They:

𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.
Without buzzwords, pay-raise panic, or endless meetings.

At 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗽 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵 & 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀, we work with leadership teams who want to create workplaces where people stay - and grow.

Most organizations don’t lose their (young) employees because of benefits.

They lose them because their leaders haven’t been trained to lead real conversations, set clear direction, and build trust.

⚙️𝗪𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 that make a measurable difference in everyday leadership.

Our approach is hands-on, concrete, and based on what works inside Danish and Nordic companies.

We combine 𝟮𝟬+ 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 with deep insight into Generation Z and modern workplace dynamics.

The result is leadership that connects across generations, drives engagement, and strengthens performance.

🚀 𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿:
• Leadership sprints focused on retention and collaboration
• Tailored workshops for leadership teams and executives
• Digital toolkits and on-demand learning for busy leaders

Our clients are companies that want more than words on a slide.
They want leaders who build trust, have real conversations, and take responsibility for people and results.

✨ 𝗗𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 if your leaders are ready to move from talking about culture to leading it.

📞 +45 3161 6031
✉️ ann@annforup.dk
🌐 ForupHelmich.dk

Ann Helmich

Jeg mistede en medarbejder for to år siden. 

Det var 100% min skyld. 

Ikke fordi jeg var en dårlig leder. Men fordi jeg troede jeg lyttede....når jeg i virkeligheden bare ventede på at få talt. 

Lad os kalde hende Julie. 25 år. Marketing-chef. 

Jeg husker en episode, hvor jeg spurgte hende: "Hvordan går det egentlig?" 

Hun begyndte at svare. Om et projekt der gik skævt. Om en deadline hun var bekymret for. 

Ca. 8 sekunder inde afbrød jeg hende. 

"Ja, jeg ved det. Vi havde samme problem sidste kvartal, og vi løste det ved at..." 

Og så kørte jeg videre i 5 minutter om hvordan JEG havde håndteret situationen dengang. 

Hun lukkede bare ned. 

Jeg så det ikke dengang. Men jeg kan se det nu. 

Det har et navn. 

Det kaldes "Boomer-asking".

(Og nej - det har intet med generationer at gøre. Det handler om boomerangen, der vender tilbage til dig selv.)

Du stiller et spørgsmål. Lytter i 10 sekunder. Og så vender du samtalen tilbage til dig selv.

Jeg gjorde det i årevis. Troede jeg viste empati. Men jeg lyttede aldrig færdigt. 

Her er hvad forskning fra Harvard University viser:

-> 83% af dem der 'boomer-asker' tror, de er igang med at gøre et godt indtryk.

Men folk på den anden side? De oplever dig som falsk. Selvoptaget. Mindre tillidsvækkende.

Det er det, der får folk til at lukke ned. Til at gide mindre. Til at forsvinde stille.

Så hvad gør du i stedet?

Det er faktisk vanvittigt simpelt.

Når nogen svarer dig, så SVAR på, hvad de lige sagde, før du deler dit eget.

→ "Det lyder godt nok også hårdt. Fortæl mig mere om deadlinen - hvad bekymrer dig mest?" 
→ "Det giver mening. Hvad tænker du selv kunne være næste skridt?"

Bare én ekstra sætning, der viser, at du rent faktisk lyttede.

Det kræver øvelse. Jeg træner det stadig. 

Min udfordring til dig denne uge:

Næste gang du spørger en medarbejder om noget, læg mærke til hvad du gør bagefter.

Svarer du på deres svar?

Eller tager du bare boomerangen tilbage til dig selv?

Prøv at blive hængende hos dem. Bare ét beat længere.

Stil et opfølgende spørgsmål. Eller bare: "Fortæl mig mere."

AI kan svare på spørgsmål.

Men kun du kan vise folk, at deres svar betyder noget.

Kender du det? Gør du det selv nogle gange?

Ann Forup Helmich

✨We help you recruit, lead and retain tomorrows workforce ✨

For år tilbage sad jeg som salgsdirektør og troede, jeg var en ret habil leder.

Vi havde en superstjerne på holdet 
- han kunne lukke enhver aftale, 
og jeg var helt afhængig af hans resultater.

Problemet? 

Han sendte små giftpile af sted til kollegaerne, 
rullede med øjnene på møder, 
trak luften ud af rummet.

Alle mærkede det. 

Jeg mærkede det.

Og hvad gjorde jeg?

Jeg smilede, vendte det blinde øje til og lod ham køre videre.

Jeg var bange for at miste maskinen, der trak salget hjem.

