Peoplyst

As CEO of Peoplyst, I lead the company’s vision, strategy, and operations, ensuring we deliver high-impact solutions in hiring, leadership, workforce training, HR technology, and business growth. I manage our team, drive business development, and work directly with companies to help them build stronger, more engaged workforces.

Key Responsibilities & Impact:

Company Strategy & Leadership – Setting Peoplyst’s vision, growing the business, and leading a high-performance team.

Talent Acquisition & Hiring Solutions – Helping businesses attract, hire, and retain top talent through optimized recruitment and workforce planning.

Leadership & Workforce Training – Leading Peoplyst in delivering scalable leadership development and workforce performance programs that improve engagement and retention.

HR Compliance & Technology – Advising companies on HR tech selection, implementation, and compliance strategies to streamline workforce operations.

Business Growth & Change Management – Helping organizations scale effectively by aligning leadership, workforce strategy, and culture with long-term goals.

Client Partnerships – Working directly with business owners and HR leaders to develop customized people strategies that drive measurable results.

Author & Speaker | Workforce Strategy & Leadership

Beyond Peoplyst, I am an author and keynote speaker, sharing insights on hiring, leadership, and workforce strategy. My book, The Vanguard Edge, provides a framework for building high-performing teams, and I speak at conferences and leadership summits on solving workforce challenges and creating people-first cultures.

Through Peoplyst and my thought leadership, I help businesses turn people problems into competitive advantages, ensuring they build stronger teams, improve engagement, and optimize performance.

Chief Executive Officer

Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching

As a Marshall Goldsmith Certified Executive Coach, I work with senior leaders, executives, and business owners to enhance leadership effectiveness, strengthen executive presence, and drive measurable improvement. Using the Stakeholder Centered Coaching model, I help leaders develop key behaviors that improve performance, engagement, and team dynamics—without taking valuable time away from their day-to-day responsibilities.

Proven, Measurable Leadership Coaching

Guaranteed & Measurable Results – 95% of leaders using this method show documented leadership improvement, based on direct stakeholder feedback.

Leadership Growth Without Disruption – Coaching integrates seamlessly into a leader’s workflow, ensuring growth happens on the job, in real time.

Behavior-Based Leadership Development – Focuses on accountability, feedback-driven improvement, and sustained behavioral change.

Stakeholder Involvement – Engages key team members in the coaching process to create lasting cultural impact and team-wide improvement.

Global Leadership Insights – Certified to deliver the Global Leader of the Future 360 Evaluation, a premier assessment tool used to identify high-impact leadership strengths and growth areas.

I have coached executives, senior leaders, and high-potential professionals across industries, helping them drive business results, improve leadership effectiveness, and build high-performing teams.

This proven coaching system is designed for successful leaders who want to be even more successful—leveraging direct feedback, structured accountability, and strategic coaching to ensure measurable growth.

Executive Coach

American Challenger Development Corporation

As the Chief People Officer for Bank Cache, a startup bank, I was responsible for designing and implementing the entire HR function from the ground up, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and aligning workforce strategy with the bank’s business goals.

Built HR From the Ground Up – Designed and launched all HR functions, including talent acquisition, workforce planning, compensation, benefits, compliance, employee relations, and training.

Hired the Team – Led full-cycle recruiting, hiring all employees across multiple departments.

Developed Compensation & Benefits Strategy – Created competitive salary structures, pay plans, and benefits programs to attract and retain top talent.

Established HR Compliance & Policies – Built HR governance frameworks aligned with banking industry regulations and labor laws.

Implemented HR Technology & Systems – Integrated HRIS, payroll, learning management, and benefits administration platforms for streamlined workforce operations.

Led Workforce Transition & Closure – Managed the wind-down process, ensuring compliance, employee offboarding, and operational wrap-up as the last employee.

This experience reinforced my ability to build scalable HR functions, develop compensation strategies, hire top talent, and navigate complex business transitions—expertise I continue to bring to organizations today.

Chief People Officer

Acosta

Led global HR operations, talent acquisition, payroll, HR technology, and learning & performance systems for a workforce of 30,000 employees across multiple countries. Designed and executed workforce strategies that improved hiring efficiency, HR service delivery, employee engagement, and global HR technology integration.

Key Responsibilities & Impact:

Global Talent Acquisition Strategy – Led hiring for 25,000+ roles annually across domestic and international markets, ensuring alignment with long-term business objectives.

HR Technology & Process Optimization – Launched a new human capital management system that unified multiple subsidiaries and countries onto a single, scalable platform.

Cost Savings & Efficiency Gains – Reduced cost per hire by 22% by streamlining talent acquisition roles and processes in partnership with internal and external stakeholders.

Learning & Development Systems Transformation – Harmonized three learning management systems into one common platform, leading the selection process, learning consulting, and change management.

HR Operations & Employee Experience – Improved HR Call Center and Help Desk outcomes, reducing cost to serve by 18% while enhancing employee support across multiple locations.

Employee Engagement & Workforce Insights – Administered an employee engagement survey for 30,000+ employees, leading post-survey action planning and execution.

This role strengthened my expertise in global workforce strategy, talent acquisition, HR technology implementation, employee experience optimization, and operational efficiency, ensuring scalable and measurable HR solutions for enterprise-level organizations.

SVP, Head of HR Operations & Talent Acquisition

Led HR operations, payroll, and employee service functions for a global workforce, ensuring efficiency, compliance, and improved employee experience. Partnered with key stakeholders to enhance HR service delivery, workforce communications, and performance management across multiple countries.

