ACHIEVE Workplace Culture

Great teams don't happen by accident. They are built with intention. In this episode of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Wendy Loewen is joined by Daniel Anthony Doerksen and Chris Downey, authors of You Can Manage: A Practical Guide to Becoming the Manager Everybody Wants, to explore what it takes to move a group of individuals into a high-performing team. From the classic stages of team de...

What does it really mean to invest in people as a manager? In this episode of The Manager’s Field Guide, Wendy Lowen sits down with Daniel Anthony Doerksen and Chris Downey, co-authors of You Can Manage: A Practical Guide to Becoming the Manager Everybody Wants , to explore the second essential of effective management: investing in people. Many managers are promoted because they excel at the work...

In episode 2 of The Manager’s Field Guide, Wendy Loewen continues the conversation with Daniel Anthony Doerksen and Chris Downey as they continue their series on You Can Manage: A Practical Guide to Becoming the Manager Everyone Wants, focusing on Essential 1: “Start with You”. They discuss how strongly managers shape people’s workplace experience, citing research that 70% of engagement variance l...

Wendy Loewen introduces The Manager’s Field Guide, an ACHIEVE Workplace Culture podcast mini-series based on the new book “You Can Manage” by Daniel Anthony Doerksen and Chris Downey. The series is designed to support people moving into management roles without formal training, helping them understand what to focus on and how to measure success. The authors argue that work is essential to a meanin...

In episode 66 of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Eric, Chris and Wendy discuss shifting attention from what you don’t want to what you do want by celebrating and reinforcing positive behaviours. Wendy shares the “two wolves” parable to illustrate that what you feed grows, and the team recounts times specific positive feedback changed their actions, relationships, and even career trajectory....

In episode 65 of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Eric, Chris and Wendy explore workplace disengagement, when it can shift back to engagement and when it may be healthier to move toward a dignified separation. They share personal and workplace examples of how confidence, personal circumstances, and clear supports or accommodations can affect performance. The hosts emphasize avoiding blame or...

In episode 64 of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Eric, Chris and Wendy discuss the difference between being “nice” and being “kind” at work, arguing that niceness can become people-pleasing driven by insecurity while kindness prioritizes others through clear, helpful conversations. They emphasize Brené Brown’s idea that “clear is kind,” noting leaders often avoid feedback even though everyo...

In Episode 63 of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Eric, Wendy and Chris explore why treating people equally doesn’t always produce fair or effective results at work. They discuss how different employees need different levels of direction, autonomy, and support to perform well. They also address how fairness concerns can arise when one person receives additional supports, recommending leaders...

In episode 62 of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Wendy and Chris discuss why leadership is central to workplace culture. Chris shares being pushed into leadership too early, initially copying flawed models that misused power, and later being challenged with the question, “What kind of leader do you want to be?” He describes leadership as an ongoing practice, notes his continued challenge wi...

In episode 61 of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Eric, Chris, and Wendy discuss a leader’s role when someone brings them a workplace problem. While leaders may ultimately help problems get solved, they warn against jumping in with immediate solutions except in crises or ethical situations. Instead, they recommend making time to listen, clarifying what the real issue is, asking what the pers...

In episode 60 of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Eric, Wendy and Chris explore trust, specifically how it gets broken and what leaders can do to rebuild it. They share practical approaches for repair, such as acknowledging impact, checking in with others, listening without excuses, apologizing when appropriate, and committing to changed behaviour. Listen along to learn how you can rebuild t...

Is vulnerability an actual leadership skill? In this episode of The Achieve Workplace Culture Podcast, Eric, Wendy, and Chris break down what healthy vulnerability actually looks like at work. What’s inside: The difference between real vulnerability vs. unhelpful oversharing How to be authentic without offloading your anxiety Why trust isn’t just predictability—it’s showing up in uncertainty How p...

How do you continue to grow as a leader? Join us as Wendy shares her evolution from educator to executive, revealing practical strategies for building learning habits and making space for personal development. Discover how self-driven learning fuels workplace culture and get tips you can use today to lead with intention and impact. Perfect for business owners and organizational leaders who want to...