Først da en yngre sælger - en af de stille stjerner - kom ind på mit kontor med røde øjne og sagde, at hun overvejede at forlade jobbet 
pga. tonen på holdet, slog det mig hårdt:
 
Min “niceness” havde en pris. 

Jeg havde sat kulturen - og min egen troværdighed - over styr for et par flotte tal.

Det blev et vendepunkt.

Jeg tog en dyb indånding, satte mig med superstjernen - og sagde det højt: 

At hans adfærd ødelagde noget vigtigt for hele holdet. 

Vi forsøgte at lave klare aftaler, men intet ændrede sig.

Til sidst traf jeg beslutningen om at opsige ham.

Det sværeste? 

Bestyrelsen var ikke specielt begejstret. 

“Er du sikker på, vi kan undvære ham?” spurgte de. 
Og jeg forstod dem godt - tallene var flotte, og han var en nøgleprofil.

Men jeg vidste, at vi ville betale en langt højere pris, hvis vi ikke tog fat nu.

Jeg stod fast, og vi skiltes.

Da støvet havde lagt sig, skete der noget markant:

Teamet fik energi. Den stille sælger blev. Kulturen løftede sig 
- og resultaterne fulgte med.

Jeg lærte, at ledelse ikke er, at gøre alle tilfredse. 

Det er at beskytte det, der gør et team stærkt 
- også når det betyder, at du skal stå alene et øjeblik.

Hvornår har du selv valgt den nemme venlighed 
- og hvad kostede det for dig?

Hun sad overfor mig lige før jul.

23 år. Designer. Tredje måned i jobbet. Vi kalder hende Emma.

"Ann, jeg ved godt, det lyder mærkeligt...men jeg føler mig dum."

Jeg spurgte: "Hvorfor? Du leverer jo alt, hvad du skal"

"Ja, men...jeg bruger AI til alt. Research. Koncepter. Idéudvikling. Og jeg ved aldrig, om det jeg laver faktisk er godt. Eller om det bare er AI, der er god."

Lang pause.

"Jeg får alle svar fra AI. Men jeg ved stadig ikke, om JEG er god nok."

Og dér sad vi.

Hun brugte AI øjeblikkeligt, da det kom. Bruger det til alt idag.

Hun VED hvad AI kan give hende: Struktur. Svar. Løsninger. Feedback på arbejde.

Og derfor ved hun også – bedre end nogen – hvad AI IKKE kan give hende:

-> At se hende. 
-> At tro på hende. 
-> At sige: "Det her? Det var skarpt. Ikke fordi AI hjalp dig. Men fordi DU så noget, ingen anden så."

Flere og flere unge rækker ud til mig med præcis det samme.

Forskellige ord. Samme tema.

"Jeg ved ikke, om det jeg laver er godt." 
"Jeg føler mig som en impostor." 
"Jeg får alle svar fra AI. Men jeg mangler... ja, jeg ved faktisk ikke, hvad jeg mangler."

Og så hører jeg fra deres ledere:

"De unge bruger AI til alt nu. De spørger mig næsten ikke om noget længere."

Og dér har vi problemet.

AI har taget 80% af det, du plejede at give dem: 

→ Svar på tekniske spørgsmål 
→ Struktur til opgaver
→ Feedback på output

Men de 20%, der er tilbage?

Det er ikke blevet mindre vigtigt. 

Det er blevet det ALLER vigtigste.

Fordi det er det eneste, AI ikke kan:

At se dem som mennesker. 
At bekræfte deres værdi. 
At sige: "Du er på rette vej. Jeg ser dig. Det du gør, betyder noget."

De forlader dig ikke, fordi du ikke er hurtig nok som leder.

AI er hurtigere.

De forlader dig, fordi de aldrig mærkede, at du så dem.

Jeg sagde til Emma:

"AI kan give dig tekniske skills. Men AI kan ikke se, at du har et øje for detaljer, ingen andre har. At du stiller de spørgsmål, der får hele teamet til at tænke anderledes. DET kan jeg se. Og det skal du høre."

Hun begyndte faktisk at græde.

Ikke fordi jeg sagde noget genialt.

Men fordi det var første gang, nogen havde sagt sådan til hende.

AI har ikke gjort din rolle som leder mindre vigtig.

Den har bare gjort det krystalklart, hvad din rolle faktisk ER.

Ikke at give svar. 

Men at se mennesker.

De unge har AI.

Derfor ved de, at hvad de faktisk mangler...er dig.

