Selling in a slow market? Yes, that’s still happening, even though our May figures were 27% below the 11 year average for sales volume, in part due to waning investor sentiment. A slow month or not, the usual factors are still very much in play in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge: marriages and divorces, downsizing, moving nearer to family, and of course, climbing the property ladder.

With a balanced 4.0 months of inventory currently available across Waterloo Region, homes are still trading hands every single day and executing a successful sale follows a relatively straightforward path. If you are thinking of selling right now, here is the playbook you need to follow..

Control What You Can (Presentation is Everything)

Sellers, you need to get your property looking as good as you possibly can. In a slow market you’re competing against months of inventory on our local MLS.

Start by getting your home clean and spotless. Fix all those little things that have been on the to-do list for years. In some cases, painting and even relatively low-cost measures like new flooring or fresh landscaping might be necessary. An ideal presentation can require professional staging.

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Once these tasks are checked off you’ll want a very competent AV person to shoot stills and video. I like the camera so I’ll usually include a narrated video with yours truly introducing the property. These days a 3d rendering such as Matterport or iGUIDE is a given for larger or prestigious properties. Drones are great as well, but aren’t quite as important as the other media types.

Price It Right (Data Doesn’t Lie)

Now that your home is shipshape where do you price it? Do you have a price in mind? Is it accurate or way off the mark? Having this conversation with my sellers I really do try be as objective as possible. Data doesn’t really lie, does it? Using it to support a case for a particular price point removes much of the subjective feelings sellers often have about their homes.

One thing I’ve observed over a decade in the business is the fact that over-pricing kills activity quicker than you can blink. Buyers these days are cautious and well informed and have a far bit of selection to choose from. If your agent is good and thinks you should be priced lower that what you’d like he should provide lots of comparables for you to look at to help inform the process.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, your home is a commodity (even though you love it) that will be actively compared with others on the local market. It isn’t personal, it’s just business.

It isn’t rocket science, either. If your home looks average, it will get an average price. And if you over-price you’re dead. But pricing it right, the better you can make your home look relative to its peers, the more money buyers will ultimately be willing to pay you!

Want to know what your home is worth in today’s Waterloo Region market?

Markets change, but strategy wins. Let’s sit down, look at the local data together, and build a plan to get your home sold. Contact me today for a complimentary market evaluation.

The post Selling in a Slow Market? Here’s How to Win in Waterloo Region appeared first on Andrew Shackleton.

A month back, I realized my AI usage was getting out of hand, and that was draining more than just my tokens. After juggling 5 tasks at a time, end of the workday, I would still feel *I* didn’t do anything. Because technically it wasn’t me who was doing the tasks. By outsourcing work, I had lost the ability to track my own progress. I was stuck with one question:

Am I still learning?

AI promised to make me twice as productive. It did. It also made me twice as exhausted. My workplace feels like a simulation. Everyone seems to know about some new AI capability, and it is becoming impossible to catch up. We are constantly chasing the next new AI capability, in the race to become faster and better. Irony is, by using AI, we know everything and nothing at the same time.

I cannot trust any message, email, or document for its authenticity because there’s no way to know whether it’s the expertise of the author or AI — and that scares me and leads me to fact-check everything meticulously because AI gets things “almost right”. It might increase speed, efficiency, and quality, but the mental fatigue has also increased.

The side effects of being “tech savvy” today are not limited to mental exhaustion. Studies indicate that excessive use of AI might result in cognitive atrophy. A study by MIT found that the control group using LLM for a given task had reduced neural connectivity, indicating a decline in learning skills.

Instead of moving towards a utopian tech-savvy world, we’ve entered a dystopian reality where we are racking up cognitive debt — a price we’ll pay tomorrow for the mental shortcuts we take today. I got so used to offloading tasks to AI and having someone just do stuff for me that I am convinced my patience has gone to shit. I am also convinced people using AI will not have the patience to wait in line for 20 mins after the next 20 months.

AI is going to transform our lives and jobs; there’s no running away from it. But we have the control to define its role in our lives. Here’s what I used to prevent cognitive debt from using AI:

If you want to finish a task and just hand it over, you can let AI do the heavy lifting. But if you want to be learning (and growing), you need to draw a line between thinking and implementation. AI can save you time by doing repeated grunt work, and you can use the saved time doing brainstorming, designing, and learning. AI should be a collaborator, not the sole contributor.

When you hand over an entire project to AI, you lose the narrative of your own project. Before you think of a prompt, sketch out your own design, map the milestones, and build a foundational framework. Use AI to execute your vision, not to invent it for you.

Don’t ask AI to build a masterpiece in one giant prompt. It will hallucinate. You will be frustrated. Instead, treat the process as a relay race. Let AI generate a base layer, save the progress, and manually build on top of it. It keeps you actively engaged in the design of the project.

With AI, there’s no natural stopping point. You can always refine one more time, ask one more follow-up, generate one more variation. This open-endedness is another unique brand of mental exhaustion. Tame your inner perfectionist. If an AI output is 80% there, stop prompting. Step in, grab the keyboard, and manually edit the rest to your liking.

My parents figured out college assignments without Google. Future generations won’t be able to imagine life without AI. The transformation is already here, and it’s not waiting for us to catch up. It is up to us how much of ourselves we offload to it.

In the race for efficiency, let’s make sure we don’t automate away our intelligence.

Originally published by author at avgupt.substack.com.

Adulting Era | Avishi | Substack

Productivity Paradox of using AI was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

♦

North York Arts (NYA) is a non-profit, charitable organization created to uplift and expand the arts across all seven wards of North York by investing in artists, inspiring community members, and collaborating with partners and businesses.

For 15 years, NYA has built a strong audience of more than 230,000 attendees and participants to arts events and programs in the region. We serve the broader public with a focus on youth, families, seniors, newcomer communities and Neighbourhood Improvement Areas as well as serving the arts community through local artists and arts organizations.

NYA is one of six Local Arts Service Organizations (LASOs) whose purpose is to deliver on the City of Toronto’s social, economic and cultural goals outside of the downtown core. As such, we collaborate with City Councillors, the Economic Development and Culture division, and various community stakeholders.

New Board members will be supported by current Board members to help ease the transition into this leadership role. Participation on the Board is voluntary and there is no remuneration for service. See below for detailed information on the roles and responsibilities for Board members.

The volunteer Board of Directors provides strategic leadership and governance, establishes policy, oversees the operations and financial performance of NYA and assesses the Board’s own effectiveness.

Our Board members serve on several committees, including Finance & Audit, Fundraising, Nominations & Governance, and Marketing.

The Nominations & Governance Committee is interested in adding three (3) new members for the following commitment:

• Ideally, a minimum of three 1-year terms, with the first term beginning in September 2026.
• Expected to attend 7 Board meetings each year, including the June Annual General Meeting.
• Able to commit the time and resources to serve on the Board and on one Board committee, and to represent NYA as requested.
• Expected time commitment is approx. 3-5 hours per month.

The Nominations & Governance Committee is particularly interested in candidates with the following knowledge and expertise who either live or work in the City of Toronto, ideally in North York:

• Human Resources
• Public relations, media, and communications.
• Arts & Culture sector: management/industry experience / strategic partnerships
• Fundraising and corporate sponsorship.

• Commitment to NYA’s Vision and Values and an appreciation for the arts.
• Personal commitment to devote the time necessary to perform the responsibilities of a Board and Committee member.
• Strong communication and collaborative skills.
• Previous non-profit board experience is an asset.