Key Responsibilities & Impact:

Global Payroll Leadership – Managed a global payroll team processing nearly 1 million paychecks annually across five countries, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and efficiency.

HR Technology & Employee Communications – Implemented new digital platforms to improve how employees access HR information, creating a more responsive and accessible HR experience.

Performance Management & Leadership Development – Redesigned and launched a new performance management process focused on continuous employee engagement, succession planning, and coaching to develop top talent.

This role deepened my expertise in HR service delivery, payroll management, workforce communication, and performance optimization, ensuring a scalable and technology-driven approach to HR operations.

VP, Head of HR Operations and Services

EverBank

Led the transformation of talent strategy, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness for a workforce of 4,000+ employees across multiple U.S. locations. Oversaw the Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, and Organizational Development functions, ensuring alignment with business strategy and workforce needs.

Key Responsibilities & Impact:

Leadership & Manager Development – Built programs to strengthen executive, managerial, and emerging leader capabilities, driving business performance.

Talent Acquisition Optimization – Reduced cost per hire by 42% ($1.5M savings in 18 months) by coaching the Talent Acquisition team and refining hiring processes.

Hiring Process Improvement – Decreased time to fill by 26% and candidate days in process by 28% through recruiter cross-training and hiring manager coaching.

Employee Engagement & Culture – Achieved 91% participation rate in a new annual employee engagement survey, driving actionable workforce insights.

Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives – Led D&I efforts in leadership training, hiring strategies, community outreach, and employee communications.

Workforce Communication & Engagement – Launched internal communication initiatives, including newsletters, electronic handbooks, site posters, and digital messaging via internal TV networks.

This role strengthened my expertise in leadership development, talent acquisition strategy, employee engagement, culture transformation, and organizational effectiveness, ensuring companies build high-performing, engaged, and diverse teams.

VP, Head of Talent and Organizational Development

Led the enterprise-wide learning and development strategy, ensuring leadership readiness, workforce capability building, and organizational effectiveness. Designed and implemented high-impact management training, risk assessment education, and customer experience development programs that drove measurable business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities & Impact:

Leadership & Management Training – Designed and launched the Foundations of Management Program, a 13-course voluntary leadership development program that increased promotion rates and improved performance scores across the organization.

Enterprise Risk Training – Developed and delivered Risk Control Self-Assessment training for all risk control owners, including executive team members, ensuring compliance and proactive risk management.

Customer Experience & Service Training – Designed and delivered client focus training for the Mortgage Servicing team, leading to significant, sustained increases in net promoter scores (NPS) and customer satisfaction.

This role strengthened my expertise in leadership development, workforce training, risk management education, and customer experience transformation, ensuring employees at all levels were equipped to lead, manage risk, and enhance client interactions.

VP, Head of Learning & Organizational Development

Wells Fargo

Advised and coached managers on human performance improvement (HPI/HPT methodologies) to address performance gaps, enhance team effectiveness, and resolve workplace challenges. Partnered with leaders to develop structured interventions, coaching strategies, and performance management solutions that drove measurable workforce improvements.

Key Responsibilities & Impact:

Manager Coaching & Performance Strategy – Counseled leaders on identifying and addressing employee performance gaps, ensuring successful outcomes through structured coaching and corrective action plans.

Human Performance Improvement (HPI/HPT) – Applied proven methodologies to analyze performance barriers, design targeted interventions, and enhance individual and team productivity.

Conflict Resolution & Behavioral Coaching – Guided managers in handling sensitive workplace issues, including behavioral concerns, team conflicts, and engagement challenges, ensuring alignment with company values and HR policies.

This role strengthened my expertise in performance consulting, leadership coaching, workplace conflict resolution, and human performance improvement strategies, helping organizations build more engaged, high-performing teams.

VP, Performance Consultant

JPMorgan Chase - Learning and Performance Solutions

Led and managed a team of 75 HR and learning professionals across the U.S., overseeing the planning, execution, and evaluation of learning programs for 14,000+ employees in Mortgage Banking Borrower Assistance. Ensured training initiatives were delivered on time, at scale, and in alignment with compliance and business needs while applying change management strategies to enhance adoption and effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities & Impact:

Enterprise Learning Strategy & Execution – Delivered 350,000+ learner hours and developed 500 unique courses for 14,000+ employees in just five months.

Regulatory Compliance Training – Designed and implemented 270+ training deliverables to meet OCC Consent Order requirements within 120 days.

Stakeholder Collaboration – Partnered with Policy & Procedure, Legal, Compliance, and Business teams to improve training consistency and client satisfaction.

Curriculum Development & Continuous Improvement – Evaluated training effectiveness, implemented enhancements, and created reusable learning solutions that aligned with evolving business needs.

Change Management & Large-Scale Learning Initiatives – Applied structured change management practices to ensure seamless training execution and organizational readiness.

This role strengthened my expertise in corporate learning strategy, compliance training, large-scale training delivery, and organizational change management, ensuring training programs were efficient, scalable, and business-aligned.

Vice President, Training Director

Led a team of 35 instructional designers across the U.S., overseeing the design, development, and implementation of mortgage banking training materials. Focused on enhancing learning effectiveness, developing leadership talent, and optimizing instructional design processes to support enterprise-wide training initiatives.

Key Responsibilities & Impact:

Instructional Design Leadership – Managed a team responsible for creating and delivering mortgage banking training programs, ensuring alignment with business goals and compliance requirements.

Mentorship & Leadership Development – Identified and developed high-potential instructional designers, resulting in three internal promotions into supervisory and management roles.

Training Content Optimization – Ensured the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of training materials to drive learner engagement and retention.