Fortæl mig, jeg tager fejl. 
Hvad gør AI faktisk ved den måde, de unge oplever ledelse?

Hvordan går det? Du begynder at svare. 8 sekunder senere afbryder de.

Min post om det ramte åbenbart en nerve hos jer.

100.000+ visninger. 3.000+ likes. 300+ kommentarer. 47 private beskeder. Og i dag blev det til en artikel på TV2.dk.

Men det der betyder noget, er beskederne.

En skrev kl. 23.42:

"Læste din post i aftes. Kunne ikke sove. Jeg så mig selv i hvert eneste ord. I morges bookede jeg 30 min med min medarbejder og sagde undskyld. Hun græd. Jeg græd."

En anden:

"Min chef gør præcis det, du beskriver. Hver eneste dag. Jeg har lært at sige ingenting. Jeg siger op næste måned. Han aner det ikke."

Og så ham her:

"Jeg har kørt lederudvikling i 15 år. Din post fik mig til at indse at jeg aldrig lyttede færdigt."

Harvard University kalder det "Boomer-asking". 

83% af os gør det. 

Vi stiller et spørgsmål, for derefter at vende samtalen tilbage til os selv.

Vi tror, vi gør et godt indtryk. Men folk oplever os som mindre oprigtige.

Det her handler ikke om at være en dårlig leder. 

Det handler om, at vi blev trænet til at være hurtige. 
Løsningsorienterede. Effektive.

Og så glemte vi at blive hos personen bare 10 sekunder længere.

Læs artiklen her: https://lnkd.in/eMYV-2ug

Har du oplevet det hos dig selv eller din chef?

"Hun har attitude, Ann." 

Sådan sagde en leder til mig forleden. 

Om deres 24-årige. 

Efter 3 måneders ansættelse. 

"Hun ruller med øjnene, når jeg giver feedback. 

Hun sukker hver gang, vi taler deadlines." 

Pause. 

"Ann, tror du hun passer til teamet?" 

Istedet for at svare, stillede jeg et spørgsmål. 

"Hvad ved du om hende?" 

"Ikke så meget. Hun kan sit fag. Men den der... attitude." 

To uger efter, fandt vi ud af det. 

Hun er ordblind. 

‼️

Så når hun "ruller med øjnene"? 

Er det fordi hun desperat prøver at se og forstå informationen. 

Fordi teksten ikke giver mening, første gang hun læser den. 

Og når hun "sukker"? 

Er det fordi hun giver op. Fordi ALT er totalforvirring i romaner af Word-dokumenter. 

Og ingen har spurgt, hvordan hun lærer bedst. 

"Attitude"? 

Nej. 

Det var ren overlevelse. 

Så vi ændrede tre ting: 

👉🏼 Feedback, blev givet verbalt. Ikke som emails med 47 bullets. 

👉🏼 Deadlines blev visualiseret. ’Gantt’-chart. Ikke en lang liste i Word. 

👉🏼 Vi lagde pauser ind i de lange møder. Så hun bedre kunne processere. 

Efter godt en måned sagde hun til mig: 

"Jeg kan endelig være mig selv og samtidig få luft engang imellem. 
I ved ikke, hvor anstrengende det har været. 

➡️ At lade som om, jeg læser lige så hurtigt som jer. 

➡️ At smile, når jeg ikke forstår en dyt. 

➡️ At nikke, når jeg er fuldstændig lost."

3 måneder. 

Hun havde gjort det i 3 måneder. 

I dag? Er hun én af de stærkeste på teamet. 

Ikke fordi hun ændrede sig. 

Men fordi nogen havde spurgt ”Hvordan arbejder du bedst?” 
og ikke: 
"Hvad er det for en attitude du har?"

Vi fortolker. Dømmer. Beslutter. Ud fra 5% af historien. 

Hver gang jeg hører "de har godt nok en attitude" nu, spørger jeg først: 

”Hvad er det, jeg IKKE ved?” 

Næste gang du tænker det om en medarbejder, en kollega…ja, hvem som helst, så stil dig selv spørgsmålet: 

"Hvad kender jeg IKKE til deres kontekst?" 

Og så stil dem spørgsmålet: "Hvordan arbejder du bedst?" 

Lyt til svaret. Altså….lyt rigtigt. 

OK? Ok!

…Hvad er den "attitude" du har set, som måske var noget helt andet?