• Please submit a cover letter and your resume/CV by Sunday, June 21, 2026 to board@northyorkarts.org
• All applicants must submit a cover letter and resume/CV to be considered for the position.

• All cover letters and resume/CV’s will be reviewed by the Nominations & Governance Committee to be selected for an interview.
• The Committee will then make recommendations for each open position to the Board.
• The Board will review the recommendations and then motion for selection.

NYA aligns with the City of Toronto’s commitment to being an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve.

We thank all applicants in advance, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Interviews may be conducted throughout the posting period. However, no offers will be made until after the application deadline.

The post NORTH YORK ARTS appeared first on Capacity Canada.

I mean their names are different but that could be either shame at each other's last name or could they be brothers from a different father? It's very difficult to understand when one is dealing with similar types of ignorant behaviours much less different ones. For example without reference to any evidence whether documentation, examination or cross-examination Justice Reilly in his 86 page decision found all seven of my witnesses to be unreliable and inaccurate on the stand. Justice Craig Parry on the other hand dismissed over fourty witnesses for the prosecution (all women) in the Jeffery Sloka case advising that their testimony was unreliable and sometimes worse. 

Well you have to give the award for brass and nerve and stupidity to Justice Craig Parry I guess. Also in my case Justice Robert Reilly dismissed both men and women whereas Justice Parry was more consistent in his gender dismissals. Oh but maybe that's because he doesn't like examining male genitals as much as he does female ones hence there weren't any male complainants or witnesses to his behaviour. Regardless I accuse Justice Reilly of being a piker and only second best in the stupidity and corruption games played in our courts here in Waterloo Region. Both of them are a#@*holes and who nominates and appoints these @#*holes to judgeships in the first place? It's politicians if you can believe it. No surprise there.

Today's K-W Record article by Luisa D'Amato (Pg. A3) refers to the rally organizer as stating that our justice system is one of the "...broken systems that deny our humanity." Truer words were never spoken. I have long stated that our justice system is tainted, biased and grossly user unfriendly for normal citizens. It is however a playground for the wealthy and entitled to reinforce their positions of wealth and power. It is generally beloved by school boards (WRDSB) and municipalities including Woolwich Township. Those bodies have no qualms about spending money on legal fees to your and my (taxpayers) last nickel.

Let us not also forget how our local courts embraced two of our local politicians after they both were caught in a series of errors, mistakes, on purposes? and behaviour contrary to the provincial legislation known as the Municipal Elections Act (MEA) back in 2015-2017.  In Mark Bauman's case the Motion restoring him to his council seat was given by a local judge "ex parte". Do you know what that means? The MEA ordered his removal from office for failing to file any Financial Reports after the 2014 municipal election much less about three elections prior to that. "Ex parte" means without any other party which means yours truly the complainant was not even advised by the courts or anyone that Mark was attending court to get his council seat back. As Rich Clausi later suggested, in sports, that would be akin to throwing the game by having the opposing team not allowed to attend the proceedings. Mayor Shantz also got off after among other tricks misstating to the Judge the timing of giving her "updated" Financial Report to me and some others.  I too was the complainant on that case. Her lawyer even threatened me prior to court that if I attended he would bring up the earlier Justice Robert Reilly decision against me. I attended on my own time and had to ask for permission to speak against Ms. Shantz's position which was grudgingly at best permitted albeit to no avail. Apparently, surprise surprise, sitting politicians (similar to police officers) are given huge leeway and the benefit of the doubt as a matter of course. Oh and her lawyer besides had actually tried to bluff and intimidate me to not attend court and give testimony. While I find that grossly unethical behaviour I don't know if it's illegal.    

Musy, S. L., Purtschert, R., Sturchio, N. C., Heraty, L. J., Mueller, P., Lantis, J., Bishof, M. N., Vockenhuber, C., Date, A., Mayer, B., & Yokochi, R. (2026). Diffusion-Controlled Solute and Isotope Transport in the Milk River Aquifer System, Alberta, Canada: Implications for Dating Old Groundwater. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 10(5), 1291–1309. doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00397

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

“Numerical simulations implemented in HydroGeoSphere explicitly represent advection, dispersion, diffusion, and radioactive decay, and explore parameter uncertainty through Monte Carlo analyses. Comparison of observed and simulated tracer–tracer and tracer–distance relationships allows us to quantify diffusion-induced dilution of ³⁶Cl, evaluate the potential bias in ⁸¹Kr-derived residence times, and delineate the conditions under which each tracer yields robust age information. This combined observational–modeling framework enables us to (i) quantify diffusion-controlled solute exchange, (ii) reassess long-standing interpretations of ³⁶Cl systematics in the Milk River Aquifer, and (iii) evaluate the robustness of ⁸¹Kr as a chronometer for very old groundwater in regional aquifers affected by long-term diffusive exchange.”

Abstract Image.

We’re pleased to highlight this recent publication by Stephanie L. Musy and colleagues, which investigates how diffusion-controlled solute transport influences groundwater age interpretations in the Milk River Aquifer (MRA), a transboundary aquifer system spanning southern Alberta and northern Montana. The study combines multiple environmental tracers, including krypton-81 (⁸¹Kr), chlorine-36 (³⁶Cl), stable chlorine isotopes (³⁷Cl/³⁵Cl), and radiocarbon (¹⁴C), with HydroGeoSphere (HGS) simulations to better understand groundwater residence times and the processes controlling tracer distributions in old groundwater systems.

Determining the age of fossil groundwater is critical for managing non-renewable groundwater resources, particularly in semi-arid regions where recharge rates are low and groundwater withdrawals often exceed replenishment. Historically, groundwater age estimates in the Milk River Aquifer have relied heavily on chlorine-36 (³⁶Cl), but previous studies suggested that diffusion of chloride from surrounding shale aquitards may significantly influence tracer concentrations and bias age interpretations. While isotope measurements alone provided evidence of this process, a quantitative assessment of diffusion-controlled transport and its impact on groundwater dating remained unresolved.

To address these challenges, the researchers developed a two-dimensional HydroGeoSphere (HGS) model capable of simulating groundwater flow, advection, dispersion, diffusion, radioactive decay, and isotope transport within the aquifer–aquitard system. The model incorporated newly collected isotope data and was used to evaluate how diffusive exchange between the aquifer and surrounding shale formations affects tracer behavior over timescales approaching one million years. Monte Carlo simulations were also performed to assess uncertainty and identify the most influential transport processes controlling groundwater age estimates.

Results demonstrated that chloride-rich water diffusing from adjacent shale aquitards is the dominant control on observed ³⁶Cl/³⁵Cl ratios throughout the aquifer. The simulations successfully reproduced the measured decline in ³⁶Cl/³⁵Cl ratios and the corresponding increase in stable chlorine isotope values (δ³⁷Cl) along regional groundwater flow paths. Importantly, the study found that most of the apparent age signal recorded by chlorine-36 reflects chloride addition through diffusion rather than radioactive decay. As a result, groundwater ages derived solely from ³⁶Cl may significantly overestimate actual residence times in systems affected by long-term aquitard exchange.