This role strengthened my expertise in instructional design leadership, talent development, mortgage banking training, and workforce learning strategy, ensuring scalable and high-impact learning solutions.

AVP, Training & Instructional Design Manager

Unison Industries / GE Aviation

Designed and developed education and training materials for diverse audiences, ensuring effective knowledge transfer and skill development. Worked across all stages of technical content development, supporting enterprise training initiatives through instructional design best practices and innovative learning solutions.

Key Responsibilities & Impact:

Instructional Design & Content Development – Created technical training materials across multiple learning formats, ensuring clarity, effectiveness, and alignment with business needs.

Template & Learning Framework Development – Assisted in designing standardized instructional templates and elements to enhance consistency across training materials.

Multi-Modal Learning Design – Developed content for various delivery modes, including instructor-led training (ILT), eLearning, and blended learning solutions.

This role strengthened my expertise in technical training design, instructional content development, and learning framework standardization, ensuring training programs were scalable, structured, and impactful.

Instructional Design Consultant

I help businesses solve people problems.

Solving People Problems. Driving Business Success.

At Peoplyst, we help businesses solve workforce challenges with solutions that get it done - and keep it done. Whether it's hiring, leadership, compliance, or organizational change, we create and implement strategies that improve performance and simplify people operations.

With decades of experience in talent acquisition, workforce strategy, leadership development, and HR technology, I’ve helped companies from startups to Fortune 50 firms build stronger teams, improve engagement, and scale effectively.

Where Companies Struggle (And How We Fix It)

Talent & Hiring
Finding and keeping the right people shouldn’t be a struggle. We help businesses align hiring with growth, improve candidate experience, and optimize onboarding to retain top talent.

Workforce Performance
A high-performing team isn’t built by chance—it’s built with strategy. We create engagement, leadership, and accountability systems that turn employees into a company’s greatest asset.

HR Compliance & Technology
HR should work for you, not against you. We streamline operations, implement the right HR tech, and ensure compliance so businesses reduce risk and stay efficient.

Change & Growth Strategy
Growth is good—when it’s managed well. We help companies navigate transitions, scale effectively, and align leadership and culture with their long-term vision.
If your people aren’t thriving, your business isn’t either. Let’s fix that.

Message me to discuss how Peoplyst can help.

Want free content on People Problem topics? Click the Connect or Follow button.

Want more free content? Visit our Blog at https://peoplyst.com/blogs/

Had enough pain and want to discuss making your People Problems disappear?
Book a call with me here: https://calendly.com/bryan-howard-mpg/fix-your-people-problem

"We can't afford to give raises," the division leader said.

"But we're hiring aggressively."

I was reviewing their Q3 budget.

"What's the average raise request you've denied?" I asked.

"About 15-20%."

"And what are you paying new hires?"

"Market rate. Usually 30% more than internal folks."

"So you won't pay someone 15% more to stay,
but you'll pay someone else 30% more to start?"

He shifted. "That's different."

"What about Jennifer?" I asked.
"She asked for 18K more. 
You said no. She left. 
You just hired her replacement."

"Yeah. Took three months to fill."

"What did you pay the replacement?"

"85K."

"Jennifer was making 62K. Asked for 80K."

"Right."

"So you saved 18K by saying no,
then spent 23K more to get someone new.
Plus signing bonus?"

"10K."

"What about lost productivity while they ramp up?"

"Maybe six months to get to Jennifer's level."

"That's another 30K in lost output.
Plus recruiting costs?"

He opened a spreadsheet.
"Recruiter was 17K. Training about 15K."

I wrote on his whiteboard:
- Salary increase: 33K
- Signing bonus: 10K  
- Lost productivity: 30K
- Recruiter fee: 17K
- Training costs: 15K
Total: 105K

"You spent 105K to avoid paying 18K."

He stared at the board.

"How many Jennifers did you lose this year?"

"Twelve."

"So you burned 1.2 million
to save maybe 200K in raises."

A few months later, he called.

"I just approved every raise request in the queue."

"All of them?"

"Cost me 340K.
Would have cost me 2 million in replacements."

"How'd your team react?"

"Shocked. Then productive.
We're hitting numbers we haven't seen in years."

Here's the truth about retention economics:

Companies will spend a dollar to save a dime.
Then spend ten dollars to fix what broke.

We treat current employees like costs
and new employees like investments.

But retention isn't an expense.
It's the highest ROI investment you'll ever make.

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Bryan Howard

Solving People Problems | Recruiting, Leadership & Employee Development, HR Tech and Change Management

"Why does our top performer get the worst reviews?" the VP asked me.

I was reviewing their annual performance data.

"Show me," I said.

She pulled up the ratings.
Diana: 2.8 out of 5.
Below average on "collaboration."
Low marks for "team player."

"What's her actual performance?" I asked.

"Exceeded every target.
Landed our biggest client.
Trained three new hires."

"So why the low scores?"

"Her peer reviews are dragging her down."

I scanned the comments.
"Too direct."
"Challenges ideas too much."
"Not supportive enough."

"Let me talk to Diana," I said.

"I used to give honest feedback," Diana told me.
"Said our pricing model was broken.
Got dinged for 'negativity.'"

"What happened with the pricing?"

"They finally fixed it six months later.
After we lost two major accounts."

"What else?"

"I questioned why we needed 
eleven approvals for a simple contract change.
Manager said I wasn't being collaborative."

"Are you still giving feedback?"

"No. I learned my lesson.
Now I smile. Nod. Say everything's great.
My reviews are improving."

