Journal
Notes on hard employee situations, fit, and misread signals
Essays for founders, managers, and operators trying to understand what changed before they overreact, underreact, or misdiagnose the problem.
Jul 24, 2026
The Difference Between Resistance and Frustration
When employees push back, managers often assume they're resisting change. Sometimes they're simply frustrated by obstacles they can't overcome.
Jul 21, 2026
The Conversation You Should Have Before Giving More Feedback
When performance changes, managers often respond with more feedback. But feedback is only effective when you've correctly diagnosed the problem.
Jul 17, 2026
The Conversation You Should Have Before Giving More Feedback
When an employee's performance changes, more feedback isn't always the answer. First, understand what's actually driving the change.
Jul 14, 2026
The Mistake of Judging Someone by Their Worst Month
Recency bias can cause managers to mistake a temporary dip for a permanent decline. Here's why the bigger pattern matters.
Jul 10, 2026
When Confidence Quietly Disappears
An employee's skills may stay the same even as their confidence fades. Learn why quiet hesitation is often mistaken for declining competence.
Jul 7, 2026
The Employee Who Started Avoiding Meetings
When an employee begins skipping meetings or staying silent, the behavior itself is rarely the real problem. Learn what withdrawal can signal before you misread it.
Jul 3, 2026
Before You Put Them on a Performance Plan
A performance plan can be the right move. But when the diagnosis is wrong, it can turn a fixable situation into a point of no return.
Jun 30, 2026
The Timeline You're Not Looking At (But Should Be)
Most managers focus on today's performance. Better people decisions start by understanding when the change began.
Jun 26, 2026
“They Just Need to Step Up” — Or Do They?
What looks like underperformance is often an expectation problem. Before concluding an employee needs to step up, examine whether success has actually been defined.
Jun 23, 2026
Why Quick Fixes Make People Problems Worse
The fastest response to an employee problem is often the wrong one. Here's why action without diagnosis turns uncertainty into bigger team damage.
Jun 19, 2026
The False Confidence of 'We've Seen This Before'
Managers often assume they understand a people problem because it looks familiar. The danger is that similar symptoms can emerge from entirely different causes.
Jun 16, 2026
When Someone Stops Bringing You Problems
A sudden drop in communication is often treated as a performance issue. In reality, it may be a signal that trust, clarity, or confidence has changed.
Jun 12, 2026
The Slow Drift No One Talks About
Most employee problems don't arrive suddenly. They develop through small changes that are easy to dismiss until the situation becomes difficult to ignore.
Jun 9, 2026
Why They’re Pushing Back More Than Before
Employee resistance is often interpreted as attitude problems when it may actually signal growing friction in the role, team, or expectations.
Jun 5, 2026
The Good Employee, Wrong Role Pattern
Sometimes performance problems aren't about capability. They're about fit. Here's why strong employees can struggle when the role changes around them.
Jun 2, 2026
When Effort Goes Up But Output Goes Down
A surprising warning sign: when employees start working harder but producing less, the issue is often structural—not motivational.
May 29, 2026
The Early Signs You’re About to Mismanage Someone
Most people-management mistakes start long before the actual decision. Here are the warning signs that you’re already misreading the situation.
May 26, 2026
“They Seem Checked Out” — What That Usually Means
Most engagement drops are symptoms, not root causes. Here’s what managers often miss when a previously strong employee suddenly seems checked out.
May 22, 2026
When Feedback Suddenly Stops Working
Resistance to feedback is often treated like an attitude problem. In many cases, it is a signal that the manager is diagnosing the wrong issue.
May 19, 2026
The Hidden Cost of Role Ambiguity
Sometimes underperformance is not about capability. It is about unclear expectations that quietly break ownership, confidence, and momentum.
May 15, 2026
Why “Lack of Urgency” Is a Dangerous Assumption
When an employee suddenly seems less urgent, the issue is often not motivation. It is misalignment, confusion, or loss of clarity.
May 12, 2026
The Manager Change You’re Underestimating
A good employee goes off track after a reporting-line shift. The issue may not be skill. It may be manager fit.
May 8, 2026
They’re Still Delivering, But Something’s Off
When output stays steady but something feels off, the risk isn’t performance—it’s what’s quietly changing underneath it.
May 5, 2026
They Used to Own This. Now They Avoid It.
When ownership drops, the instinct is to question motivation. But avoidance often signals misfit, not disengagement.
May 1, 2026
Before You Put Them on a Performance Plan
Most performance plans follow a misdiagnosis—not a clear understanding of what actually changed.
Apr 28, 2026
When a Strong Performer Goes Quiet
Silence from a previously engaged employee is rarely random—it usually follows a loss of clarity.
Apr 24, 2026
The Promotion That Broke a Good Employee
When a strong performer struggles after a promotion, the problem is rarely what it looks like.
Apr 21, 2026
The Moment Before a Bad Decision
There’s a specific moment before a people decision where something feels off—but not clear. That’s where most costly mistakes are made.
Apr 20, 2026
The Misdiagnosis Trap
A strong employee slips—and the instinct is to label it performance. The real risk is misreading what actually changed.
Apr 19, 2026
“They Lost Motivation” Is Usually Wrong
When a strong employee’s energy drops, it’s rarely about motivation. The real issue is usually a hidden shift in role, expectations, or environment.