Fig. 6. Comparison of modeled and observed ³⁶Cl/Cl and ⁸¹Kr behavior in (a) activity–activity space and (b) apparent piston-flow age–age space. Observations include propagated analytical uncertainties. The blue dashed line represents the piston-flow reference corresponding to the diffusion-free simulation. The black dot-dashed line shows the extended model trend derived from the HGS ensemble simulations. In panel a, the ensemble mean relationship was extrapolated to lower activities using a log–log linear regression fitted to the simulated tracer activities. In panel b, a generalized additive model fitted in log–log space was used to represent the nonlinear relationship between apparent ages, and the resulting trend was converted to apparent ages using isotope-specific decay equations.

In contrast, krypton-81 (⁸¹1Kr) proved far less sensitive to diffusion-controlled transport processes. HydroGeoSphere simulations showed that while diffusion contributed substantially to changes in chlorine isotope systematics, its effect on⁸¹Kr concentrations was comparatively minor. This finding confirms that ⁸¹Kr provides a more robust and reliable tracer for dating fossil groundwater in the Milk River Aquifer and similar sedimentary basin systems where aquifer–aquitard exchange occurs over geological timescales.

HydroGeoSphere was essential to this research because it enabled the explicit simulation of coupled groundwater flow and isotope transport processes, including advection, diffusion, dispersion, and radioactive decay within a fully integrated framework. By linking field observations with process-based numerical modeling, the researchers were able to quantify the role of matrix diffusion, reconcile long-standing discrepancies between tracer-based and hydraulic age estimates, and improve understanding of groundwater evolution in one of North America’s most important fossil groundwater resources.

This work highlights the importance of integrated hydrologic and transport modeling when interpreting environmental tracer data and demonstrates how HydroGeoSphere can help improve groundwater age assessments in complex aquifer systems. The findings provide valuable guidance for managing long-lived groundwater resources and support the development of more reliable approaches for evaluating groundwater sustainability in sedimentary basins worldwide.

Abstract:

Krypton-81 (⁸¹Kr) and chlorine-36 (³⁶Cl) are among the few isotopic tracers capable of constraining groundwater residence times on 10⁵–10⁶ year timescales. In sedimentary aquifer systems bounded by low-permeability units, however, diffusive solute exchange can strongly modify tracer distributions and bias apparent ages derived from concentration ratios. In the transboundary Milk River Aquifer (MRA), progressive chloride enrichment caused by diffusion across shale aquitards complicates the interpretation of ³⁶Cl/Cl as a chronometer. Here, we combine new measurements of ⁸¹Kr, ³⁶Cl, stable chlorine isotopes (³⁷Cl/³⁵Cl)), and ¹⁴C with advection–diffusion transport modeling to quantify the importance of matrix diffusion on tracer systematics and inferred groundwater ages. The simulations reproduce the observed decrease in ³⁶Cl/Cl and concomitant increase in δ³⁷Cl along regional flow paths, demonstrating that diffusive influx of Cl-rich aquitard water dominates the evolution of the chlorine isotope system. In contrast, modeled and observed ⁸¹Kr activities show substantially lower sensitivity to diffusive exchange over the timescales considered. A comparison of simulated and measured tracer relationships indicates that, in the MRA, apparent ages derived from ³⁶Cl primarily reflect chloride addition rather than radioactive decay, whereas ⁸¹Kr provides a more robust and conservative chronometer for fossil groundwater. These results highlight the value of integrating stable and radioactive chlorine isotopes with noble gas dating and explicit transport modeling to disentangle decay from transport effects. The approach developed here provides a quantitative framework for interpreting multitracer data sets in regional aquifers affected by long-term diffusive exchange and has broader implications for assessing fossil groundwater resources in similar hydrogeological settings.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

On the third week of my internship, I noticed something strange.

Every morning, one intern from our batch was already online before everyone else.

By late evening, he was still active.

Whenever a manager asked for help, he immediately volunteered.

Whenever a teammate mentioned a problem, he jumped into the discussion.

His Slack status almost never turned idle.

At first, everyone admired him.

“He’s very dedicated.”

“Very proactive.”

“Very hardworking.”

And honestly, many of us felt pressured because of him.

Slowly, an invisible competition started among interns.

People began replying faster than necessary.

Some stayed online late just to appear committed.

Others started taking extra tasks even when their original work was unfinished.

Nobody said it openly, but everyone was trying to look valuable.

Including me.

One night, around 11:30 PM, I was still debugging a small issue that probably could have waited until morning.

I remember staring at the screen, exhausted but unwilling to stop.

Not because the work was urgent.

Not because anyone forced me.

But because I thought:

“If people see me working late, they will think I care more.”

That mindset quietly spreads among many early engineers.

Especially during internships.

Because internships feel like extended interviews.

Every meeting feels important.

Every message feels observable.

Every interaction feels like it might influence your future.

So interns start optimizing for visibility instead of sustainability.

They confuse:

• being constantly available with being dependable,
• looking stressed with being committed,
• and overworking with ownership.

But after a few weeks, reality started becoming visible.

The intern who worked the longest hours began missing details in tasks.

Another intern became unusually quiet during discussions because of exhaustion.

One person stopped asking questions entirely because they were mentally drained.

And interestingly, the interns most appreciated by managers were not the ones trying to look the busiest.

They were the ones who:

• communicated clearly,
• delivered consistently,
• stayed calm under pressure,
• and worked sustainably without creating chaos around themselves.

That was the first time many of us understood something important about corporate life:

Professional value is not measured by how exhausted you look.

It is measured by how reliable you remain over time.

If you are an intern or early-career engineer, remember this:

Every senior you admire today was once in your situation. He grew because he could manage his energy and time efficiently. Burnout is not proof of dedication. Sustainable reliability matters far more in the workplace.

If this article felt relatable, share it with someone entering corporate life for the first time.

And follow the ENGINEERING BEYOND CODE series for more lessons that engineering colleges rarely prepare you for.

The Silent Pressure of Looking “Smart” In Meetings

what-shocked-me-most-during-my-first-internship

why-some-interns-get-trusted-faster-than-others

5 reasons Why Interns Should Not Overwork Themselves To Impress Everyone was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Moon-Sighting Committee of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America has announced that Tuesday, June 16, 2026, marks the first day of Muharram 1448 A.H. for all of North America. This follows verified naked-eye sightings of the crescent moon at sunset on Monday, June 15.

Key dates for this month include:

• June 17 (2 Muharram): Arrival of Imam Hussain (p) in Karbala.
• June 22 (7 Muharram): Water is cut off from Imam Hussain (p) and his companions.
• June 25 (10 Muharram): Day of Ashura.
• June 28 (13 Muharram): Burial of the martyrs of Karbala.
• July 10 (25 Muharram): Martyrdom of Imam Ali ibn Hussain (al-Sajjad) (p).

A terminal workspace with batteries included

Rust 33.7k 40 issues need help Updated Jun 16

That said let's not fool ourselves. The Doug Ford Conservative government has a proven track record of first class environmental degradation, exploitation and contempt all in favour of monied elites including developers and big money donors to the Conservative Party of Ontario. While there have been a number of "last straws" I guess the latest news in Saturday's K-W Record titled ""Fresh look " at water capacity required in Waterloo Region, province says" written by Bill Jackson has got my goat.

I believe that the province of Ontario should have long ago taken over the operation of the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) due to their long standing dishonesty to the public, incompetence, pettiness and corruption. Waterloo Region however have thrived generally speaking in the public's opinion because they are better at indoctrination and propaganda, not so much due to their actions. Generally they have proven better at selling bull*%it to the public than the WRDSB has. Also there have always been a few school Board trustees willing to speak out publicly whereas regional councillors generally have either been cowed or are fellow travellors with the majority. I do believe that there are some very good staff at the Region just as there are some very good teachers within the WRDSB. Unfortunately neither of those groups runs the show nor will ever be promoted to positions to do so. Corrupt organizations are very careful to promote their own like minded poofs.  

