Many professionals can recall the moment when something in their workplace started to feel… off.
Not dramatic.
Not necessarily toxic yet.
Just a signal.
Maybe it was shifting priorities, inconsistent feedback, or authority lines that suddenly became unclear.
Often our instincts notice system instability before our minds catch up.
Example from my career
Early in my HR leadership career, I noticed a pattern where leaders would make decisions in meetings and then quietly revise them afterward in smaller conversations.
Nothing was openly confrontational, but the outcome of decisions kept shifting depending on who was in the room.
That was one of the first times I realized that decision processes — not just personalities — can create workplace instability.
Discussion prompt
When did your intuition first signal that something in your workplace dynamics wasn’t adding up?
Relevant SHIELD Pillars
L – Listen Strategically
E – Echo and DocumentWhy is this important: You are recognizing patterns and beginning to document shifting decisions.