P.S. I mit nyhedsbrev på torsdag skriver jeg, om de andre signaler vi misser. De 5 tegn på at din medarbejder allerede har besluttet at sige op. 6-8 uger før de faktisk gør det. 
Tilmeld dig her: https://lnkd.in/e9EZmHDy

Vi havde brugt 6 uger på at finde hende. 

CV'et var perfekt. 

Interviews’ene var gået fremragende. 

Referencerne tiljublede hende. 

Så vi lavede det perfekte onboarding-program. 

→ Struktureret første uge. 

→  Buddy-system. 

→  Klare mål for de første 90 dage. 

Alt det, vi ved virker. 

Efter 4 måneder siger hun op. 

"Det var ikke det rigtige fit.", sagde hun. 

Og jeg sad der og tænkte: Men vi gjorde jo ALT rigtigt? 

Det gjorde vi vitterligt. 

Og dét var præcis problemet. 

Vi onboardede hende til jobbet. 

Men ikke til virkeligheden. 

Hun kendte hendes opgaver. 

Men ikke de usynlige regler. 

Hun vidste, hvad hun skulle lave. 

Men ikke hvordan vi faktisk gjorde tingene. 

Hun havde en buddy. 

Men ikke nogen, der fortalte hende:

→ At beslutninger ikke træffes i møder, men i kantinen bagefter
→ At når Sara siger "jeg skriver til dig senere", betyder det faktisk "jeg glemmer det med det samme"
→ At møder starter kl. 9, men alle kommer 9.15 (og hvis du kommer præcis til tiden, virker du overivrig)
→ At du skal spørge Martin 3 gange, før han rent faktisk hjælper

Ved du, hvad jeg mener?

De små ting. Som alle ved. Men ingen siger højt.

Fordi vi tror "det lærer de nok med tiden."

Men de lærer det ikke. De føler sig bare udenfor.

Vi onboardede hende til organisationsdiagrammet. 

Men ikke til den organisation, der faktisk eksisterede. 

Og hun gik, fordi hun aldrig kom ind i den. 

I dagens nyhedsbrev skriver jeg, om de 7 usynlige ting, ingen fortæller nye medarbejdere. 

De ting, der ikke står i onboarding-manualen. 

Men som afgør, om folk bliver eller går. 

BONUS: Jeg har også inkluderet en tjekliste: 
"Hvad skal være sagt højt, inden dag 7?" 

Tilmeld dig her: https://lnkd.in/e9EZmHDy

Og jeg er nysgerrig….har du mistet nogen, der på papiret fik den perfekte onboarding?

Der er noget ved AI-samtalen i Danmark, som bliver ved med at irritere mig.

Vi taler om værktøjer.
Om effektivitet.
Om tempo og produktivitet.

Og ja, AI er jo vildt imponerende. Det er svært at benægte.

Den skriver dine mails hurtigere end dig.
Den laver slides, før du har åbnet PowerPoint.
Den opsummerer mødet, mens du stadig sidder og tænker på, hvad der egentlig skete.

Ifølge DI - Dansk Industri oplever 8 ud af 10 virksomheder, at generativ AI gør opgaver hurtigere løst, ofte med bedre kvalitet.

Og ifølge Digitaliseringsstyrelsen bruger over 40 procent af danske virksomheder allerede AI aktivt. I de større organisationer er tallet højere.

Det her er ikke et eksperiment mere.
Det er dagligdag.
Og personligt er jeg vild med det.

Men netop derfor bliver konsekvensen også super interessant.

For AI ændrer ikke kun, hvordan vi arbejder.

Den ændrer, hvad ledelse er.

Tidligere var lederen ofte den, man gik til for svar. For retning. For vurdering.

“Er det her godt nok?”
“Hvad forventer du?”

I dag er svarene tilgængelige for alle. 24/7. Gratis.

Medarbejdere - især de yngre - spørger ikke længere lederen først. 
De spørger systemet.

Og så står de bagefter med et færdigt svar, men uden en klar fornemmelse af kvalitet, prioritet og egen værdi.

Det var præcis det, Emma på 23 år, beskrev forleden for mig. 
Ansat som designer, hos én af vore kunder.
Hun leverede alt, hun skulle.
Men hun vidste ikke, om det var hende, der var dygtig, eller bare værktøjet, der var det. (Tjek link nedenfor)

Det er her, AI bliver en ledelsesmæssig afsløring.

Når det er let at finde svar, bliver din dømmekraft rigtig udfordret.

Når output kommer hurtigt, bliver spørgsmålet ikke, om noget kan leveres, men hvornår det er godt nok, og hvorfor.

