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Hey there,
Ever notice how things get messiest right when everyone is looking for direction? When change turns chaotic, the fix is usually not a new toolkit. It is leaders who bring clarity, communicate simply, and stay close to their people.
Take a moment to see how the basics can make change feel steadier.
In this issue:
Playbook of the Day
How to Run a 20-Minute Weekly Ops Priority Reset
Goal: Turn a messy to-do pile into one clear list of 5–7 company-wide priorities for the week.
Who: COO/Head of Ops, Chief of Staff (optional), and 1 leader per core function (Sales, CS, Product, Finance, Ops). Same time every week.
Before the meeting (5 mins):
Each leader drops their top 3 asks or projects for the week into a shared doc with a one-line “why it matters.”
The host quickly tags each item as High, Medium, or Low impact before the meeting starts.
During the 20 minutes:
Shortlist (7 mins): As a group, pick the 5–7 High or critical items that truly move revenue, retention, or risk. No deep dives.
Rank and Assign (8 mins): Put the shortlist in order from 1 to 7 and assign one clear owner and a target date for each.
Broadcast Plan (5 mins): Decide what goes to the wider team, where it will be posted, and who will share it.
Rules: No new items added live, no shared ownership, and no more than 7 priorities on the final list.
Latest News
Stop Chasing Change Frameworks, Start Showing Up as a Leader 💡
Published: 12/10/25
This piece argues that most change efforts do not fail because companies lack frameworks. They fail because managers drop the basics of good leadership when things get chaotic. Instead of buying the next toolkit, leaders need to create clarity, communicate plainly, coach people through uncertainty, and show that they genuinely care.
Upside: If you lead teams in a shifting environment, this is a practical reset. Use it to pressure-test how you run one-on-ones, explain strategy, and show up in tense moments so your people feel informed and supported instead of confused and burned out. HR and L&D leaders can also use it to shift from “more training” to reinforcing everyday leadership habits that actually make change stick.
Impact: The article reframes change management from a specialist discipline into core people leadership. It suggests that when managers stay calm, communicate with precision, and coach often, teams become more adaptable and less resistant to constant transformation. For organizations tempted to throw yet another model at employees, this is a reminder that consistent human leadership is the real engine of sustainable change.
Make Change Land With Every Generation at Work 🔄
Published: 12/12/25
A new Eagle Hill Consulting report says one-size-fits-all change management is breaking down in multigenerational workplaces. Gen Z often sees change as an opportunity, while Gen X and Boomers may filter it through a history of broken promises, layoffs, and fatigue. Leaders are urged to treat change as a shared purpose that manifests differently across age groups, not as a blanket rollout from headquarters.
Upside: Done well, change becomes a chance to deepen engagement rather than trigger churn. Managers who tailor their approach by generation, bring Gen Z into pilots and feedback loops, and frame change as an extension of experienced workers’ expertise can turn skeptics into champions. Frontline and mid-level leaders become the bridge between executive vision and day-to-day reality.
Impact: If leaders ignore generational differences, they risk reinforcing the fatigue and mistrust that derail transformations. But leaders who pair clarity with empathy, give younger employees visible roles in new initiatives, and give seasoned staff space to question and contribute can close generational gaps and make change stick instead of repeating the cycle.
Change Fatigue is Quietly Sabotaging Lab Performance 🧪
Published: 12/15/25
Lab teams are being hit with new tools, workflows, and priorities faster than they can absorb them, according to McLean & Company’s HR Trends 2026 report. Even well-designed initiatives stall when the volume and speed of change exceed what people can realistically process, which quietly drags down focus, performance, and morale.
Upside: This piece gives lab and operations leaders a practical checklist instead of vague advice, from mapping total change load to sequencing initiatives so staff can stabilize one shift before the next. It also highlights leader behaviors that improve outcomes, like explaining why changes matter in plain language, extending training windows for hands-on practice, and listening early for signs of fatigue.
Impact: If organizations ignore change fatigue, they risk more errors, slower adoption of critical tools, and higher turnover among their most technical staff. Treating capacity as a design constraint forces leaders to rethink rollouts, timelines, and ownership so that change becomes sustainable rather than exhausting.
Prompt of the Day
The COO People & Communication Prompt
Trigger Event | Action | Use Case Example |
|---|---|---|
Start of the day. | Today’s calendar + key projects and issues. | Short list of who needs to hear from you and why. |
Before a tough conversation. | Brief context on the person, issue, and desired outcome. | Clear opening lines and framing to keep it constructive. |
After a big decision or change. | Summary of the decision, who it affects, and timing. | Simple language to explain the “what, why, and what’s next”. |
When morale feels off. | Notes on recent team sentiment, engagement, or conflicts. | 1–2 targeted messages or questions to re-open honest dialogue. |
End of the day. | Who you met with and what you did not get to. | A short list of follow-up messages to send or tee up for tomorrow. |
Prompt
“Act as my leadership communication coach. Given this snapshot of today’s meetings, team updates, and any sensitive issues, (1) tell me which 3 people or teams I most need to communicate with today, (2) suggest what message they need to hear from me, and (3) give me 1–2 sample lines I can use to say it clearly.”
Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
One last Thing
Most change fails when leadership habits slip, not when the framework is missing.
Clear priorities, calm coaching, and real care help teams feel supported instead of overwhelmed.
In the middle of constant shifts, showing up well is the strategy.
Until next edition,
Chloe Rivers
Editor-in-Chief
COO Intelligence
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