Regional councillor Mike Harris gives every indication of the worst attributes of a Conservative. It's all about benefiting the already wealthy at the expense of everyone and everything else.  Hard to believe that a true believer like himself was treated so shabbily years ago by the provincial Conservatives just in order to give a job to a procreating putz like Mike Harris Jr. Regardless regional councillor Mr. Harris wants to reduce the water supply resiliency factor from 20% to 10%. Of course he does so that local developers and builders can continue making obscene profits. Employment for the trades workers while an admirable goal is merely one of their excuses to hide behind. Meanwhile the Region (Ken Brothers)  have pompously advised the public that "The interim framework is a flexible, five year, risk-based approach ...and replaces the 20 per cent resiliency target, which could be as low as 12 per cent while system repairs and upgrades are underway, the region said."

Meanwhile staff advised that the new "framework" doesn't align with Mr. Harris's proposed resiliency target of 10 per cent. Wow talk about nit picking, rolling over while still pretending that the Region are making sure that there is enough water for the rest of us who have kept the Region financially afloat for many decades through our taxes. Just too bad if we, the vast majority of citizens run out of water as long as the big shot developers and builders continue to get richer. This decision is NOT in the public interest it is doing what both the Region and the province want which is to enrichen local, private interests who will continue to financially support Conservative politicians and ideology. 

What is 1-on-1 meetings?

They are designated conversations for managers to connect with their direct reports about their workloads, priorities, goals, challenges, feedback, and more. In general, these meetings occur every monthly/quartely or on a predictable schedule. It includes you and the manager, remotely or in person. It's typically informal, often overlooked, and underestimated.

For the first few years of my career, I treated my 1:1 like a second standup. I’d walk in with a list of what I shipped, recite it, answer “anything blocking you?” with a reflexive “nope,” and walk out feeling productive. Thirty minutes, gone. My manager felt informed, I felt diligent, and nothing of value ever changed.

It took me too long to see the obvious: the 1:1 is the only meeting on my calendar that’s actually about me, and I was using it to read out a list a Jira board could have shown faster.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you — what you should talk about in a 1:1 changes completely depending on where you are in your career. The questions that make a Junior look thoughtful make a Staff engineer look lost, and vice versa. So this is the IC track, level by level: what’s worth your 1 hour, and what’s quietly wasting them.

Your 1:1 is for: figuring out what you don’t know .

You’re new. The biggest risk to your growth isn’t that you’ll make mistakes — it’s that you’ll hide the things you’re confused about because you don’t want to look like you don’t belong. The 1:1 is the one private channel built for exactly that.

What to discuss:

• The blocker you’ve been too embarrassed to raise in standup. That bug you’ve quietly lost two days to — say it here. Your manager would rather spend ten minutes unsticking you than find out on Friday that the week vanished.
• The missing “why.” “I finished the ticket, but I don’t actually understand why we’re building this.” That’s not a dumb question — it’s the question that makes you faster at everything afterward.
• Patterns in your code review feedback. If you keep getting the same notes — write tests, smaller functions, clearer names — ask about the underlying pattern, not just the one comment. Fix the cause, not the symptom.
• An honest read on expectations. “Am I roughly where I should be at this point?” Most managers won’t volunteer it. Ask.

What to avoid:

• Don’t fake things or propose ideas without proper analysis.
• Don’t go looking for problems in your team or team members — if something is affecting your work, help your manager understand the situation and work toward a resolution, not a blame game.
• Don’t ask for a promotion you’re not ready for.
• Don’t pretend everything is fine when it isn’t — “all is well” is not a status update.

Don’t walk out of 1:1 without a clear understanding where your focus should be on next few months, pitch in the ideas you would be working. Give confidence to the manager that you are valuable resource to the team. The efforts you put in first few years would definitely shape your career and manager would be able to guide you on what your thinking and not what he wants you do it.

Your 1:1 is for: proving you can own things, not just complete them.

The idea here is to build trust with the manager that you ship features end-to-end and not just finish up some tasks and bring design/ideas to the team.

What to discuss:

• A direct ask for ownership. “I want to take the next feature start to finish. What would you need to see from me to be comfortable handing that over?”
• Cross-team friction. You’re starting to depend on other teams now. When one is blocking or ghosting you, surface it — your manager can often move things you can’t.
• Decisions you’re unsure about. “I’m leaning toward approach A over B. Can I walk you through it?” This sharpens your judgment and builds your manager’s trust in it at the same time.
• Visibility. Good work delivered, but it hasn’t come to anyone’s notice, which will not help you move your career ladder. If you shipped something that mattered, talk about how to make it seen — through demos, internal articles/documentation, etc.

What to avoid:

• Saying the same things you told in stand-ups.
• Waiting for opportunities to be handed to you.
• Avoiding the awkward conversations about slipping timelines.
• Don’t get too technical.

This is the level where you are not fresher nor senior but you believe in your potential and help the team grow along with you.

Your 1:1 is for: Impact beyond your team.

By now, you should be unblocking yourself. So the 1:1 stops being about your tasks and becomes about alignment, visibility, and the things you can see that your manager can’t.

What to discuss:

• Team-health signals. “Frequent build breakages are becoming a source of frustration for the Dev team and may be worth addressing.” You’re closer to the ground than your manager — you’re their early warning system.
• Technical-direction concerns, with a proposal attached. If you think the architecture is not good, raise it — not as a complaint, but as “here’s the risk, here’s what I’d do about it.” Framing the difference sets you apart from Juniors.
• Your path to Staff. “What would it actually take?” is a fair question now. If the answer is vague, that’s information too.
• Cross-functional relationships and what’s coming. How aligned are you with product and design? And ask about reorganization, staffing, or strategy shifts that’ll hit your work — you’ve earned the heads-up.

What to avoid:

• Overcommitting and having burn out later.
• Asking permission to do things you were assigned to do.
• Don’t get into technical implementation details.

At senior, you own certain high level responsibilities in the team, ownership of team and helping team members when they are stuck/unavailable to progress due to blockers.

Your 1:1 is for: Alignment on strategies and organizational influence.

Your scope isn’t a team anymore — it’s multiple teams, or the whole org. It will b driving changes and ensuring you are in right direction.

What to discuss:

• Organization alignment. “Based on what I have noticed in teams, I think we should prioritize X over Y — does that match where the company’s goals are heading?”
• Organizational hurdles. At this level, your blockers are political, resourcing, or misaligned incentives far more than they are code. Discuss it, as it won’t resolve itself.
• Your own influence effectiveness. “I’ve been advocating for this architectural change for three months, but it hasn’t gained traction. What might I be overlooking?” Sometimes it’s team dynamics, or it’s how you’re communicating things. Either way, you need to know.
• Engineering culture and succession. Beyond project delivery, highlight how you’re shaping engineering culture through hiring standards, code review practices, documentation quality, and technical leadership. Be prepared to discuss what’s working well and, importantly, who is growing into Staff-level responsibilities under your mentorship. If you remain the sole point of expertise in a critical area with no clear successor developing behind you, that’s an organizational risk that should be acknowledged and addressed rather than overlooked.