Desværre oplever jeg mange organisationer halte efter her.

For den tid, AI frigør, bliver ofte brugt på mere af det samme.

Flere møder.
Flere slides.
Flere leverancer.

Ikke på tydeligere forventninger.
Ikke på feedback.
Ikke på de samtaler, der faktisk skaber klarhed og tryghed.

McKinsey & Company peger på det samme mønster. 
AI løfter produktivitet, men uden ændringer i ledelse og beslutningsprocesser falder den menneskelige klarhed. 

Man får mere output, men ikke nødvendigvis mere mening.

Og her kommer den del, som gør mange lidt utilpasse.

AI afslører ledelse.
Hurtigt.

Når svarene er gratis, bliver den manglende retning tydelig.
Når output kommer let, bliver manglen på feedback svær at skjule.
Når tempoet er højt, bliver utydelighed dyrt.

De teams, der klarer sig bedst lige nu, har ikke nødvendigvis de bedste værktøjer.

De har ledere, der har forstået, at deres rolle har ændret sig.

Fra at levere svar til at skabe retning.
Fra at kontrollere output til at vurdere kvalitet.

AI har ikke gjort ledere mindre vigtige.

Den har gjort det sværere at gemme sig.

Så spørgsmålet er ikke, om I bruger AI.
Det gør I.

Spørgsmålet er, hvad AI har tvunget jer til at se, i jeres måde at lede på.

Og hvad I har gjort ved det.

Børsen har i denne uge udnævnt 25 af fremtidens topledere…

Og jeg kan mærke, at jeg ikke helt ved, hvad jeg skal synes om det.

For jeg elsker ambition. Og jeg vil virkelig gerne heppe på talent.

Men jeg kan ikke lade være med at tænke:

Vi hylder 25 mennesker… og glemmer at tale om den maskine, der producerer dem.

Jeg sad engang i et lokale, hvor vi talte om “lederpotentiale”.

Og jeg hørte mig selv spørge (lidt for højt):

“Så vi leder efter dem, der allerede ligner dem, vi tidligere har valgt?”

Der blev stille. Sådan stille-stille.

Og nogen sagde: “Nej nej, vi er jo blevet meget mere moderne.”

Jeg grinede lidt for mig selv.

World Economic Forum's Global Future Council har en pointe, jeg synes er ret befriende (og lidt irriterende):

Ledelse fejler ikke, fordi mennesker er dumme… men fordi systemerne omkring dem producerer forudsigelig adfærd.

Og her bliver det meget konkret:

Hvis vi udvælger ledere, fordi de virker sikre, velformulerede og “ligner nogen, vi kender”…
 …så ender vi med at få flere af dem.

Hvis vi træner dem i at have svar (og ikke i at kunne stå i tvivl)…
 …så ender vi med at få flere af dem.

Hvis vi belønner dem for kvartaler, synlighed og for at se handlekraftige ud…
 …så ender vi med at få flere af dem.

World Economic Forum kalder det “systemisk”. Fint ord faktisk.

Jeg tror bare, det betyder: 

👉🏼 Strukturerne og systemerne former menneskerne.

Det er lidt samme irritation, jeg får af Svend Brinkmann, når han (med rette) prikker til præstationskulturen:

Når alt bliver til “performance”, så bliver det farligt attraktivt at se klog ud.
Også når man burde sige, “jeg ved det faktisk ikke”.

Og så tænker jeg på Amy Edmondson: Hvis folk ikke føler, de kan sige noget højt uden at blive straffet, så får du ikke sandheden. Du får stilhed.

👉🏼 Det er ikke et kommunikationsproblem. Det er en struktur.

Så når Børsen og Bain & Company laver en liste over “de mest sandsynlige” topledere…

 …så får jeg lyst til at spørge helt naivt, men helt alvorligt:

➡️ Hvad er det for et pointsystem, vi har bygget i toppen?
➡️ Hvad bliver belønnet i praksis?
➡️ Og hvem bliver sorteret fra, før de overhovedet kommer ind i rummet?

Og her kommer det, jeg faktisk godt kan lide ved Børsens og Nikolaj Sommer's egen argumentation:

De er ret ærlige om, at toppen i dag kræver “det hele” - levere konstant, navigere i uforudsigelighed, tåle pres, betale en privat pris. Nærmest som en elitesport.

Så måske er mit spørgsmål ikke “hvorfor laver I en liste?”

Måske er det: “Når I selv beskriver reglerne så tydeligt – er det så de regler, vi vil have flere til at spille efter?”