"But nothing's actually improving?"

"We're making the same mistakes.
Just with better vibes." She chuckled.

I went back to the VP.

"Your review system doesn't measure performance," I said.
"It measures compliance."

"That's not true."

"When was the last time someone
got promoted for challenging bad ideas?"

Silence.

"When did someone get rewarded for preventing a mistake?"

More silence.

"You've trained your best people to stay quiet.
And your mediocre people to stay nice."

A few months later, they redesigned the system.

Added a category: "Constructive Challenge."
Points for identifying problems early.
Rewards for preventing costly mistakes.

Diana got promoted.

"What changed?" I asked the VP.

"We stopped confusing agreement with alignment.
Stopped mistaking silence for harmony."

"And?"

"Turns out our 'difficult' people
were our most valuable.
They actually cared enough to speak up."

Here's the truth about performance reviews:

Most companies don't reward performance.
They reward performance theater.

The person who says the meeting was great
beats the person who says it wasted an hour.

The person who agrees with bad ideas
beats the person who prevents disasters.

You think you're measuring contribution.
You're measuring conformity.

And your best people?
They've already figured out the game.

They're just deciding whether to play it
or find somewhere that values truth over comfort.

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"People just don't want to work anymore," the CEO said, shaking his head.

I'd heard this line a hundred times this year.

"When did your company stop wanting to work for them?" I asked.

He looked confused.

"Let me rephrase," I said. "When was your last round of layoffs?"

"Six months ago. But that was strategic restructuring."

"And before that?"

"Eighteen months. Market conditions."

"And before that?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "Three years ago. COVID."

"So every year and a half, you fire people. 
But you expect unwavering loyalty in return?"

"That's different. That's business."

"Exactly," I said. "And so is quiet quitting."

He leaned forward. "But people used to go above and beyond."

"Yes. They did. 

When companies offered pensions instead of 401k matches.
When loyalty meant job security, not just a pizza party.
When 'family' meant you wouldn't get laid off via email or Zoom."

"We can't guarantee employment anymore," he said emphatically.

"Then they can't guarantee discretionary effort anymore."

The room went quiet.

"Look," I continued. "You broke the social contract first.

Companies decided employees were costs to minimize.
They're even on the liability side of the balance sheet.

You celebrated 'lean' operations.
You automated everything possible.
You turned people into gig workers.
You made employment transactional.

So employees made it transactional too."

"But we need people to care about our mission."

"Why? You'll fire them the moment the stock dips.
They know it. You know it. Everyone knows it."

He stared at his productivity report for a bit before looking up.

"My dad worked for GM for 35 years," he said quietly.
"Never missed a day. They took care of him."

"And in return?"

"He bled company blue. Worked late without asking.
Mentored everyone. Protected the company's interests."

"When's the last time you promoted internally?" I asked.

"We mostly hire externally for senior roles. Fresh perspectives."

"When's the last time you gave raises that matched inflation?"

"We can't afford..."

"But you afforded $2 million for executive bonuses?"

Silence again.

Here's the truth about the modern workplace:

Employees aren't quiet quitting.
They're doing exactly what they're paid to do.
Nothing more. Nothing less.

That's not laziness.
That's the deal you offered.

You want the old loyalty back?
Wnat people to want to work again?
Offer the old security back.

Invest in your people.
Promote from within.
Stop the layoff rollercoaster.
Share the profits they create.
Stop treating them like expenses.

Until then?

"Act your wage" isn't employee rebellion.
It's employees accepting your terms.

You made employment a transaction.
Don't be surprised when employees treat it like one.

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"She's toxic, but she's our top performer," the director said.

I'd been brought in to diagnose their retention crisis.
Forty percent turnover in operations.

"Define toxic," I said.

"Brilliant. But brutal.
Makes people cry in meetings.
Takes credit for everything.
Undermines anyone she sees as competition."

"How long has this been happening?"

"A few years."

"And you've addressed it?"

He shifted. "We've tried everything."

"Show me everything."

He opened his laptop.

"We moved her team to a different floor."

"So she couldn't terrorize them in person?"

"We restructured. Put a buffer manager between her and the team."

"Who quit after four months?"

"We sent her to leadership coaching."

"Did she go?"

"Twice. Said it was beneath her."

"What else?"

"We created a special projects role.
No direct reports."

"And?"

"She poisoned three cross-functional teams.
Two project leads transferred.
One quit."

I looked at the org chart.
Twelve people had reported to her.
Nine were gone.

"You haven't tried everything," I said.
"You've tried everything except the one thing that would work."

"We can't lose her expertise."

"You've already lost nine people's expertise.
How much expertise is one person worth?"

"She delivers half our revenue."

"By herself? Or through the team she destroys?"

Silence.

"Let me guess," I said.
"Every time someone quits, she absorbs their best accounts.
Claims she's saving the company.
Becomes more 'indispensable.'"

His face told me I was right.

Three months later, he called.

"We finally did it."

"What happened?"

"She screamed. Threatened to take clients.
Said we'd fail without her."

"And?"

"Two clients followed her.
Twenty stayed.
Her old team is thriving.
Revenue is up 30%."

"How?"

"Turns out people perform better
when they're not terrified.
Who knew?"

"What really changed?"

"Everything.
People share ideas now.
They collaborate instead of compete.
They actually show up wanting to work."

"The ones who quit?"

"Three came back.
Said they loved the company.
Just couldn't work with her."

Here's the truth about toxic high performers:

They don't deliver in spite of their behavior.
They deliver because of it.

They create the chaos.
Then position themselves as the only solution.
They burn out the team.
Then claim they're carrying everyone.

