The Work Beneath the Work

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Chris Wiersma

Harvard-trained executive coach and MacKay CEO Forum Chair in Calgary. 30+ years leading companies and non-profits, P&L up to $40M. Father of three, Ironman and ultra runner.

https://workbeneaththework.com

Goals Can Be a Form of Self-Harassment

Naval Ravikant said a goal is a contract to be unhappy with yourself until you get what you want. I'd say it's a contract to be unhappy with yourself until you get what you think you want. Productivity culture treats goals as inert instruments. Tools you

There Are Two Kinds of Adults

The first kind is still relating to the world through permission structures. Looking for validation. Avoiding criticism. Seeking agreement. Explaining their decisions and positions before anyone asks. Treating their complaints like coupons with real redemption value. They're not immature. They're running a system that made perfect

Accountability Isn't Enforcement. It's Belief.

The most common reason leaders avoid accountability conversations: it feels unkind. It isn't. The opposite is true. Accountability says: I see you as a force. I take seriously that you meant it when you took your seat on this team. I believe you're capable of what

The B Player Problem Isn't Performance. It's Game Theory.

B players aren't underperformers. They're competitors. Not competitors against your rivals. Competitors against your team. Every organization runs on an agreed-upon game: here's the goal, here are the rules, here's what winning looks like. A players play that game. C players

Plans don't fail because they're bad plans.

They fail because the default motivational state underneath most organizations makes execution structurally impossible. There are only two motivational states a team can be in. The first is performance orientation. Teams regulate their effort based on progress signals, real scores, real feedback, real distance between here and the objective. The