Join Brett Harned and Greg Storey from Same Team Partners for a quick weekly check-in, where they check-in, discuss a big design ops topic, and then share what they're listening to, reading, and using, and then end it with a high-five.
The Huddle What’s top of mind for us this week? Honestly… burnout. Between news cycles, messy calendars, and rising stress levels, we’re seeing a lot of leaders in the proverbial burn unit—emotionally fried, physically drained, and still trying to show up with a smile. That came through loud and clear in our last Huddle, where even the head nods felt tired. The Review Hold the weight, not the blame. This week on Same Page, Greg wrote a post called Hold the weight, not the blame.—a callout to leaders who absorb the emotional mess of misalignment, even when it’s not theirs to carry. We’ve both been there: internalizing failures, over-owning dysfunction, and quietly cleaning up after others while pretending it’s just part of the job. But the truth? That guilt doesn’t serve you—or your team. This one’s for everyone trying to lead through hard times with empathy, but forgetting to offer themselves any in return. Also on Same Page this week: Encouraging open dialogue How open dialogue brought one team closer together The Ask Join us for our first-ever live event: The Huddle: Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 12:30–1:00pm ET. Register now—it’s free! The Hit List What we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week: Listening: Giver/Taker by FINNEAS and Kacey Musgraves U2 - UV Achtung Baby Ambient Mixes Writing: Tuned in, worn out We've built a society on bullshit and emojis. Connection isn’t just personal. It’s political. This is your brain on nostalgia. Reading: THE GEN X CAREER MELTDOWN (NYT) The High Five This week’s high five goes to saying the quiet parts out loud—because it’s time for real talk.
The Huddle Brett kicks things off with a (minor!) fender bender and a Lady Gaga-fueled beef with Greg about new music. Then we get into the real talk: Everyone’s in a rough spot—burned out, overworked, and just trying to keep up. The Review Forced efficiency: the myth of cutting your way to greatness Brett breaks down what happens when leaders slash people, processes, and budgets—without a real plan—and still expect things to keep running magically. Inspired by Musk-level mayhem and personal experience, this conversation explores how panic is often disguised as "efficiency." Here’s the truth: You can’t cut your way to greatness. Real efficiency isn’t about trimming fat—it’s about building muscle memory. Spoiler: It’s not pizza or “thoughts and prayers.” It’s presence, purpose, and follow-through. Also on Same Page this week: The hidden cost of missed documentation How documentation became a pillar for team transparency The Ask Join us for our first-ever live event: The Huddle 🗓 Wednesday, April 9, 2025 🕧 12:30–1:00pm ET 🎯 30 minutes of insights, conversation, resource sharing, a few laughs, and a high five to close. Register now The Hit List What we’re reading, writing, watching, and listening to this week: Reading 'Heat' and 'Top Gun' Actor Val Kilmer Dead: Michael Mann, Francis Ford Coppola, and More Pay Tribute How Well-Meaning Systems Stifle Business Growth Listening Romance by Fontaines D.C. Forever is a feeling by Lucy Dacus Writing Eject disk. A manifesto for everyone stuck in the system that keeps crashing you. Watching Severance The High Five To those who are going through it, we see you going to work and dealing with chaos.
The Huddle What’s top of mind this week? Brett’s in presentation mode, while Greg’s prepping for our first Same Team Huddle. One’s on the mic, the other’s setting the stage—both focused on better conversations. The Review: This Week’s Topic Deloitte made it official–Build your own damn culture This week, we unpack Greg’s latest Same Page column, inspired by Deloitte’s 2024 Human Capital Trends report. It challenges the myth that culture should cascade from the top, calling out how rigid systems like SAFe, EOS, and “Agile” often stifle trust and autonomy. Culture doesn’t scale—it fragments. And that’s a good thing. Microcultures drive real engagement and innovation, even if they make execs a little nervous. We explore why top-down culture fails, what default culture looks like, what real leadership requires, and how Teamangle supports culture from the inside out. Also on Same Page this week: Navigating collaborative conflict: how to turn tension into progress Embracing conflict for stronger collaboration The Ask 🚨 If you’re not reading The Field Report, what are you even doing? 🚨 Sign up now at sameteampartners.com/subscribe and get on the ground floor—we’re only a few issues in. The Hit List What we’re reading, listening to, and watching this week: Listening ten days by Fred again.. Yoyaku in-store session with Tomoki Tamura Reading Liminal Thinking by Dave Gray FDA staff left ‘scrambling’ to complete product reviews after DOGE layoffs Watching Payback (1999) The Studio The High Five This week’s high five goes to the culture champions—the folks who actively build, shape, and nurture the teams they’re on. Whether you’re a leader or the new hire with great vibes, culture doesn’t come from the top, it grows from everywhere. Keep planting seeds. High five! That’s it for this week. See you next time!
The Huddle Greg’s busy figuring out how to scale the Teamangle Diagnostic so teams can stop flying blind, while Brett’s out there making connections and bringing new people into the fold. The Review: Leadership advice is broken: it’s not about you, it’s about them. Somewhere along the way, leadership advice got a little too self-centered—confidence, command, control. But great leadership isn’t about the leader; it’s about the team. The conversation hit on something big: leadership needs a perspective shift. It’s not about looking in the mirror and asking, How do I become a great leader?—it’s about looking at your team and asking, What do they need to succeed? We also posted two Teamangle articles on Same Page this week: Why innovation thrives in flexible cultures Why creativity thrives on collaboration The Ask 🚨 If you’re not reading The Field Report, what are you even doing? 🚨 Our weekly newsletter is packed with straight-shooting leadership insights, fresh takes on team dynamics, and the kind of advice that helps—not just corporate fluff. Sign up now and get in on the good stuff. The Hit List Listening: Relationships by HAIM Colors by Beck Reading: Rotman Management Magazine Watching: White Lotus Episode 4 Memes! Thief– Writing: We need better assholes – Greg’s latest piece inspired by John Gruber. The High Five This week’s high five goes to listening to experts—specifically those helping us with marketing! We may resist, we may grumble, but at the end of the day, we’re learning from people who know their stuff. High five to letting go and trusting the process.
The Huddle What’s top of mind for us this week? Expanding our reach. Brett joined The Agile Network as an expert, diving into conversations on Teamangle, communication, collaboration, and digital project management. It’s a whole new audience, and we’re excited to see where it leads. Meanwhile, Greg is celebrating the launch of The Field Report, our new newsletter—and the response has been better than expected! The Review: This Week’s Topic You have 8 seconds—make them count. We’re drowning in information, but attention is in short supply. Studies say our attention spans have dropped from 12 seconds to 8 seconds in just over a decade. Whether that’s accurate or not, one thing is clear: if your team is confused about priorities, direction, or expectations, it’s not their fault—it’s on you. We break down five key questions and discussion that leads to a laugh or two and some insights on what makes Same Team tick. We also published two new Teamangle articles this week: How diversity in planning and teamwork leads to breakthrough success The power of inclusive planning: how to involve diverse perspectives The Ask We launched The Field Report, our new weekly newsletter! If you want real talk on leadership, team dynamics, and communication delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe now at sameteampartners.com/subscribe. The Hit List Listening: MAYHEM by Lady Gaga Superdream by Big Wild Writing: The Hardest Project of My Career (and What It Taught Me) Reading: 5 Pandemic-Era Lessons on Leading Through Drastic Change Watching: French Connection No Way Out The High Five This week’s high five goes to The Field Report! We launched it, people read it, and we only had one broken link (so far).