What to avoid:

• Waiting to be told what matters because you’re supposed to drive that change
• Individual technical directions that don’t align with organisation goals

At the Staff+ level, your impact is measured by how much you enable others to succeed. If your 1:1s focus only on your own work, you’re missing a key part of the role — mentoring, influencing, and creating leverage across the organization.

You’re now running 1:1s for your team, but you still need one with your own manager.

What to discuss:

• People problems: underperformance, interpersonal friction, quiet flight risks. This is easily half the job. Walk through your thinking before things escalate. Your manager has seen these patterns before; use that.
• Execution risks: Is everything on track? Try “we’re technically on schedule, but I’m worried about X.” Surface risk early enough to do something about it.
• Cross-team blockers: Some friction can’t be resolved at your level. If another team is slowing you down, or there’s organizational drag you can’t cut through, that’s what your manager is there for.
• Your own development: First-time managers: ask for feedback on your management, not just your output. “What could I have done differently in how I handled X?” You’re learning a new skill — treat it seriously.
• Organizational context: Budget shifts, strategy changes, headcount decisions — you need enough visibility to plan effectively. Ask for it.

What to avoid:

• Walking through every team issue in exhausting detail. Summarize, then go deep where it matters.
• Waiting until a problem is a full-blown crisis before mentioning it.
• Performing composure you don’t actually have.
• A common mistake new managers make is spending most of their upward 1:1 discussing challenges and frustrations. While it’s important to raise concerns, if that’s the focus of every meeting, you’re missing opportunities for growth. Come prepared with specific asks, seek guidance, and use the conversation to drive outcomes — not just surface problems.

And this is how we need to help Juniors, Mid-level, and with Seniors Engineers when they reach out to you.

With Junior engineers:

• Look beyond a simple “Any blockers?” question. Junior engineers often hesitate to raise challenges, so they focus on understanding their recent work and where progress became difficult.
• Measure growth, not just output. Completing tasks is important, but continuous learning and skill development are what drive long-term success.
• Ensure they understand the bigger picture. If they can’t explain the purpose or impact of their work, they likely need more context about how it connects to team and business goals.

With Mid-level engineers

• With mid-level engineers, focus on whether they’re ready to take on more ownership — and if not, what’s holding them back, whether it’s confidence, comfort zones, or unclear expectations.
• Pay attention to how they manage cross-team interactions, since organizational friction often appears at this stage but isn’t always raised proactively.
• Look for signs they’re starting to mentor others; if not, it’s a good point to encourage them to begin.

With Senior engineers:

• What are they noticing that you might be missing? Senior engineers are often closest to the ground reality, so it helps to ask about team morale and hidden technical debt or concerns.
• Are they operating sustainably? Seniors frequently take on disproportionate responsibility, so it’s important to check for burnout and whether their workload is manageable long-term.
• What are their next career aspirations — Staff, management, or deeper technical specialization? If it’s unclear, make it a direct conversation topic.

With Staff engineers:
Are their initiatives actually landing? Staff engineers can get stuck when their influence doesn’t translate into real execution — help them understand what’s blocking impact.

• Are they still close to the work? It’s easy to drift into only high-level design, so ensure they remain connected to delivery, not just guidance.
• Are they actively developing others? If they remain the sole expert without transferring knowledge, it creates a long-term dependency risk.

Your 1:1 with your manager: Org strategy, not execution details

You’re managing managers now. Your scope is the whole department. Your 1:1 with your manager should reflect that — it’s about org design, strategic alignment, and making sure your leadership layer is actually working.

What to discuss:

• Maintain a clear view of organizational health by identifying struggling teams, leadership gaps, and emerging risks before they become visible problems.
• Discuss resource allocation in terms of tradeoffs and recommendations. Frame challenges with potential solutions rather than simply highlighting constraints.
• Focus on leadership development by identifying who is ready for greater responsibility, who needs support to grow, and whether there is a strong succession pipeline in place.
• Surface areas of strategic misalignment, especially when teams, functions, or leadership groups are working toward conflicting priorities.
• Actively seek feedback on your own effectiveness. As you move higher in the organization, candid feedback becomes less frequent, making it important to ask directly for perspectives you may be missing.

What to avoid:

• Getting pulled into details that should be owned by your managers; focus on enabling them rather than doing the work for them.
• Don’t postpone difficult conversations about team structure, organizational changes, or leadership challenges that need attention.
• Recognize and navigate organizational dynamics instead of pretending they don’t exist; influence is part of the role.
• Be intentional with your 1:1s. As leaders become more senior, there’s often an assumption that someone else will drive the conversation. In practice, the higher you go, the more ownership you should take in shaping the agenda and ensuring the most important topics are discussed.

What to check with your managers who report to you
What to explore with your managers

• Look beyond high-level team health updates. Use skip-level conversations to validate your understanding and identify gaps between what individual contributors experience and what is being reported.
• Discuss specific team members and their growth. Asking about individuals by name often leads to more concrete insights about performance, development, and future potential.
• Understand retention risks. Encourage managers to share their perspective on who may be disengaged or considering a move, so potential issues can be addressed proactively rather than reactively.

Delivery status

• Go beyond status updates and actively uncover risks. Ask what concerns haven’t been raised yet and where confidence may be lower than it appears.
• Challenge optimistic timelines by exploring potential failure modes and assumptions. Strong plans should be able to withstand scrutiny and risk analysis.
• Pay close attention to cross-team dependencies. Delays and execution issues often originate from factors outside a team’s direct control, making them important to identify and manage early.

With managers:

• Ask what insights they are gaining about their team. Effective managers should be able to articulate what they are learning about individual growth, team dynamics, and emerging challenges.
• Assess how well they are delegating. New managers often take on too much themselves instead of empowering others and distributing ownership.
• Understand how they handle difficult conversations, including performance concerns, missed expectations, and constructive feedback. Avoidance in these areas is often a key coaching opportunity.
• What cross-team friction are they picking up? They’re closer to day-to-day reality than you are. Get their unfiltered read.
• What would they change if it were up to them? This often surfaces real frustrations — and occasionally, genuinely good ideas.
• Who’s ready for more? Ask specifically who on their team is ready to be stretched, who’s close to promotion, and who needs a new challenge. If they can’t answer, talent development isn’t actually happening.

• Come prepared with topics to discuss rather than relying on spontaneous conversation.
• Take ownership of the agenda; if your manager always drives it, you’re being passive about your own growth.
• Be honest about challenges, concerns, and opportunities — issues can’t be addressed if they aren’t surfaced.
• Follow up on previous discussions and action items to maintain momentum and accountability.
• Respect the time; if there’s genuinely nothing meaningful to discuss, give the time back rather than forcing the conversation.

These habits have definitely helped my 1:1 with my manager better. Whenever something noteworthy happens — a challenge, a success, a concern, or a decision I’m unsure about — take a note of it.
The most valuable 1:1s feel like collaborative problem-solving, focused on what matters most at that stage of your career.
The least effective ones are filled with vague updates and missed opportunities to discuss issues that later become bigger problems.

You get out of a 1:1 what you put into it. Bring a meaningful topic, ask a question you’ve been avoiding, or share something that genuinely matters. Since the time is already on the calendar, make it count.

Thank you for reading this article. Please provide your valuable suggestions/ feedback.

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Please find my other helpful articles on Java Developer interview questions.

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Dear Readers, these are the commonly asked Java programs to check your ability in writing the logic.

SpringBoot Interview Questions | Medium

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Complete Guide to Effective 1:1 Meetings was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

During a recent interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker, President Trump referred to her as “darling” after she challenged him on election fraud claims. BBC News

Darling.

