There's something about January that makes us all lose our minds a little bit. We convince ourselves that this is THE month. The fresh start. The clean slate. The moment when everything changes. So we create these elaborate plans. We set impossible standards. We try to overhaul our entire lives all at once while still, you know, living our actual lives. And then reality hits.

I apologize when I have to bother someone to get details about a personnel matter. Even when that matter is as important (or more important) to the person I'm "bothering" as it is to the employee involved. Even when it's literally part of their job to provide me that information. Then on the flip side, I apologize when I have to deliver news that isn't what someone wanted to hear. When a project didn't make the priority list. When the outcome of a situation isn't exactly wha

Let me be clear about something right up front. The number changing from 2025 to 2026 doesn't magically transform anything. January 1st is just another day. The sun will come up the same way it did on December 31st. You'll wake up as the same person with the same life and the same challenges. The calendar switching doesn't create a fresh start. YOU create the fresh start. The calendar just gives us the kick in the pants to do it.

It's the last Monday of the year, and if you're on social media at all, you've seen them. The posts about New Year's resolutions. The ambitious lists. The grand declarations of transformation.

Just promoted to manager? Delegation is one of the hardest skills to learn. Here's your practical, step-by-step guide to delegating tasks without micromanaging or overwhelming your team.

Constantly checking work email at night and weekends? You're not alone. Here's why this habit hurts your leadership effectiveness and 5 practical strategies to finally set healthy email boundaries.

I wasn't setting my team up for success. I was holding everything so close that they couldn't function without me. And if I'm being truly honest, many years back I was probably a little too insecure in my role. There was some fear that went along with holding it all so close, fear that someone might take the ball and run with it, fear that they might not need me as much as I thought they did.

Here's the thing: we've created this narrative about generational differences that's doing way more harm than good. We've bought into these sweeping generalizations, Boomers are rigid workaholics, Millennials are entitled, Gen Z can't focus, Gen X is… wait, does anyone ever talk about Gen X? The reality is so much more nuanced and honestly, so much more interesting.

A micromanager dictates exactly how tasks must be done, hovering over every detail and controlling every step. A leader provides vision and overall direction, then trusts their team to figure out how to get there.

The truth is, even with the best relationships and clearest communication, conflicts will arise. Performance issues need addressing. Policies must be enforced. Disagreements happen. Accountability must be maintained. The key is handling these situations professionally and constructively while working within the union framework.

I discovered something that no training had taught me: most union representatives want the same thing you do, a productive, respectful workplace where good employees thrive and problems get resolved fairly.

The only constant in today's workplace is change. Believe me, I wrote like 7 blog posts about change! Technology evolves, regulations shift, priorities change, and unexpected challenges arise. Your ability to adapt, and help your team adapt, is crucial for long-term success.

"In today's workplace, skills aren't just nice-to-haves. They're your survival toolkit."

Some of the most significant organizational transformations I've witnessed didn't start with grand strategic initiatives or comprehensive change programs. They started with small, almost insignificant changes that created ripple effects throughout the organization.

Think of change leadership like any other professional skill. You wouldn't expect to excel at financial management without understanding budgeting, forecasting, and analysis.

Sometimes, the biggest obstacle to successful change isn't the people who openly resist it. It's the people who are most excited about it.

Sometimes the biggest barrier to organizational change isn't your team's resistance, it's your own reluctance to change as a leader.

Teams become so focused on maintaining the status quo that they stop looking for ways to improve. They mistake avoiding change for maintaining excellence.

You can't eliminate the difficulty of change, but you can absolutely influence how your team experiences it.

Change is inevitable. We hear it all the time. "The only constant is change." "Adapt or die." "Embrace the new norm."