If you’re still doing too much yourself, you’re holding your team, and your business, back. In this episode, hosts Wendy Loewen and Eric Stutzman unpack how strategic delegation drives culture, performance, and leadership growth. What’s inside: Why delegation isn’t just dumping tasks, but developing your people The real reason leaders resist delegation (spoiler: a fear of losing control) How letti...

Join Eric, Wendy, and Chris as they uncover how clearly defined values shape workplace culture. Learn why values matter, how to make them actionable, and practical ways to keep them alive in your team. Packed with real stories and tips, this episode will help you anchor your culture and inspire your people. Try our free Culture Transformation Starter Kit !

In this lively episode, Eric, Chris, and Wendy unpack what it truly means to foster a culture of respect in the workplace. From the power of being seen and heard, to why curiosity beats judgment, they explore how leadership can transform tolerance into active, meaningful respect. Tune in for real stories, practical takeaways, and memorable insights on individual and cultural respect—plus steps lea...

Change is coming. The question is whether your culture is ready. In this episode, Eric, Chris Downey, and Wendy Loewen talk storm readiness: planning for uncertainty, strengthening relationships and trust, and using mission, vision, and values to make clearer decisions under pressure. You’ll leave with grounded, doable leadership practices for steadying your team when things get messy. Try our fre...

In this episode, we explore a fundamental question: what kind of leader do you want to be, and why it matters to get clear on your leadership identity. We unpack the “double path” of leadership growth; developing who you are on the inside and what you do in your day-to-day practice. From setting SMART leadership goals to making them real by sharing them with peers and direct reports. We also highl...

In this episode, we explore how leaders can move from “I know myself” to “I know my impact.” We unpack the gap that often exists between how leaders see themselves and how their teams actually feel, and why closing that gap is crucial for a healthy workplace culture. We talk about how to invite honest input from team members, what to watch for in meetings that reveals how people actually experienc...

In this episode of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Wendy, Chris and Eric discuss the topic of how to encourage and manage dissenting voices in the workplace. Is 'dissent' the right word, or should we focus more on fostering varied perspectives? We explore the nuances between disagreement and dissent, the importance of creating a safe space for alternative viewpoints, and practical strategie...

In this episode of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Eric, Chris and Wendy explore some of their unexpected sources of leadership wisdom. They talk through a variety of scenarios ranging from historical events to interactions with nature and fictional literature, emphasizing that leadership insights can be found in everyday experiences Emphasizing the value of staying curious, and reflecting...

In this episode of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture podcast, Eric, Wendy and Chris explore the metaphor 'Don't Blame the Lettuce' to emphasize the importance of examining workplace conditions rather than blaming individuals for their performance. They discuss how shifting from judgment to curiosity can lead to better workplace culture, innovation, and interpersonal relationships, as well as highlight...

It’s the fourth anniversary of The Achieve Workplace Culture Podcast, and Eric, Cat, and Scott are celebrating by tackling a tricky question: can being a fun boss go too far? From champagne-sipping managers to nap-happy offices, they share real stories about what happens when workplace fun crosses the line. They dig into what it really takes to build teams that enjoy coming to work while still get...

In this episode of the ACHIEVE Workplace Culture Podcast, Chris Downey and Wendy Loewen are joined by special guest Mel Bazin , Director of Indigenous Services with CTRI and ACHIEVE. Together, they explore what reconciliation really means for organizations and how it connects to workplace culture. The conversation dives into why understanding history matters, how colonial structures continue to sh...

In this special crossover episode, the ACHIEVE team is joined by Vicki Enns , host of Counselling Insights from CTRI, to explore what leaders can learn from the world of mental health and counselling. Together with co-hosts Eric Stutzman and Wendy Loewen, the conversation covers how therapeutic principles, like empathy, boundaries, and curiosity, can transform leadership and workplace culture. Key...