You think you can't afford to lose them.
But you can't afford to keep them.

Because every day you protect the destroyer,
you lose another builder.

And eventually, you're left with one toxic star
and a graveyard of what could have been.

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Talks about #teamdevelopment, #employeeempowerment, #operationalefficiency, #learninganddevelopment, and #performanceimprovement

Vinosha Singh

Twenty-three people. Zero questions. That's when I knew something was wrong.

"Any questions about the new strategy?" the director asked.

Nothing.

"Concerns? Ideas? Anything?"

More silence.

He smiled. "Great. Looks like we're all aligned."

I watched from the corner. This wasn't alignment.
This was fear disguised as focus.

Ten minutes later, I was grabbing coffee near the hallway.

"That strategy will never work," someone muttered.

"Why didn't you say something?" her colleague asked.

"Are you kidding? Remember what happened to James?"

James had questioned a decision last quarter.
Labeled "not a team player" in his review.
Passed over for promotion.
Gone within six months.

Later, I wandered past the break room.
Three managers huddled by the microwave.

"We need to hire someone for the integration project," one said.

"But the timeline is impossible."

"Then say something."

"You say something."

Nobody said anything.

Two weeks later, the project failed spectacularly.

The director found me in the conference room.
"Why didn't anyone flag this?" he asked.

"Because you taught them not to," I said.

"That's ridiculous. I always ask for input."

"You ask. But do you listen?"

"Of course I..."

"What happened to James?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "James wasn't a good fit."

"James told you the Q3 product launch would fail.
You called him negative. It failed exactly how he predicted."

"That was different."

"Was it? Your team learned the lesson.
Speak up, get labeled. Stay quiet, stay safe."

"But I need their input to make good decisions."

"Then stop punishing them for giving it."

Here's what I've learned watching hundreds of leadership meetings:

The best leaders don't get the most agreement.
They get the most disagreement.

Their meetings are messy. Uncomfortable. Loud.

People interrupt each other with better ideas.
Challenge assumptions without fear.
Say "that won't work" before it's too late.

These leaders understand something crucial:

Dissent isn't disrespect.
It's data.

Questions aren't negativity.
They're quality control.

Pushback isn't insubordination.
It's investment.

When your team goes quiet, you haven't won.
You've lost.

You've lost their ideas.
Their warnings.
Their commitment.

Want to know if you're creating psychological safety?

Count the disagreements, not the heads nodding.

The best teams argue their way to excellence.
The worst teams smile their way to failure.

Your choice.

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Jay Dobbs - MBA, CSM, CSPO

"She's welcome here, but I don't think she belongs," the manager said.

I was observing a talent review meeting.

"What's the difference?" I asked.

He looked confused. "Between what?"

"Between welcome and belonging."

"They're basically the same thing," he smirked.

"No. They're worlds apart."

He leaned back. "OK. Explain."

I leaned forward.
"Welcome is letting someone in the door.
Belonging is making them feel at home."

"We've been welcoming," he insisted.
"She has everything she needs."

"Does she feel wanted?" I asked.

"I mean.... we hired her."

"That's not what I asked."

Another manager chimed in.
"She mainly keeps to herself."

"When's the last time you asked for her opinion?" I asked.

Silence.

"How does she know she's important to this team?"

Her manager shifted uncomfortably.
"Look. We assume people know they matter."

"Is that really a safe assumption?"

I opened my notebook and wrote three words:

Welcome. Wanted. Important.

Showing it to the room I said,
"This is how people need to feel."

"We do the welcome part," he said.

"Yes. You're great at onboarding.
Then what?"

"Then... they work."

"No. They wonder if they made the right choice.
They watch and listen for signals."

"What kind of signals?"

"Do you seek their input or just assign tasks?"

"Do you introduce them as 'the new person' 
or as 'the expert we brought in for X'?"

"Do their ideas get built upon or politely noted?"

The second manager spoke up.
"I never thought about it that way."

"Here's what I've learned," I continued.
"Welcome is passive. It's allowing presence.
Wanted is active. It's seeking contribution.
Important is transformative. It's valuing impact."

"So how do we fix it?"

"Start tomorrow. 
Ask for her perspective on something.
And mean it."

"That's it?"

"Yes. Then do it again next week. And the week after.
Until she stops wondering if she belongs
and starts knowing she's essential."

A few months later, he called me.

"Remember that team member we discussed?"

"Yes."

"She just led our biggest client presentation.
Knocked it out of the park."

"What changed?"

"We did!" he said proudly.
We stopped assuming she felt valued
and started showing her she was vital."

"And?"

"Turns out she had been holding back.
Waiting to see if this was a place
where her voice mattered."

"It always mattered," I said.
"You just finally showed her."

Here's the truth about belonging:

It's not about open doors.
It's about open minds.

It's not about being allowed in the room.
It's about being needed in the conversation.

People don't need to just feel welcome.
They need to feel wanted.
To know they're important.

Because belonging isn't something you give people.
It's something you create. 
Together. Every single day.

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Shari Michael

"I need people who fit our culture," one manager told me.

"I need people who challenge it," said another.

I was comparing two departments at the same company.
Same budget and market. Vastly different results.

Department A was struggling.
Department B was thriving.

"Show me your last five hires," I said to Manager A.

He pulled up their profiles.
Same schools and backgrounds.
Same personality assessments.
Even dressed the same.

"They all get along great," he said proudly.
"No drama. No conflict."

"And new ideas?" I asked.

He paused. "We have a proven process."

I walked over to Department B.

"Show me your last five hires."

