Santa delivers
the
secret to change

There are a lot of meaningless tidbits rattling around in my GenX brain thanks to a childhood steeped in Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island reruns, but there are a few gems in there too, like this one, brought to us by Rankin Bass. It’s not so hard, if we’re methodical about it… and have a little song to remind us of the steps.

– Mel

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I’m dreaming of
this year’s Christmas

Everything is in flux, even holiday traditions. This article suggests that the stories that frame our experience are becoming obsolete. This is true for individuals and organizations; mindsets and behaviors must adapt to the times. The question for us all is, how do we adapt to our current conditions? An underlying truth is that we are far more than the stories we tell about the past; our worth lies in the ones we are creating now.

– Phil

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Mc’AI
Scrooge

McDonald’s Netherlands released an AI-generated Christmas ad that flipped the holiday narrative into a bleak, chaotic season, but it was met with widespread criticism for feeling cold, inauthentic, and out of touch, leading the company to pull the ad shortly after release. From a change management perspective, the backlash highlights the importance of stakeholder sentiment and cultural alignment and that innovation without empathy for audience expectations can erode trust.

 – Tim

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Take
on me

It is tempting to take on popular opinions and behaviors in our quest to be our best. The danger is that we become unrecognizable because we are just like everyone else. This dynamic happens to organizations, too.

As we prepare for being our best in the new year, here is a short clip of Morten Harket, of A-Ha, singing an acoustic version of Take On Me with no autotuning or instrumental tracks. He’s unique and at his best. Best wishes for taking on your best version of you in 2026!

– Phil

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Sam Altman on
the pace of change

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly expressed concern that the rapid adoption and evolution of AI is happening faster than society can adapt, warning that this unprecedented rate of change could lead to risks if not managed responsibly. From a change management perspective, his comments highlight how critical it is to build change capacity, governance, and safeguards in parallel with AI implementations.

– Tim

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Is it real,
or is it…

If you’re paying any attention to a social media feed you may have moments of wondering, “is that real – could an allegator really attack an inflatable Santa on a snowy winter front lawn in Calgary?” Though it may be mostly harmless to fall for fakery while scrolling funny kitten videos on Instagram, it’s increasingly possible to perceive a fake as “for reals” in a corporate environment too. Here are some tips to help us all be a bit more discerning…

– Mel

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