“This Could Have Been a Conversation” digs into the messy reality of returning to the office from my perspective at Bridlewood. Nicole and I riff on whether a change model like ADKAR could’ve softened big top‑down moves — think Doug Ford’s extra‑day roll-out — and we agree that while consultation wouldn’t have created universal desire, better awareness, timing, and follow‑up conversations would’ve helped. We laugh through stories and talk about how teams are often shoved back into the “storming” phase, which is why leaders need to set clear norms, expectations, and boundaries as teams re‑form.
I share practical, human‑first strategies for leaders and employees: build one‑on‑ones into the return process, resist jumping to snap solutions, and use a simple leader framework — Listen, Echo, Empathise, Think, Evaluate, Resolve — to turn confrontation into conversation. I warn against doing career‑planning on day two, offer tips for year‑end timing, and suggest trying temporary adjustments (shifted hours, short trials) that meet operational needs while actually supporting people. It’s blunt, funny, and useful — exactly the kind of real talk we need while navigating the return‑to‑office shuffle
