When Culture Shapes Our Capacity to Perform

A birthday visit to Kingston!

A Monthly Newsletter: November 2025

Welcome to the November edition of my monthly newsletter!

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how our environment and workplace culture influence our ability to do our best work. The thought came to me after watching someone close to me step into a new organization—leaving behind a toxic one—and seeing them thrive almost immediately. Their new energy and momentum made me think back to times in my own career when I performed at my peak, and what conditions helped me get there. (It’s a little harder to pinpoint when you work for yourself!)

The common factors were quite clear:

  • A supportive manager who trusted me

  • Autonomy to deliver results in my own way

  • Collaborative colleagues who valued teamwork

  • Work that stretched my capabilities and utilized my expertise

  • Realistic expectations about what could be achieved

Through coaching and conversation, I’ve noticed how performance can falter when even one of these elements is missing. When support, challenge, or meaningful collaboration disappear, productivity and confidence can erode—and often, those same missing factors influence how we interact with others and approach our work.

In my own experience, when I lacked either a supportive leader or challenging responsibilities, my performance dipped. Sometimes it showed up in my relationships: becoming competitive instead of collaborative. Other times, it showed up in how I handled problems—through avoidance, procrastination, or disengagement.

But we don’t always have the luxury of changing roles or organizations when the culture doesn’t suit us. So what can we do?

If you notice you’re not performing at your best, take a moment to reflect. Which of these key elements might be missing for you? Is it truly the culture—or could it be the nature of the work itself that’s affecting your motivation and outlook?

At any stage of our career, we may find ourselves in environments that aren’t fully supportive. The key is not to linger too long in that space.

In the end, prolonged misalignment can quietly erode not only performance but also confidence. Awareness is the first step to making a change, whether it’s shifting your mindset, seeking the missing elements proactively, or preparing for a new environment where you can truly thrive.

Wishing you an enjoyable month ahead!

-Emma

 

ps. When you’re ready…..I help individuals and organizations through in-person team training, coaching, and facilitation.

Feedback Corner!

‘I had Emma develop a workshop around navigating change for my team recently, and she did an amazing job! All of us are navigating change, and having someone like Emma speak to how to navigate our careers in a time when concepts like climate change and DEI are being challenged, our team needed to develop a strategy to continue to move our work forward and champion the purpose of our organization. Emma was wonderful in the development of the content with me, as well as delivering the workshop for the team. The team also really liked her approach and felt very comfortable in being honest and vulnerable through the session. I highly recommend Emma for this type of team coaching!’

-Thank you Gabriela Polanco Sorto!

Last few spots left!

You’re spending too much time looking out of the window, wishing you could be someone else or thinking, what is it that they have, that I don’t have. ..You have achieved a lot already in your career, just imagine what you could achieve with the right guidance in a supportive setting?

Secure your place on my leadership course today, there are just 2 spots left!

What people have to say about my last course:

What stood out for me is Emma's real-world experience and coaching approach to guiding the conversations between attendees. Highly recommend for anyone who is looking to master their leadership capabilities, build them or looking to refine them.’

We will be covering the following topics:

  • Leadership styles and how to leverage for situations

  • Emotional intelligence - how to grow it.

  • Leading through change and uncertainty

  • Networking for purpose

  • Building your personal brand

The logistics:

  • Kick off - Wednesday, November 5th @9am

  • Meeting weekly for 7 weeks between 9-10am over zoom.

  • Small cohorts - maximum 8 people.

  • Workbooks and material for each week.

To register for the event and to secure the lowest investment of $400, click on the link here! This pricing level won’t happen again so don’t miss out!

Referring Someone in Your Network

It makes sense that you trust your colleagues and friends to provide great professional contacts. So, if someone in your network could use coaching and/or team training support, please introduce us!

My LinkedIn profile for sharing is here.

I’m very grateful for everyone who connects me with their colleagues and friends. Thank you!

Emma