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Systemic Friction:

Your People System is One Thing

WHEN TO USE 

Use when your talent, L&D, OD, and HR functions operate as separate silos that don’t see how their decisions affect each other.

WHAT TO DO

Bring the leaders of your key people functions together and map how a change in one area (leadership development, hiring, or culture work) ripples through the others. Design one concrete integration, such as a shared forum or joint decision process, that treats talent, development, and effectiveness as levers on the same system rather than separate line items.

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Hacks
Habits
Hard Things

Name the Weather

  • Habits
Shows why broad labels like “stressed” and “fine” can limit self-awareness, and what changes when you name what you’re actually feeling.
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See the Real Work

  • Hard Things
Helps you notice the strengths people use beyond their formal responsibilities, especially the quiet ones that are easy to overlook.
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Empathy That Doesn’t Burn You Out

  • Habits
Reframes empathy as understanding someone’s experience without absorbing it, so you can stay present without taking on their emotional weight.
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Build the Pool

  • Hard Things
Creates a clearer boundary between work and life so unfinished tasks and unresolved conversations are easier to leave at work.
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Vocab Rehab

  • Habits
Reveals how extreme language can amplify stress and how more accurate self-talk can change your response.
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Rush to Curiosity, Not Advice

  • Hacks
Tests how curious you really are about the people you work with, especially when familiarity and efficiency make it easy to assume you already know.
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Train Your Nervous System

  • Hacks
Shows how a few intentional breaths can help your body reset, creating enough space to think more clearly in high-pressure moments.
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One Rep Counts

  • Hacks
Turns an intimidating first step into something small enough to start, proving that progress doesn’t have to be impressive to count.
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Protect What AI Can’t Replace

  • Hard Things
Examines which human capabilities may weaken as AI makes work faster and more automated.
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The Slow Yes Rule

  • Hard Things
Challenges the pressure to make fast hiring decisions and creates space to assess evidence before extending an offer.
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