⚙️ The At Work Tune Up: Say the hard thing first.

ISSUE #34 | May 4, 2026

Welcome back to the At Work Tune Up, your insider’s playbook with practical, quick, tips on how to keep things happy and healthy at work.

We spend a lot of time at work. We should love what we do.

Quick question to start your week: Is there something your team needs to hear that nobody's saying yet?

Let's talk about that.

This week's tip for your toolbox:

Get better at starting hard conversations.

One of the most common things I see in workshops:

A team that clearly cares about each other
But is holding back an honest conversation
Because no one wants to be that person

Here's the reframe:

Saying something uncomfortable isn't a threat to team trust. It is team trust. It says: I believe in this team enough to be honest with them.

The team that can say the hard thing first moves faster, decides better, and stays healthy longer.

How do you actually do it? Keep reading ⬇️

This week's tune-up:

Admit + Allow.

It's exactly what it sounds like.

Before raising a hard topic, just name what you're doing:

"I know this is uncomfortable, but I want to talk about it anyway."
"I want to raise something we might not love talking about, but I think it matters."
"I have a concern and I'd rather say it than sit on it."

Here's a quick-guide I developed to help with difficult conversations. Take a look and start practicing.

Bonus move this week: When a teammate raises something uncomfortable, say out loud: "I'm glad you said that."

Four words. Huge culture shift.

Try it. Let me know how it goes.

PS – I recently read Traction by Gino Wickman. His “36 hours of pain” rule for addressing issues quickly has been a great nudge for me to step into tough conversations. I’m always glad I did.

If this newsletter resonates with you, here are three more ways I can help:

Follow me on LinkedIn or Instagram for bite-sized tips throughout the week (free).
Work with me for 1:1 executive coaching or strategy consulting. Hit reply and I’ll send you a few questions to see if we’re a fit.
Book me as a retreat facilitator or speaker. I've never met a team that regretted investing in time away from the office to reset. I'd love to work with you. Please reply to this email or email me directly.

I’m a teacher at heart, and love helping people get better at what they do.

Miriam

This email is brought to you by Saddlerock Strategies.

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