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Inclusive by Design: How Small Details Create Big Culture Shifts
As more employees return to the office—whether part-time, full-time, or somewhere in between—companies face a familiar but urgent question: Are we making space for everyone or just for some? Inclusive design is often misunderstood as just a checklist for accessibility. But in reality, it’s something deeper. It’s a mindset that invites care, flexibility, and thoughtfulness into every part of how we build our workplaces. And here’s the part many companies miss: even when thoughtful changes are made, they often forget to talk about them. The result is a missed opportunity to build trust, signal belonging, and help people feel genuinely…
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What Happens When We Stop Protecting Workers
Why the dismantling of NIOSH isn’t just a public health crisis—it’s a workplace inclusion crisis Inclusion goes beyond just good vibes in meetings. It includes protection, and asks who is left behind when that protection is stripped away. That’s why the recent dismantling of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should have everyone who cares about inclusion sounding the alarm. More than 800 public servants were laid off.
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The Gallup 2025 Workplace Report Shows Engagement Is Falling and Managers Hold the Key
Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2025 report sends a clear message: employee engagement is on the decline. Global employee engagement fell to 21% in 2024, matching the lowest levels seen since the pandemic began. This decline in engagement comes with a steep price—$438 billion in lost productivity. But the report doesn’t just highlight a crisis; it points to a powerful opportunity. Organizations that are ready to act have a clear path forward: invest in managers. People managers sit at the core of the employee experience.
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Beyond Burnout: How Organizations Can Address Purpose Fatigue
Burnout isn’t new, but lately, a deeper kind of exhaustion has been showing up in workplaces: purpose fatigue. It’s the feeling that no matter how hard you work, how noble the mission, or how passionate the team, nothing feels like it’s moving the needle. It’s the quiet erosion of belief—not just in your role, but sometimes in the work itself. Unlike classic burnout, which often stems from overwork, poor boundaries, or unsustainable demands, purpose fatigue is more existential. It’s when the story of why you’re doing the work starts to fray.
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Webinar Recap: Understanding Neurodiversity and Non-Apparent Disabilities at Work
Workplaces are full of assumptions about what “good” looks like in behavior, communication, and performance. But not everyone navigates the world in the same way, and that’s especially true for neurodivergent and disabled people. In our recent webinar, Beyond What Meets the Eye: Understanding Neurodiversity and Non-Apparent Disabilities at Work, we unpacked how to create environments that don’t just include but actually work for people with non-apparent disabilities and cognitive differences.
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When the Middle Gets Lost: Supporting the ‘Steady Performers’ Who Hold Your Culture Together
Workplace conversations tend to focus on three groups: high performers chasing the next big thing, new hires learning the ropes, and employees struggling and needing extra support. But somewhere in between is a large, often invisible group—the steady, reliable, middle-of-the-pack employees who keep everything running. They’re not angling for promotions, adapting to new systems, or requiring urgent intervention. They show up, get the work done, and often act as informal culture carriers—mentoring quietly, smoothing out conflict, and filling in the gaps no one notices. And yet, they’re rarely centered in professional development plans, feedback cycles, or retention strategies.
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How to Lead a Small Team Without an HR Department – Part 4: Graceful Goodbyes
Handle transitions with clarity, dignity, and care—even without formal HR support People leave teams for all kinds of reasons—new opportunities, changing needs, or sometimes, misalignment that can’t be resolved. And when you’re leading a small business without an HR department, navigating those exits can feel especially personal. But endings don’t have to be messy or filled with tension. With a little planning, clarity, and compassion, you can handle transitions in a way that honors everyone involved—and strengthens your team in the long run.
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Earth Day in the Age of Indifference: How to Care When Power Doesn’t
Earth Day hits different this year. We’re living in a time when care—real, collective care—is being stripped away by the people and systems with the most power. The current administration recently reminded us who it’s working for, declaring to the oil and gas industry: “You’re the customer.” This chilling message is made worse by the simultaneous gutting of programs that support everyday people and protect the planet. Meanwhile, Earth Day emails are landing in inboxes across the country, complete with recycled logos and “green” campaigns that gloss over the actual impact of the companies behind them.
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How to Lead a Small Team Without an HR Department – Part 3: Leading with Consistency and Care
Create rhythms that support your team and protect your energy. You’ve made the hire and set them up with a solid onboarding experience. Now what? For small business owners managing without an HR team, the day-to-day leadership is where things get real. You’re balancing business needs, relationships, and your own burnout levels—all while trying to be a “good boss.” Happily, you don’t need complex systems to lead well. What you do need is consistency, care, and clear expectations. With a few simple habits and tools, you can build a culture of trust, communication, and accountability—even in a tiny team.
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How to Lead a Small Team Without an HR Department – Part 2: Onboarding Without the Overwhelm
Build trust early and set your team up for success—without needing a fancy HR playbook When you’re running a small business without an HR department, it’s easy to treat onboarding as a one-day task: hand over the login, make a few introductions, and hope for the best. But onboarding is so much more than just logistics—it’s a crucial opportunity to shape how new employees feel about your team, their role, and the company’s values. And in a small team, every person and every interaction matters even more.
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How to Lead a Small Team Without an HR Department – Part 1: Hiring With Clarity and Care
If you run a small business, you’re probably managing people without a formal HR department, and that can feel like trying to build the plane while flying it. You’re not just responsible for growing the business. You’re also the recruiter, interviewer, onboarding lead, and culture-setter.
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What Even Is Normal at Work and Why It Matters for Inclusion
One word appears more often than we realize in meetings, job descriptions, and hallway conversations: “normal.” We ask what time the team normally starts, comment on someone’s unusual behavior, and write policies regarding normal working hours, dress codes, and behavior. But what exactly do we mean by normal? And more importantly—who gets to decide what’s normal? The word may seem harmless or even helpful. It implies stability, expectations, and standards. But in reality, “normal” can be one of the most exclusive words in the workplace.