Everyone does it. It’s a corporate habit that sneaks into every hallway conversation, chat thread and meeting. Most of the time, we don’t even notice we’re doing it. But saying things you don’t mean is a recipe for cultural disaster and lost connections.

We often talk about careers as if they are straight lines — neatly paved roads from Point A to Point B. But looking back at my journey, it feels more like a series of daring pivots and "happy accidents" that led me exactly where I needed to be.

Ten years in corporate roles taught me a lot. I left to start Taylor Street when it became clear the same systemic problems kept failing people. Here’s what I saw, and how it shapes the way I work today.

At best, these corporate clichés have become meaningless. At worst, they actively confuse people and make them question how genuine their leadership is — and both kill employee engagement and culture.

Culture is shaped every day by the choices you make — the conversations you have (or don’t), the clarity you provide (or withhold) and the behaviors you model. You don’t need a fancy offsite to improve it. You just need to do something before it’s too late.

Our return-to-office (RTO) snapshot survey found that 77% of employees see RTO as a negative change. Whether it’s hindering their productivity or lowering their job satisfaction, it simply isn’t working for the people on the ground.

“Let’s align cross-functionally to optimize engagement and drive scalable impact.” If that sentence made your eyes glaze over, congrats. You’re still human.

Toxic workplace habits are especially good at haunting teams during change. Let’s take a look at some of the most frightening offenders and talk about how to fix them — with a spooky season twist.

Just because everyone speaks the same language at work doesn’t mean they understand each other. And when you don’t understand each other, it’s damn hard to get things done.

If you want a team that’s energized, open to change and willing to share the truth, you’ve got to give them something more than “How’s it going?”

Hard skills matter — but it’s the human ones that build trust, shape culture and leave a lasting impact. And yet most workplaces treat them like a bonus, not a necessity.

Companies in the top quartile of employee engagement see 21% higher profitability than those in the bottom. That’s not a rounding error. That’s a competitive advantage.