While this example comes from politics, similar language shows up in workplaces all too often.

In We Need to Talk About Using Pet Names for Women at Work, Amy Diehl, PhD, and Leanne Dzubinski, PhD, explain that pet names like “darling,” “sweetheart,” “honey,” and “dear” aren’t cute or funny. They’re unprofessional and often sexist.

More importantly, they can undermine a woman’s credibility and authority. As one mathematician whose male bosses refer to her as “sweetie” and “honey” commented,

“It’s like they are intimidated by my abilities and so to put me in my place they need to use demoralizing pet names to make me seem not as competent.”

Instead of pet names, let’s just use someone’s actual name. It’s a simple way to show respect and reinforce that everyone belongs.

Share on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

Some employees know exactly what it takes to get promoted, while others are left trying to decode the process.

And research suggests that transparency matters.

In Coqual’s report, Being Black in Corporate America: An Intersectional Exploration, researchers found that when organizations are transparent about promotions, Black women are more than three times as likely to report satisfaction with their advancement and intend to stay.

In a related study, researchers at Harvard Business School (HBS) found that when women received clear information about the qualifications needed for a role, the share of women who applied jumped from 6% to 29%.

As Siri Chilazi explained:

“People with less access to informal networks, fewer mentors in senior roles, and less visibility into how decisions get made tend to underestimate what they’ve already accomplished, and overestimate what’s still required. So they wait, or they don’t put their hand up at all.”

As a result, many qualified people never put themselves forward.

If your organization isn’t already telling employees what the bar is for promotions, consider what you can do to change that. Document the requirements, timelines, expectations, and responsibilities for each level.

Willie King, who is a deaf person, wrote about his experience at a large home improvement store when everyone suddenly stopped moving. He didn’t know why, so he kept walking.

Later, he learned that the store pauses at 3pm on Memorial Day for a nationwide moment of silence to honor fallen service members. Had he known, he would have stopped, too. But because the announcement was made only over the speakers, he never received the message.

As my friend Meryl Evans commented, a best practice is always to have at least two ways to communicate information.

In a public setting, that might mean:

• Dimming the lights before an announcement.
• Posting signage near entrances.
• Displaying messages on screens.

Online, it could mean:

• Adding alt text to images.
• Including captions and transcripts for videos.
• Sharing key information in both visual and written formats.

Whenever possible, communicate important information in at least two ways. More people will receive the message — and feel included as a result.

With Juneteenth approaching, I’m reminded of a correction I received from newsletter subscribers a few years ago.

I had written about the holiday and used the word slaves.

Several readers reached out to suggest a different term: enslaved people.

Their reasoning stuck with me. By using enslaved people, we put more of an emphasis on what was done to them, separating their circumstances from their identity.

I’ve used enslaved people ever since.

I’m grateful to those subscribers for taking the time to share this feedback. It’s a reminder that language evolves, and that being a better ally often means being willing to learn, adjust, and do better when we know better.

If you’d like to learn more about this terminology, check out Slave or Enslaved Person.

Newsletter subscriber Dave Buchthal told me about a conversation sparked by an article about gender bias where people rated identical résumés, with only the name changed. Some had Emily Clarke, others had James Clarke.

One of Buchthal’s male coworkers immediately searched for flaws in the research, dismissing its validity without even reading about the study.

Buchthal noticed how easy it can be to become defensive when discrimination is discussed, especially if we identify with the “in-group.” He wrote,

“For me, the lesson is clear — if my first reaction to reading a news story is to poke holes in the details, it’s time to stop and reflect on why I’m being so reactive. And if I start thinking that I’m smarter than someone without even reading their research, then perhaps I need to sit quietly on that until I can better manage my own emotional reactions.”

Thank you 🙏.

That’s all for this week. I’m glad you’re on this journey with me,

Karen Catlin (she/her), Author of the Better Allies® book series

Copyright © 2026 Karen Catlin. All rights reserved.

Together, we can make a difference with the Better Allies® approach.

• Say thanks to Karen and buy her a coffee ☕ (Need a receipt for educational reimbursement? Reply to this email, and we’ll take care of it.)
• Sponsor an edition of this newsletter
• Follow @BetterAllies on Instagram, Medium, or YouTube. Or follow Karen Catlin on LinkedIn
• Read the Better Allies books
• Tell someone about these resources

Don’t Use Pet Names for Women at Work, and Other Actions for Allies was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

♦

GUELPH - The Panthers have yet to taste victory in the month of June.

The sixth straight defeat was a close battle, losing in Guelph 7-6 Saturday afternoon on a day where Kitchener had a three-run lead.

Down 3-0, Josh Williams hit a home run that bounced off the top of the left field fence and out to give Kitchener some life in the fifth. 

Petey Kiefer hit an RBI single to tie it later in the inning.

The hits continued into the seventh, as the Panthers tacked on three more runs.

In that inning, the Panthers were credited with seven stolen bases, including some double steals that helped them score a couple runs.

But the newest Panther Ernesto Punales had a debut to forget as he gave up four runs in the seventh that put Guelph over the top for good.

Owen MacNeil went four innings in the start and registered the no decision. He gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits, struck out seven and walked four.

Andrew Case was credited with the win, going 1.2 innings and gave up one hit.

Kitchener drops to 5-9 on the year, while Guelph improves to 6-6.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Kitchener Sunday at 2 p.m., but there is some threatening weather moving in. Keep an eye on Kitchener's social media for the latest on the status of Sunday's game.

After Sunday, Kitchener hosts Brantford on Thursday at 7:05 p.m.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW and #PackTheJack!

Yesterday and today I've sent two e-mails out to a variety of twits, twats, shits and shats. I have mostly avoided calling them by those names out of an overabundance of the milk of human kindness. It's really not that hard to do but the practice is not a good one to rely on. I don't refer to people as I have in the first sentence just because they have an honest disagreement with me regarding the facts. It's those #$%*&^ who know perfectly well what the facts are but insist upon denying them not to persuade myself but others less informed. 

Sebastian has been trying to get some misconceptions, misrepresentations and logical inconsistencies straightened out at TRAC. His concerns and points are well thought out and appropriate and need to be more seriously addressed than past ones have been. Hence my response sent to a couple of Lanxess and TRAC spokespersons plus others. My response opens a can of worms that Lanxess and predecessor companies have long avoided. They include dissolved chlorobenzene in the Bedrock Aquifer alongside admitted NDMA . They also include free phase DNAPL in the Bedrock Aquifer whether chlorobenzene or other chlorinated solvents or compounds such as DDT and dioxins/Furans. 

All the guilty parties have known bad news about our various aquifers for decades that they have not shared with the public. I believe that if the true extent of the contamination had been honestly communicated that the second class cleanup by Uniroyal Chemical and successors would never have been allowed or permitted. Plain, old fashioned lying has been the rule for decades and we are now seeing the results of that. Uniroyal Chemical and Crompton, Chemtura and Lanxess have all knowingly misinformed the public as to the known facts. First they obliterated our drinking water then they lied to us repeatedly about it.    

♦

KITCHENER - Nothing went right for the Kitchener Panthers.

On a rare Friday night home game, Kitchener gave up 13 runs on 18 hits as the Maple Leafs rolled to a 13-4 win at Jack Couch Park.

Both marks were season highs for Toronto, who scored in seven of the nine innings.

Kitchener could not get out of the gate against Nick Veselinovic, who gave up four hits and two runs in six innings for the win. He struck out five and walked three.

