Hello Community,

Mixed messages are one of the silent killers of workplace culture.

Leaders and managers often fail to recognize when they create contradictions and may be unaware of the impact they have. But we’re all on a journey of self-discovery and awareness.

Today, we will highlight five ways that leadership behaviors unintentionally undermine the employee experience and, in turn, business performance.

The good news is that through self-reflection, we can enhance our communication, facilitate greater alignment, and become more intentional in everything we do.

And next week, you have an amazing opportunity for this: We will kick off The Employee Experience & Business Performance Summit (Oct 7–9), where we will be digging even deeper into these themes with leaders from across industries.

To help you prepare, we’ve also created the Summit Workbook, your pre-event guide that includes the agenda, speakers, and useful resources to share with your team. This workbook will be updated daily during the event.

Before diving into our key insight of the week, meet Srividya, who will be speaking at the first panel of the summit starting next week!

Join us next week for amazing conversations on ALL the key topics of Employee Experience, from onboarding to communication, feedback, performance, learning and development, recognition and rewards, leadership and managers, people analytics, AI, automation, and more!

In our latest post, we spotlight five ways leaders and managers can unintentionally break the employee experience, draining culture, and business results.

When employees don’t see how their work connects to the mission, work feels transactional, priorities seem to change arbitrarily, and motivation drops. Leaders and managers need to play complementary roles here: leaders should tie organizational goals back to the mission, and managers should cascade them down and translate them into everyday actions.

In last week’s LinkedIn Newsletter post, we highlighted that although managers are expected to be culture carriers, many lack the training and tools to turn strategy into clear team actions. Instead of acting as a cushion between leadership and teams, managers are left juggling demands from both sides. The result is that contradictions flow straight to employees, weakening morale and performance.

When the bridge between strategy and execution is weak, managers risk setting too many goals at once, creating confusion. Piling on multiple “top” priorities leaves employees spinning their wheels and unsure of what truly matters.

When the patterns we mentioned above converge, they create workplaces that are unsustainable. Even if employees continue to deliver, chasing short-term results without pacing can lead to burnout, low morale, and disengagement. Eventually, long-term performance will drop.

Constant interruptions prevent employees from focusing on high-value tasks, limiting creativity and innovation. Leaders often push for faster delivery, but in doing so, they unintentionally strip away the time employees need for deep work. When every task is urgent and interruptions are constant, people lose the capacity to solve complex problems, think creatively, or innovate. The result is weaker outcomes.

🛠️ Want to know how to fix this? Read the post here.

Check out what’s coming this winter at the People and Culture Strategy Institute!

October 25 – November 22, 2025 | Saturdays 8–10 AM PT

You only have three weeks left to join this 5-week Certificate Program that helps leaders orchestrate AI strategy.

What you’ll learn:

📜 20 SHRM + 20 HRCI + 20 IHRIM Credits

Winter is the best time for upskilling, and we are launching new cohorts!

What makes Hacking HR’s learning programs different from any other offerings in the market is that they are taught by actual HR leaders, making each class a goldmine of insights, case studies, and fruitful discussions.

If you have questions about our Certificate Programs, Mini Master’s Degree, or membership benefits, join us for the upcoming Open House on Friday, October 17, at 8:30 am Pacific Time. Register here.

ALL the Certificate Programs are included in our Premium Membership (only $159 per year, per person, or $139 for Corporate members). Plus, you will gain HR Credits (20 SHRM + 20 HRCI + 20 IHRIM), a certificate of completion, Credly badges, and access to special guest lectures.

Start Date: January 13, 2026.

This Certificate Program is designed for HR professionals and business leaders seeking to enhance their strategic capabilities and align HR initiatives with organizational objectives. Build the essential skills to become a trusted advisor within your organization and become a strategic partner in driving business success.

Start Date: January 13, 2026.

This Certificate Program is designed for mid-career HR professionals, including HRBPs, Directors, and Managers, who seek to integrate HR strategy with business objectives, foster inclusive and high-performance workplaces, and leverage data to inform decision-making. It provides a framework to align HR with organizational priorities while strengthening communication, cultural transformation, and employee experience strategies.

Start Date: January 14, 2026

This Certificate Program is designed for senior HR executives and leaders committed to driving strategic transformation on a global scale. The program equips participants with practical expertise in HR strategy, leadership, and innovation, preparing them to excel at the highest levels of HR leadership.

And if you want to elevate your AI skills to the next level, we’ve got you covered! In January, we kick off the LIVE Mini-Master Degree Program!

The Mini-Master Program: Practical AI (January 14 – May 20, 2026) is the most comprehensive and affordable program of its kind.

A 19-week, live, hands-on learning journey designed to help you build your own AI-augmented operating system for work and life.

Through a mix of live classes and facilitated labs, you’ll create:

By the end of the program, you’ll walk away with a fully functional AI-powered operating system built for your role, your workflow, your business.

It’s like hiring a team of 10... without paying a single salary.

We are excited to share with you our new Premium+ Membership, which includes:

Join the Hacking HR Affiliate Program!

Do you have an audience of HR professionals who would benefit from our summits, certificate programs, and memberships? Earn commission while helping them accelerate their careers.

👉 Apply to Become an Affiliate Partner

Visit our store for merch designed to inspire you (or surprise your favorite HR colleague)!

Would you like to be featured as a keynote speaker in our upcoming events?

Fill out this form, and we will contact you!

Thousands of HR executives will gather at these upcoming summits to shape the future of work:

Talent Management & Workforce Strategy Summit (Nov 4–6)\

AI Experience Summit (Dec 2–5)

If your company provides solutions in HR tech, benefits, people analytics, DEI, or workforce strategy, these events are your opportunity to connect with the exact decision-makers who control HR budgets and are actively searching for partners.

👉 Book an Intro Call with Laurie Baggarly: [email protected] to explore sponsorships and secure visibility at the summits where HR leaders are making buying decisions.

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