Manager B laughed. "You'll think I'm crazy."

An ex-military ops specialist.
A theater major turned data analyst.
Someone who'd run a food truck.
A former teacher.
An engineer who'd spent two years sailing.

"How do you manage this group?" I asked.

"I don't manage them. I referee them."

"Meaning?"

"Monday's meeting: Three different solutions to the same problem.
The engineer wanted to automate everything.
The teacher said we were missing the human element.
The food truck owner asked 'Why do we need the process at all?'"

"Sounds exhausting."

"It was. For about an hour.
Then they built something none of them could have created alone."

"What about culture fit?"

"I stopped hiring for fit.
Started hiring for friction."

Three months later, I checked the numbers.

Department A: 
Same products and clients. Same problems.
Two people quit from boredom.

Department B:
Launched three new services.
Revenue up 40%.
Zero turnover.

"What's the difference?" the CEO asked me.

"One manager hired mirrors.
The other hired windows."

"Meaning?"

"Mirrors show you what you already know.
Windows show you what you're missing."

I went back to Manager A.

"Your team feels safe," I said.
"But they're not growing."

"They're comfortable."

"Exactly. Comfortable teams don't innovate.
They protect the status quo."

"Should I create conflict?"

"You should create collision.
Different perspectives crashing into each other.
That's where breakthroughs happen."

A month later, he called.

"I hired someone who disagrees with everything I believe."

"How's that working?"

"We've solved three problems I didn't know we had.
And created two products I never would have imagined."

"Still comfortable?"

"Uncomfortable as hell!
And more energized than we've been in years."

Here's the truth about belonging:

It's not about everyone being the same.
It's about everyone being valued for who they are.

When you hire for homogeneity,
you get harmony.
But harmony doesn't innovate.
Friction does.

Your strongest teams aren't the ones who think alike.
They're the ones who think differently, act differently,
and still trust each other enough to fight about it.

Because belonging isn't fitting in.
It's standing out and still being welcome at the table.

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Judy Magee, JD

"We're losing too many good people," the CEO said.

We were at a leadership summit cocktail hour.
He'd approached me after my panel on retention.

"What do your exit interviews tell you?" I asked.

"HR does those. It's always the same."
He swirled his drink. "Better opportunities. Work-life balance."

"What do you do with that information?"

"HR makes recommendations. Sometimes we adjust."

"After they're gone?"

"Well, yes. That's when we know why they left."

"Who's at risk right now?" I asked.

"My CFO says Marcus in operations. 
Sarah in marketing. A few others.
All high performers."

"Have you talked to them?"

"That's HR's job."

"I'm asking if YOU talked to them?"

He looked puzzled. "About what?"

"About why they might leave."

"If they're unhappy, they'll tell us."

"Would they tell you?"

"My door's always open."

"When's the last time someone walked through it?"

He thought for a moment. "Fair point."

"Here's an idea," I said. 
"Have coffee with Marcus.
Assure him he's safe.
Then ask three questions:
What makes you stay with us?
What might make you leave?
What would you change if you could?"

"That's HR territory."

"No. That's leadership territory."

He looked skeptical. "And if he's honest?"

"Then you'll know what to fix
before HR schedules his exit interview."

A week later, he called me.

"I had coffee with Marcus," he said.

"And?"

"Twenty minutes. Changed everything.
He's been passed over twice for promotion.
Trained both people who got the jobs.
He doesn't want a promotion tomorrow.
He wants to know it's possible."

"What did you do?"

"We created a development path 
on a coffee ring stained napkin.
I laid out the next 18 months for him.
His whole demeanor changed."

"That's great! Now do the others."

"Already scheduled."

I saw him at another event a few months later.

"How's the retention?" I asked.

"Remember those flight risks?
Zero resignations.
Marcus is now managing a team.
Sarah restructured her whole department.
Turns out they didn't want to leave.
They wanted to be heard."

"And your exit interviews?"

"Down 60%. My head of HR is thrilled.
Wants to know what changed."

"You did," I said. "You stopped waiting
for HR and the goodbye to ask why."

He laughed. "She's implementing 
'stay interviews' for the company now."

"Good idea," I said. 
"Your leaders should ask the questions. Not HR."

He shook my hand.
"I'd like you to help us get it off the ground."

Here's the truth about retention:

Exit interviews are autopsies.
Stay interviews are preventive care.

Your employees know what will make them stay.
But they need to believe you actually want to know.

So the most powerful stay interview
is from the leader who actually has the power
to change what needs changing.

And if it isn't the leader asking,
it's just another survey in a drawer.

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Your best people aren't asking for promotions...

They're updating their LinkedIn profiles.

By the time they ask for that raise,
they've already interviewed elsewhere.

The quiet ones who never complain?
They're the first to accept outside offers.

You think loyalty means they'll wait.
They think waiting means you don't value them.

Fix it before they ask.
Or watch them fix it by leaving.

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"My team can't make any decisions without me," the manager said.

His boss had asked me to coach him.

"Give me an example," I said.

"Yesterday. Someone asked if they could order office supplies."

"How much?"

"Fifty bucks. Pens and notebooks."

"And they needed your approval?"

"That's the process."

I wrote three questions for him:

Can your team spend $100 without asking?
Can they change a meeting time?
Can they adjust a deadline by 2 days?

"No to all three," he said.

"Then you're not a manager.
You're a bottleneck."

He bristled. "I need oversight."

"Does your boss approve your office supplies?"

Silence.

"Your team isn't telling you something," I said.

"What?"

"That you're the reason nothing gets done."

"They've never told me that."