The Panthers had base runners in most innings, but Toronto shut them down.

Malik Williams hit a two-run moonshot in the seventh to give Kitchener some life, but the game was already well in hand.

Evan Elliott surrendered seven runs on 12 hits in four innings and took the loss.

Kitchener has now lost five straight and dropped to 5-8 on the season. Toronto improved to 3-7.

The Panthers will look to right the ship in a home-and-home weekend series with Guelph.

The two meet at Hastings Stadium Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. before heading to Kitchener for a Sunday afternoon showdown at 2 p.m.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW and #PackTheJack!

Child Care Now, Canada’s national child care advocacy association, is seeking a dynamic and experienced Executive Director (ED) to lead the organization in its next phase of growth and impact on the development of a publicly funded and managed universal and primarily not-for-profit system of child care in Canada.

Reporting to and working closely with a volunteer Board of Directors elected from across Canada, the ED is responsible for the overall leadership, strategic direction, and management of the organization. The ED serves as the primary spokesperson for Child Care Now and plays a central role in advancing its mission through effective advocacy, fundraising, coalition-building, and active ongoing engagement with the child care sector, policy-makers, and the public.

It is preferred that the Executive Director live in or close to Ottawa, Ontario.

The annual salary range is $110,000 – $120,000.

Child Care Now strives to be a family-friendly organization by providing:

• Flexible work schedule (to be determined in consultation with the Board of Directors),
• Telework support,
• An employer-paid single or family extended benefit plan,
• Generous family leave, vacation entitlements, and other time off.

The Hiring Committee welcomes applicants who may wish to assume this role on a term or contract basis for at least two years.

Expected start date by September 30, 2026 (ideally by September 15, 2026)

Founded in 1982, Child Care Now is Canada’s non-partisan national child care advocacy association. As a membership-based organization of individuals and organizations across the country, Child Care Now leads and coordinates pan-Canadian advocacy for a publicly funded and publicly managed, high-quality, universally accessible, not-for-profit system of early learning and child care for children from birth to age 12. Working in partnership with the many actors in Canada’s child care sector and with a broad cross-section of allied organizations, Child Care Now advances public policy solutions that strengthen families, promote gender equity, and build inclusive communities.

• Design and execute national advocacy strategies to advance a universal child care system
• Build and maintain strong relationships with federal, provincial, and territorial governments
• Advance strategic policy proposals and represent the organization in high-level policy discussions

• Serve as the public spokesperson for the organization
• Lead media relations, public communications, and messaging strategies
• Represent Child Care Now at conferences, events, and in national forums

• Lead fundraising strategies, including grants, partnerships, and donor development
• Ensure financial sustainability and responsible resource management

• Strengthen and expand a diverse and broad coalition of supporters
• Engage and grow the organization’s membership base
• Foster strong relationships with partner organizations and stakeholders

• Lead the development and implementation of organizational strategic plans
• Ensure strong governance practices in collaboration with the Board of Directors
• Ensure compliance with all legal, financial, and regulatory obligations

• Lead, support, and manage a small, distributed team across Canada
• Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing organizational culture

• Significant experience in advocacy, ideally at a national level
• Demonstrated expertise in policy-maker relations and public policy development
• Strong background in early learning and child care policy and related social and economic policy, as well as feminist and intersectional analysis
• Experience in organizational leadership, including managing staff and working with a Board

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking
• Strong media relations and public engagement skills
• Proven ability to design and lead effective advocacy campaigns
• Sills in fundraising and organizational sustainability
• Ability to work with membership-based organizations and coalitions
• Abilities in organizational administration and governance

• French language proficiency

Applicants must send a covering letter with a resumé to info@childcarenow.ca by June 30, 2026 (please put “Executive Director Application” in the subject line).

The post Child Care Now appeared first on Capacity Canada.

Next Thursday at 6 pm. is a social get together for the TRAC members. Their two page Agenda is out combined with a total of 764 pages which is grotesquely swollen even for these long winded, short on action pack of potential scapegoats and patsies. This 764 pages includes the Minutes of the last meeting, two monthly Progress Reports and allegedly a Data Summary for the Canagagigue Creek by some buddy of the five minute woman, Hadley Stamm (Lanxess). Finally there is the 2025 Lanxess Bio-Monitoring Report.

The following Agenda Items are those dealing with (sort of) the failed (by agreement of all) 2028 mandated deadline  to clean up the Elmira Aquifers. They include Items # 5, 5.1, 6, 7.2, 8.4  . Of course none of these Items will include the honest reasons for the total failure nor will they present any mea culpas (my bad), apologies or serious last ditch magic bullets to grasp victory from the jaws of defeat. In fact I would suggest that the old joke about pulling a Richard Nixon by grasping defeat from the jaws of victory (aka "Watergate") is more appropriate. 

In the case of the Elmira Water Crisis all parties publicly proclaimed during 1990-92 that there would a Cadillac cleanup of the Elmira Aquifers and of Elmira. They also suggested that the Creek would be properly addressed as well.  It was all lies but with any support whatsoever from any of our authorities it had enough public support and momentum to demand appropriate behaviour. Instead all our authorities including the Region of Waterloo were more concerned with getting their initial costs covered by either Uniroyal Chemical or the province of Ontario. Hence they rolled over like floor wetting puppies after they received money for lab costs, some legal costs and a water pipeline from Waterloo/St. Jacobs and a few other short term expenses.  Uniroyal already had the Ontario Ministry of Environment's credibility in a headlock due to their feeble and incompetent monitoring and supervision for decades. 

Currently Lanxess, Woolwich Township, MECP, Waterloo Region are working very hard to continue lying and deceiving the public regarding their failure to restore our drinking water. It is a multi pronged offensive that is doomed to failure albeit they will certainly extend the mandated deadline by twenty, thirty, fourty or fifty more years so that eventually they can claim victory. Of course this "victory" will end up after generations  of Elmira and Woolwich residents have passed on. I was fourty years old when this crisis hit and I'm now seventy-six. Literally my kids will be elderly before Lanxess and fellow travellors achieve what could have and should have been achieved by now or within a year or two.

Unless of course this next generation let these professional liars continue their games and gamesmanship at our and the environment's expense. Polluter Pays is a sad joke. Maybe the next generation will feel sorry for these twits . Their lies have doomed our local water supply and the Creek but maybe  this next generation will tell them forget it, it's O.K. Don't even bother continuing going through the motions. 

Most of the boards we work with are not dysfunctional in any obvious way. Meetings start on time. Packages get read. Votes are usually unanimous. The chair is warm, the ED is competent, and everyone leaves feeling the organization is in good hands.

And yet, the same issues keep showing up. Succession planning is flagged as a priority at three AGMs in a row, and nothing is ever written down. The DEI statement has been approved, but the composition of the board looks much the same. The strategic plan is referenced in grant applications and almost nowhere else. A hard question gets raised, the chair thoughtfully parks it for next time, and next time doesn’t come.

This isn’t governance failure in the way the sector usually talks about it. It’s something quieter.

Here is what we see most often in Canadian nonprofit boards, and what we’d name first if someone asked us where leaders repeatedly get stuck:

There is a difference between the governance a board performs and the governance a board practices, and most boards don’t notice when they’ve drifted from one into the other.

