Strong working relationships make hard moments easier to navigate. July 30 is International Day of Friendship. In the workplace, that doesn’t mean everyone has to be best friends. It doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations or pretending every team feels like family. But it does point to something important: relationships matter. In mining, engineering, construction, manufacturing, and energy, the work is complex. The stakes are high. Deadlines shift. Conditions change. Probl

Motivation changes when summer arrives. School’s out for summer. The vacation calendar is full. Employees have cottage weekends, family trips, and days off planned. Parents are juggling camps, childcare, and kids who’d much rather be outside than following anyone’s schedule. And, honestly, most of us would rather be at the beach than sitting in another meeting on a beautiful summer afternoon. But the work still has to get done. That doesn’t mean leaders need to pretend summer

The best leaders recognize the difference between burnout and disengagement. This is the time of year people start checking out. You can feel it with kids first. Our daughter has officially entered the “How many days left until summer?” phase of the school year. Every morning feels slightly more dramatic than the last. And honestly, adults aren’t always that different this time of year. At work, I’ve noticed the same thing happening with teams lately. Energy dips. Attention d