Hvad kunne vi så skrue bare lidt på, hvis vi gerne vil have flere ledere, der både kan levere OG lytte, eksekvere OG tvivle, vinde på kort sigt OG bygge noget der kan holde?

Hvis du kun måtte ændre én ting… hvad skulle det så være? ✨

Jeg plejede at synes, at kulturen måtte nye medarbejdere selv finde ud af.

Henad vejen.

Men det gør de ikke.

Én sagde op allerede efter 4 måneder. 

"Det var ikke det rigtige fit."

Men så tilføjede hun: 

"Jeg lærte at udføre mit job. Men jeg lærte aldrig, hvordan I faktisk fungerer."

Og der stod jeg. 

Med mit pæne onboarding-program. 

Min strukturerede første uge. 

Mit buddy-system.

Alt det, vi ved virker.

Og alligevel gik hun.

I Finans i dag skriver jeg om det:

👉🏼 Vi onboarder til jobbet. Ikke til virkeligheden.
👉🏼 Vi lærer folk organisationsdiagrammet. Men ikke om organisationen. 
👉🏼 Vi lærer dem deres opgaver. Men ikke hvordan arbejdet faktisk bliver til. 
👉🏼 Vi giver dem en personalehåndbog. Men ikke de uskrevne regler.

→  At du aldrig skal spørge Peter om noget før kl. 10. Han er sur om morgenen.
→  At du ikke skal gå direkte til chefen. Gå til Lise først. Hun fikser det.
→  At når Sara siger "jeg skriver til dig senere" betyder det "jeg glemmer det med det samme." 
→  At Martin skal spørges tre gange, fordi han altid siger ja første gang men mener nej. 

De små ting. Som alle ved. Men som ingen tænker på at sige højt.

Fordi vi tror "det lærer de nok med tiden."

Men de lærer det ikke.

De føler sig bare udenfor.

Og så går de.

Data viser det tydeligt:

→ 44% af medarbejdere føler deres arbejdsplads er isoleret eller upersonlig (Gallup 2024) 
→ Gennemsnitlig Generation Z-ansættelse: 13 måneder (Randstad 2025) 
→ Omkostninger per medarbejder der går: kr. 500-900.000

Her er det fascinerende:

Vi bruger måneder på at designe onboarding-programmer. 

Vi investerer i systemer, moduler, processer.

Men de ting, der faktisk afgør om folk føler sig inde eller ude?

Dem overlader vi til tilfældighederne.

Fordi de føles for små. For ubetydelige. For uprofessionelle at nævne.

Som om rigtig ledelse handler om strategien. Ikke om at fortælle folk, at Martin skal spørges tre gange.

Men måske er det præcis de "små" ting, der er forskellen.

Mellem at være ansat. Og at høre til.

📰 Læs hele klummen i Finans - link i kommentar.

Hvilke usynlige regler har I, som ingen fortæller de nye?

Verden brænder.

Jeg sidder og drikker min morgenkaffe i Bologna.

Måske er det den mest ansvarlige ting, jeg har gjort i år.

Danmark står i en tid, hvor vores rolle og vores ansvar bliver talt om med højere stemme, end vi er vant til.

Og jeg kan mærke det sådan helt fysisk… som om nogen har skruet op for lyden inde i mit bryst.

Alt kræver at vi har en holdning. Helst nu.

Og jeg kan godt mærke trangen til at mene noget klogt, hurtigt, tydeligt.

Til at vise, at jeg forstår alvoren.

Men det slog mig forleden, at meget af det, vi kalder engagement lige nu, 
i virkeligheden er uro.

Vores nervesystemer er på overarbejde.

Vi er mennesker, der reagerer hurtigere, end vi når at tænke.

Så jeg har været nødt til at vælge mig selv lidt til. Ikke for at flygte.

Men for ikke at blive styret af frygt i denne tid.

Når det kommer til at læse nyheder, har jeg valgt to kilder, jeg stoler på, og jeg læser hver artikel færdig, før jeg læser noget nyt.

Jeg har sat en nyhedskvote: 
20 minutter om morgenen og 10 minutter sidst på eftermiddagen. Ikke i sengen. Ikke ved bordet.

Når jeg får trang til at poste i affekt, gør jeg det modsatte:

Jeg skriver tre linjer i mine noter om, hvad jeg faktisk ved… og hvad jeg bare føler.

Det er overraskende, hvor ofte det sidste fylder mest.

Det er ikke apati.

Det er omsorg for min dømmekraft.