"Of course not. You approve their paychecks."

"How many decisions did you make yesterday?" I asked.

"Maybe thirty."

"How many actually needed you?"

"All of them."

"No. Your job is to develop people who don't need you
for every tiny decision."

"What if they mess up?"

"Then they learn. Like you did."

"My mistakes cost money."

"And they made you better. Right?"

He nodded.

"So why are you stealing that from your team?"

"Try this," I said.
"Give them a $500 monthly budget.
No approval needed below that."

"That seems risky."

"Riskier than paralyzing your team
waiting for you to approve printer paper?"

"What else?"

"Let them move meetings without clients.
Let them adjust deadlines by 48 hours."

"My boss will freak."

"Your boss called me because nothing's getting done."

Three weeks later, I checked in.

"How's it going?"

"Terrifying," he said. "And amazing."

"Tell me."

"They've made hundreds of decisions without me.
Only came to me for three actual issues."

"And?"

"We're moving faster than we have in years."

"What changed?"

"I stopped being their main obstacle."

Here's the truth about micromanagement:

It's not about bad employees needing oversight.
It's about insecure managers needing control.

When you require approval for everything,
you're not managing. You're strangling.

Give your team freedom within guardrails.
Let them own decisions.
Let them own mistakes.

Because the biggest risk isn't that they'll mess up.

It's that your best people are updating their resumes
while waiting for you to approve the coffee supply order.

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"Make it pop," the director said for the third time.

The analyst's shoulders sagged.
"Pop how?"

"You know. More... impactful."

I was sitting in on their quarterly review prep.
This was version four of the same presentation.

She took a deep breath. 
"What specifically needs to change?"

"Just... make it better."

She closed her laptop. "I need a few minutes."

After she left, I turned to the director.
"How many times has she redone this?"

"Fourth round."

"What was wrong with version one?" I asked.

"It didn't have the right energy."

"What does that mean?"

"The flow was off."

"Can you articulate what the right flow looks like?"

Silence.

"You've had her redo this four times
because you can't explain what you want?"

"I'll know it when I see it," he said.

"Will you?
Or will version seven still not feel right?"

He shifted. "She should know what I want by now."

"How? You've never told her."

"I give feedback every time."

"Make it pop isn't feedback," I said.

The analyst knocked and came back in.
She looked exhausted.

"Tell me exactly what you want," she said softly.
"Because I don't know what 'make it pop' means."

He looked at me, then at her.
"Wins upfront.
Problems in the middle.
Solutions at the end."

Her face fell. 
"That's completely different from yesterday.
You said start with the challenges."

"Did I?"

"Version two started with wins. Too positive.
Version three led with problems. Too negative."

I drew a simple diagram:
Clear direction → Right outcome
Vague direction → Endless rework → Eroded trust

"Every time she guesses wrong," I said,
"she trusts herself less.
You trust her less.
Eventually, you'll just do it yourself."

"I'm basically there," she said quietly.
"I spend more time guessing than creating."

The director looked uncomfortable. 
"I'm not trying to be difficult."

"I know," I said. 
"But unclear delegation is a setup for failure."

Two hours later, they had version five.
He loved it.

"What was different?" I asked.

"I told her exactly what I wanted.
Order. Emphasis. Even slide count."

"And?"

"She nailed it. First try.
Well, fifth try, but you know what I mean."

Three months later, I checked in.

"How's the delegation going?"

"Night and day," she said.
"He spends five minutes being specific upfront.
Saves us hours of rework."

"And the trust?" I asked him.

"Stronger than ever.
She owns entire presentations now."

Here's the truth about micromanagement:

It's rarely about control.
It's about communication.

When you can't articulate what you want,
you create a rework spiral.
Unclear ask. Wrong delivery. Lost trust. Tighter grip.

The cure isn't more oversight.
It's clearer expectations.

Because "make it pop" isn't direction.
It's just your way of saying, "I don't know either."

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.

"I know we have people problems," the CEO said.
"But I don't know where to start."

His company was missing every target.
Turnover at 38%. Projects stalled. Morale tanked.

"My HR leader has a list of 27 issues."

"Forget 27. You have maybe three real problems.
The rest are symptoms."

"How can you know that?"

"Because 95% of people problems fall into just 16 categories.
Every company thinks they're unique. 
Their problems aren't."

He leaned forward. "Show me."

"Sales missing quotas? Usually 'Leaders Who Can't Lead'
Or 'Stuck in Neutral', skills lagging."

"Both, actually."

"Engineering delivering late? 'Micromanagers Everywhere'
Or 'No Bench Strength.'"

"Definitely micromanaging."

"High turnover? 'Wrong People in the Right Seats'
Or 'Onboarding Chaos.'"

"We don't really have onboarding.
So every company has the same problems?"

"Same root causes. Different symptoms."

"How do I know which ones are killing us?"

I told him about Sarah, a tech COO.
Similar chaos.

She used The People Problem Predictor.
Twenty minutes. Three problems surfaced:

'Leaders Who Can't Lead'. ICs promoted without training.

'Clunky Systems That People Hate', manual workarounds everywhere.

'Micromanagers Everywhere', approvals bottlenecked everything.

"We focused on just those three."

"What happened?"

"Month one: Management training.
Promoted engineers stopped drowning.
We demoted a few. They were thankful.

Month two: Streamlined systems.
Eliminated 80% of manual processes.

Month three: Pushed decisions down.
Project velocity doubled."

"That's it?"

"We also built their capability for what comes next.
New problems always emerge."

"Like what?"

