WorkShyft
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WorkShyft empowers leaders with empathy, accountability, and a growth mindset to transform outdated practices and inspire thriving workplace cultures. Follow us on LinkedIn and join us in redefining leadership for lasting impact.
Stories (30)
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Firefighting for Profit: Why Companies Love Reactivity and How It’s Slowly Killing Them
Let’s talk about corporate America’s favorite pastime: putting out fires. Not the literal kind—although, judging by some breakroom microwaves, that’s not out of the question—but the metaphorical infernos that spring up because someone, somewhere, decided planning was overrated.
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
Weaponized Therapy Speak in the Workplace
Therapy speak—it’s everywhere now, from social media to coffee shops, and increasingly, in the workplace. Words like “boundaries,” “self-care,” “toxic,” “trauma,” and “holding space” have become part of our daily language, and don’t get me wrong, it’s great that we’re talking about mental health and emotional intelligence. But here’s the twist: when these words get co-opted for the wrong reasons, they can do as much harm as good. And in the workplace, they’re becoming the perfect tools for manipulation, gaslighting, and shirking responsibility.
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
Leadership vs. Management
Leadership and management. Two words that get thrown around so often they’re practically interchangeable, but here’s the truth: they’re anything but. The difference between the two is the difference between being inspired and being instructed, between wanting to follow someone and feeling like you have no choice. Leadership is vision, it’s charisma, it’s about making people want to do their best work. Management? That’s where the processes live, the logistics, the details that keep everything from falling apart.
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
Weaponized Incompetence in the Workplace
Let’s get something out in the open: weaponized incompetence is real, it’s maddening, and it’s one of the most insidious forms of sabotage in the workplace. You’ve seen it before. Maybe you’re dealing with it right now. It’s that colleague who “just can’t seem to figure out” basic tasks, who constantly needs you to “help” them, who plays dumb so often you start to wonder if you’re the fool for picking up their slack. And here’s the kicker—it has nothing to do with actual incompetence. They know exactly what they’re doing.
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
If You Don’t Have a Seat at the Table, You’re on the Menu
We’ve all heard the phrase “having a seat at the table.” It’s a tidy metaphor, one that seems almost quaint until you realize what’s at stake. Because here’s the truth no one likes to admit: if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. You’re part of the discussion only in the sense that decisions are being made about you, not with you.
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
Coaching Those Who Are Committed to Misunderstanding
Some people get it. They hear feedback, process it, adapt, and grow. They’re open, curious, and ready to take on the world with fresh perspective and a willingness to learn. And then there are the others—the ones who, no matter what you say, seem dead set on not getting it. The ones who are committed to misunderstanding, who seem to take pride in twisting every word into something unrecognizable. Trying to coach these folks feels like yelling into a void.
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
How SOPs Help with Psychological Safety
Standard Operating Procedures—SOPs. If that phrase alone makes you feel like running in the opposite direction, you’re not alone. SOPs have a reputation for being stiff, bureaucratic, the kind of thing that only suits lifeless companies more concerned with rules than with people. But here’s the thing: SOPs, when done right, are more than just procedures. They’re a safety net, a structure that gives employees clarity, consistency, and yes, even a sense of psychological safety.
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
How HR Protects the Company, Fails the People, and Turns Itself into a Liability
Let’s talk about HR. Human Resources—the department that’s supposed to be the voice of the people, the guardian of company culture, the protector of fair treatment. But if you’ve spent any time in the corporate world, you know that’s not always the case. In reality, HR is often less about protecting people and more about protecting the company. And when HR stops being the advocate for employees, it starts becoming a liability for everyone involved.
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
Administrative Burden and Mental Health
If you’ve worked a day in your life, you know the weight of administrative burden. It’s the unending list of forms, emails, reports, approvals, data entry—the tedious, mind-numbing tasks that drain the life out of your day before you even have a chance to do the work that actually matters. It’s the invisible weight that sits on your shoulders, making every hour feel heavier than the last. And if you’re feeling burned out, frustrated, and close to the edge, you’re not alone. Administrative burden isn’t just a nuisance—it’s a silent, relentless threat to mental health in the workplace.
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
Coasting to Retirement vs. Succession Planning
Let’s talk about the elephant in the boardroom—those last years, months, or even decades before retirement. For some, it’s a time to wind down, to ease off the gas and just coast to that final paycheck. They’ve done their time, played the game, and now they’re content to settle into the status quo until they can trade their suits for golf clubs or plane tickets. But for others, the countdown to retirement isn’t about fading into the background—it’s about building a legacy, setting the stage for the next act, and leaving behind something bigger than themselves.
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
Why You Shouldn’t Fear Gossip in the Workplace
Gossip. Just the word conjures up images of whispering in hallways, secret conversations over coffee, and hushed laughs at someone else’s expense. Most workplaces treat gossip like some unspoken enemy, something to stamp out in the name of “professionalism” and “unity.” Managers talk about “open communication” and “clear channels,” as if rumors and chatter are the cockroaches hiding in the cracks of the office walls. But here’s a question for you: what if gossip isn’t the villain it’s made out to be?
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
Ageism in the Workplace
Let’s talk about ageism. It’s one of those workplace issues that hides in plain sight. We all know it’s there, but we don’t often talk about it. Ageism isn’t just about treating older employees as expendable or assuming they’re out of touch; it’s also about dismissing younger workers as inexperienced, uncommitted, or lazy. It’s a quiet, insidious divide between “young” and “old” that poisons workplaces from the inside out.
By WorkShyftabout a year ago in Motivation