For verden mangler ikke flere meninger.

Den mangler mennesker, der kan skelne mellem indsigt og impuls.

Mellem ansvar og larm.

Og én gang om ugen gør jeg noget, der kan mærkes i virkeligheden: 

En samtale med et ungt menneske, der er bekymret, et fremmøde, en hjælpende hånd. Noget der kræver lidt af mig. Noget, der gør verden en anelse mere beboelig for en anden.

Jeg nyder lige nu Bologna med to veninder, fordi jeg vil kunne møde verden med et åbent ansigt i morgen.

Ikke med knyttede næver.

Hvad gør du?

“Jeg siger tit tak, men sjældent hvorfor.”

Den sætning faldt i rummet forleden hos Jeudan A/S.

55 dygtige, engagerede ledere.

Og flere nikkede.

For når vi ikke siger hvorfor,
så ved et menneske ikke, hvad de betyder.
Ikke bare for opgaven.
Men for fællesskabet.

Selvfølelse i arbejdslivet kommer sjældent af at høre store, fine ord.
Den kommer af at blive set.
Præcist. Ærligt. Uden omsvøb.

I dag åbnede lederne sig for Mie og jeg. Mere end vi ofte ser faktisk.
De delte tvivl. Erfaringer. Små erkendelser.
Der blev grinet.
Der blev stille.
Og bagefter kom samtalerne, der fortsatte ude på gangene.

Det var tydeligt, at det her ikke handlede om “at blive bedre ledere” i klassisk forstand.

Det handlede om at forstå, hvad ens ord gør ved andre mennesker.

For når et menneske forstår, hvorfor deres indsats betyder noget,
så vokser noget indeni.

Mod. Ejerskab. Lyst til at bidrage mere.

Det kræver virkelig noget at skabe sådan et rum.

Og det gjorde Jeudan A/S i dag. Hold da helt op.

Tusind tak for tilliden.
For åbenheden.
Og for at tage jeres medmennesker alvorligt.

Ledelse starter lige dér,
hvor nogen tør sige noget, der betyder noget.

Og en særlig tak til Pia, Anne, Louise og Line for jeres nærvær, skarpe blik og måde at holde rummet på. 

Det gjorde det let at være ærlig - og svært at være ligeglad.

#jeudan #ledelse #anerkendelse

Den største løgn i moderne ledelse:

"Min dør er altid åben."

Din dør er måske åben. 

Men dit ansigtsudtryk og kropssprog lukker den i med et brag.

✨✨

Mie stoppede workshoppen.

"Henrik. Stop. Hvad skete der lige dér?"

Henrik, 38 år, Teamlead, så forvirret ud. 

"Jeg sagde bare, at det var fint?"

"Ja. Men hvad sagde dit ansigt?"

Stilhed.

Vi var midt i en Leadership Sprint* med 22 ledere fra en medicinalvirksomhed.

Henrik: "Jeg er træt af altid at være så 'nice'. De leverer for sent. Igen. Og jeg står bare og smiler."

Sara, 41 år, salgsleder: "Jeg eksploderer i stedet. Og bagefter fortryder jeg."

Modsatte strategier. Samme resultat: Tilliden fra teamet forsvinder.

Her er det ingen fortæller dig:

93% af din kommunikation er ikke dine ord. Det er dit toneleje, dit ansigtsudtryk og dit kropssprog.

Men vi designer feedbackprocesser og bliver undervist i "Autentisk ledelse."

Og glemmer at folk lærer mere af dit ansigt, når de afbryder dig, end de nogensinde lærer af din PowerPoint om psykologisk tryghed.

Mie og jeg gav dem tre redskaber.

1. Sig det indenfor 48 timer eller glem det.

Henrik: "Jeg går og brænder inde med det i ugevis. Siger ingenting. Men alle kan mærke jeg er irriteret."

Hvis problemet er vigtigt nok til, at du tænker på det: 

Sig det direkte indenfor to dage. Ellers? Beslut dig for at slippe det.

Fordi den mellemting - hvor du er sur, men tier stille - dræber psykologisk tryghed.

Folk ved ikke, hvad de gjorde forkert. De ved bare, at du er utilfreds.

2. Match dit ansigt og krop til dine ord.

Sara: "Jeg ved, hvad jeg skal sige. Men mit ansigtsudtryk kommer mig i forkøbet, før jeg når at tænke."

Du kan sige de rigtige ord. 