"Six months later.
New problem: 'Always Hiring in Panic Mode'
They diagnosed it themselves.
We provided specialized expertise
while they ran the business."

"Like consultants?"

"Like having your best ops person cloned.
We know their culture. So, no ramp-up. Just results."

"And this continues?"

"90% of clients sign a second project
after seeing what's possible."

He pulled up his calendar.
"When can we start?"

I smiled. "You just did."

Eight months later, he texted:
"Hitting every target. Team's never been stronger.
We're tackling two new problems.
This time, we know where to start."

The truth about organizational problems:

Your problems aren't special.
They're predictable patterns.

Once you know the pattern, you can break it.

Companies that win don't have fewer problems.
They know which ones matter.

They diagnose fast and get the right support.

Because the biggest risk isn't having problems.
It's not knowing which three are killing you.
While you're fighting all 27.

Want to take the People Problem Predictor?
Link in the comments.

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.

Feedback is a gift. But...

Sometimes that gift is a three year old regifted fruitcake.

Say thank you, every time.

“Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate the perspective.”

Then sort it:

Does the source have expertise?
Does it align with your goals?
Does it just add noise?
Test what might help.

Grace costs nothing. 
Arguing validity is fruitless.

Pro tip: Never eat three year old regifted fruitcake.

If dreading tomorrow is affecting how you feel today, change something.

"We have a comprehensive onboarding program," the CHRO said.

"How comprehensive?" I asked.

"Eighty-three page manual. Four-day orientation.
Six different training modules."

"How long until new hires are productive?"

"About four months."

"Show me day one," I said.

We followed Jordan, a new marketing manager.
8 AM: Wrong building. No badge.
9 AM: IT hasn't set up her laptop.
10 AM: Orientation video from 2019.
11 AM: Lunch alone.
2 PM: Manager in meetings all day.
4 PM: Reading the manual. Page twelve of eighty-three.

"How do you feel?" I asked her.

"Overwhelmed. And somehow also bored."

"That's your comprehensive program," I told the CHRO.

"It covers everything they need."

"Everything except making them feel welcome."

Two weeks later, Jordan was still waiting.
Just got her laptop. Still reading manuals.
Her manager had rescheduled their first one-on-one three times.

"I'm starting to wonder if I made a mistake," she said.

Six months later, the CHRO called.

"We simplified everything," she said.

"How simple?"

"We fought it for months. Then we tried it.
Day one: Laptop ready. Manager cleared. One buddy assigned.
Week one: Three key meetings. One clear project."

"The eighty-three page manual?"

"Now it's a two-page quick start guide.
The rest is searchable when they need it."

"Results?"

"Time to productivity down to six weeks.
Early turnover dropped 40%."

"What made you change?"

"Jordan quit after three months.
Her exit interview was brutal.
Said we made starting here harder than her actual job."

Here's the truth about onboarding:

It's easy to create something hard.
Do an information dump on a new hire.
Cover every possible scenario.

It's much harder to create something easy.

Easy requires curation over completeness.
Easy means one clear win their first week.
Easy means treating day one like it matters.

Because you only get one chance
to show someone they made the right choice.

And if you make joining your company
feel like a bureaucratic marathon,
your best hires will sprint for the exit.

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Do you experience chaos when someone misses work? Solve it with this approach...

I solve people-problems for businesses.

Finding Our “We Print Signs” Moment

The commute home had been a mess. The rush-hour traffic was doing what traffic does, and by the time I reached my exit, I was ready to be done. Then the light at the bottom of the ramp snapped from green to yellow to red in record speed. Of course it did. It was that kind of day.

I looked out my window, and that is when I saw it. A small white sign staked into the shoulder. I am sure I had passed it for weeks without noticing.

But not today.

Today it seemed impossible to ignore. It said only, “We print signs,” along with a website and phone number. That was it. No flashy design. No clever hook. Just the company doing exactly what it does, right in front of the people who might need it.

Then it hit me. This was brilliance. It was so simple. A sign company proves its value by placing an example of its work in the world. No slides. No pitch. No explanation. Just the product, doing the selling on its own.

The light turned green, but the feeling lingered. Then it hit me. I was jealous.

In HR and People Operations, we rarely get moments like that. We can describe our work. We can outline our value. We can build compelling presentations. But almost none of it is a direct example of the work itself. A perfect slide deck might only prove that someone is good at making slide decks. A messy one might hide a team that is brilliant at solving problems but not so brilliant at formatting.

The medium gets in the way. And our real work, the human work, does not always lend itself to neat visual proof.

In truth, the only real evidence we have is the testimony of the people we impact. Not just the C suite, who often see the results in financials and dashboards, but the everyday Jills and Joes who feel the difference in their workload, their clarity, their confidence, and their sense of belonging. When their work becomes simpler. When a problem finally stops repeating. When they feel supported instead of stuck. Their experience is our proof.

So I started thinking. What would it look like for HR teams, and for companies like ours, to have our own version of the “We print signs” moment. A way to let the work speak for itself.

Maybe it is sharing before and after snapshots of a process that went from tangled to simple. Maybe it is showing the measurable lift a team experiences after a manager finally receives real support. Maybe it is capturing the subtle shifts that only employees can articulate when friction disappears or trust grows.

Maybe it is letting the people who live the change be the ones who describe it.

The sign company placed a sign. They showed, not told. Our work is different, but the aspiration is the same. The challenge is to find ways for the impact of HR to stand in the open, visible not by how loudly we describe it but by how clearly people feel it.

And maybe that is the real lesson. Sometimes the truest proof of value is not what we present, but what others experience when the work is done well.

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