Men hvis dit ansigtsudtryk og kropssprog siger, "du er en idiot" i det splitsekund før du åbner munden, er det det, personen læser.

Før den svære samtale: Stop op. Spørg dig selv: "Hvordan vil jeg have at denne samtale føles?"

Så tænk hvordan du vil kommunikere med krop og ansigt, inden du taler.

3. 'Færdig nu', er bedre end 'perfekt senere'.

Henrik: "Jeg retter folks PowerPoints til klokken l*rt om aftenen".

"Og hvad lærer du dem ved at gøre det?" spurgte Mie.

"At de skal vente på min godkendelse."

Hver gang du retter deres arbejde til perfektion, lærer du dem, at de ikke kan træffe beslutninger.

Send det, når det er 85%. Lad dem opleve at "godt nok" er godt nok.

Tre uger senere:

Henrik: "Jeg tog den samtale jeg har udsat i 4 måneder. Den tog 12 minutter. Problemet er løst."

Sara: "Jeg stoppede mig selv, da jeg kunne mærke mit ansigt ændre folder. Det tog mig fem sekunder. Jeg lavede mit ansigt om. Hun åbnede op."

De tre igen:

-> Sig det indenfor 48 timer eller glem det.
-> Match dit ansigt til dine ord.
-> 'Færdig nu' slår 'perfekt senere'.

Hvilken gør du allerede?

Og hvilken ved du godt, du burde gøre...men undgår?

*'Leadership Sprint' er vores intensive upskillings-forløb af ledere, der skal navigere komplekse teams i en kompleks tid. Der er mere info i kommentarsporet.

Hun sad overfor mig og græd.

26 år.

Min medarbejder.

Opsigelsen lå mellem os.

Hun sagde stille:

“Jeg ved ikke, om jeg nogensinde var god nok for dig, Ann.”

Og jeg frøs fuldstændigt.

Hvad mener du…?
Jeg har da sagt det?
Jeg har rost dig?

Hele tiden.

Jeg har da skrevet masser af “godt gået” på Slack.
Har da også sagt det højt nede i kantinen.
Givet high-fives. Smilet.

Jeg sagde det da hele tiden.

Hvordan kunne hun ikke vide, at hun var god?

Men hun vidste det ikke.

Hver gang jeg skrev “godt gået”, tænkte hun:
Det siger hun sikkert til alle.

Hver gang jeg gav high fives, tænkte hun:
Det er nok bare høflighed.

I 14 måneder arbejdede hun for mig.
I 14 måneder var hun i tvivl.

Er jeg god nok?
Skal jeg være her?
Hvad er min værdi her?

Hun vidste det ikke.
Og jeg…
...jeg gik bare ud fra, at hun gjorde.

Det, der ramte mig mest, kom til sidst.

Hun sagde:

“Jeg kunne bare aldrig finde ud af, om du mente det.
Om det var rigtig feedback.
Eller bare… noget, man bare siger.”

Av.

For selvfølgelig mente jeg det.
Hver eneste gang.
Men hun mærkede det ikke.

Måske kender du det.

Du roser.
Du siger de rigtige ting.
Du gør dig umage.

Og alligevel går de.

Og du sidder bagefter og tænker:

Hvad skete der lige der?

💡 Feedback handler ikke om, hvad du siger.

👉🏼 Det handler om, hvad der lander.

Og for unge medarbejdere (og sådan set også de fleste af os andre) lander det kun, hvis det er:

-> Noget, man har sat tid af til.
-> Ikke noget der sker i forbifarten.
-> Noget, der er konkret.
-> Ikke “godt gået”.
-> Noget, der giver retning.
-> Hvad gør jeg næste gang?

På torsdag i mit nyhedsbrev deler jeg det, jeg selv manglede.
Et simpelt feedback-greb.
De ord, jeg burde have sagt.
På det rigtige tidspunkt.
➡️ Tilmeld dig her: https://lnkd.in/e9EZmHDy


Har du også prøvet at opdage det…
...lidt for sent?

Skriv gerne.
Jeg vil gerne høre det.

PS: Mie og jeg arbejder tæt sammen om netop de her temaer. 
Feedback, relationer og de øjeblikke i ledelse, der ser små ud i hverdagen, men viser sig at være afgørende.

PPS: Og bare for at sætte lidt kontekst på det her.
Ifølge Deloitte - Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey 2025 peger unge medarbejdere igen på manglende feedback, udvikling og oplevelsen af ikke at blive set af deres nærmeste leder som centrale årsager til mistrivsel og overvejelser om jobskifte.

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