Performed governance looks like the right things happening. Packages are circulated, motions are moved and seconded, strategic plans are adopted, committees file their reports. On paper, everything is in order. Practiced governance is something else, the board actually wrestling with a real choice, a decision that looks different because the board was in the room, a director saying the thing that has been quietly worrying them and the board taking it seriously enough to change course.

Most boards do both. The question is the ratio. Over time, the reflexes that build a strong board culture, respect, collegiality, care for one another, can quietly tilt that ratio toward performance. Direct disagreement starts to feel like a breach of trust. “Respectful” slides into “agreeable.” An unspoken concern gets handled through a text to a colleague rather than a question in the room. None of this is wrong on its face. But the habits that make a board feel healthy can also be the ones that keep it from being effective.

When a board drifts toward performance, it shows up in moments that are easy to miss from the outside.

The finance chair presents a budget showing a material drop in earned revenue. There is a pause. Someone asks a clarifying question about the catering line. No one asks what the drop means for reserves, or what happens if next year looks like this one.

A newer director raises a real question about whether the flagship program still serves the population it was built for. There is a longer pause. The chair thanks them thoughtfully and says, “Let’s park that for next time.” Next time, it’s not on the agenda.

The executive committee has a Friday coffee. By Monday, three items are effectively decided. They come to the full board as recommendations. Everyone votes yes, because voting no would feel like not trusting the colleagues who spent their own time on it.

None of this is malice. Most of it is genuine care. But the cumulative effect is a board that looks like it is governing and isn’t quite, where the hard things stay un-decided and the easy things look like progress.

Two places, mostly.

The first is mistaking agreement for alignment. When no one disagrees out loud, it’s easy to assume the board is aligned. Often it isn’t, the board has simply avoided the conversation that would reveal otherwise. Real alignment is something a board earns by working through disagreement, not something it inherits by avoiding it.

The second is substituting a statement for a decision. Approving a values statement, a DEI commitment, or a succession framework can feel like action, particularly when the document is well-written. The document does matter. But the test of whether a board has actually moved is whether anything about how it makes decisions looks different six months later. Most of the time, it doesn’t, not because the board didn’t mean it, but because approving a statement is a performance, and living differently because of it is a practice.

When was the last time your board genuinely disagreed, out loud, with names attached, and stayed in the room?

Not a polite difference of opinion that was quickly smoothed over. An actual moment of two directors seeing something differently, saying so, and the board working through it together until a real decision was made.

If it’s hard to think of one, that’s worth noticing.

The healthiest boards aren’t the quietest ones. They’re the ones that have learned to disagree well, where the chair makes space for the hard question rather than parking it, and where directors trust each other enough to risk being wrong in front of each other.

That kind of board culture isn’t built by policy. It’s built by practice, over time, and often with some honest outside reflection along the way, not to fix the board, but to name what the board already half-knows, and to make the uncomfortable conversation feel a little safer to have.

What does your organization need to move from performance to practice? Visit this page to see how Capacity Canada can help!

Written By:

♦

Claudia Sighomnou, Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada

Email: claudiasighomnou@capacitycanada.ca

The post The Governance We Perform, and the Governance We Practice appeared first on Capacity Canada.

A GNU screen style terminal multiplexer built on libghostty.

Zig 643 Updated Jun 16

A tool for creating and running Linux containers using lightweight virtual machines on a Mac. It is written in Swift, and optimized for Apple silic…

Swift 37.9k 2 issues need help Updated Jun 16

There has been one major reversal only in Woolwich Township's behaviour and attitudes towards the Elmira Water Crisis since the crisis began in November 1989. Even prior to the crisis Woolwich Township councils seemed more than willing and eager to leave everything in the hands of Uniroyal Chemical and the Ontario Ministry of Environment (M.O.E.). This neglect caused multiple health issues among local residents from air emissions, destroyed the Canagagigue Creek and polluted both the groundwater and drinking water for Elmira residents. It seems clear to me that drilling two new wells further away from Uniroyal Chemical (E7, E9) in the south end of Elmira was a feeble attempt to isolate our drinking water from Uniroyal's on-site dumped and buried toxic liquid wastes. The north wellfield consisting of at least E2, E3, E5, E6 was slightly upgradient and mostly cross gradient from the natural groundwater flow from Northeast to Southwest. Of course as any first year hydrogeology student can tell you  pumping wells (drinking water) can readily reverse natural groundwater flows. Hence the north wellfield was by no means isolated from Uniroyal's contamination. In fact by installing pumping wells south-west of Uniroyal our erudite councillors merely accelerated the contaminated natural groundwater flow into our drinking water system via the 1970 new south wellfield (E7, E9).

To date I believe that two councillors have thrown their hats into the ring for position of mayor. The possibly unfortunate result is that we are likely to lose one reasonably good councillor who loses his council seat at the same time as they lose the mayoral race. Unfortunately I do not know either candidate well enough at this point in time to have a favourite. For decades Woolwich residents have been dealt a series of crappy mayors and numerous councillors hell bent on pleasing local, influential big shots. The divine right of kings has long been transformed into the divine right of the monied class to rule the rest of us. The one mayoral exception I mentioned in the first sentence was Todd Cowan in October 2014. Sandy Shantz was incredibly lucky that he self-destructed and basically handed the mayor's job to her. Yes it also helped that she was an attractive female with a Mennonite last name and a background as a church volunteer.  Other than that she was hopelessly unqualified other than being appointed Chair of the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) around 1997 or 1998. I and many others are pleased that the moral and ethical behaviour of that school board has been exposed through various crises over the decades including the Caroline Burjowski public relations disaster for the Board as well as various attempts to silence trustees such as Mike Ramsey.

The Todd Cowan council (Oct. 2010-Oct. 2014) made serious moves to transform CPAC (Chemtura Public Advisory Committee) into a legitimate, citizens run committee both asking tough questions and demanding honest answers from those unwilling to do so. Ms. Shantz unravelled that committee by removing all but one member and bringing in initially some of her curling friends from the local curling club if you can believe it. Unfrigging unbelieveable but that was her solution albeit pressed upon her by likely the CAO as well as Uniroyal/Chemtura and the Ont. M.O.E. Todd Cowan's weaknesses and failures doomed his future prospects electorally and otherwise as well as killed the likely last chance to turn around the environmental "cleanup" into a real cleanup.

♦

While canning and preserving, techniques and methods that are often thought of as fall activities when the growing season has slowed and winter comes on, there are delicious things to preserve now, in the spring and early summer, that can be stored and used in your daily dining later in the year — when those items can no longer be found fresh.

In her 2008 book Anita Stewart’s Canada: The Food, the Recipes, the Stories, the late-great Elora author and food activist summarizes the E.D. Smith story as it started in Winona, Ontario.

Smith planted peaches, apples, and plums, with each orchard having its own beehives for pollination. By the mid-1880s Smith, fed up with a plodding fruit distribution system and low prices, “decided to make jam. The first such operation in Canada,” notes Stewart.

“By 1905, his factory was in full operation. E.D. Smith Pure Fruit Jam became an icon of Canadian food manufacturing.”

Napoleonic preserves
We can thank Mr. Smith, but we need to go back even further to snap open the lid on canning origins, at least in the modern era. Although he has been dead and gone about 170 years now, Nicolas-Francois Appert gave us the technique of preserving foods in air-tight containers.

Appert, a Parisian chef, had spent many years experimenting with wax- and cork-sealed jars and boiling them in water before he answered the call of what was essentially a Napoleonic cooking contest.

The little general was waving around French francs for anyone who could preserve franks for his marauding armies (whom, he had already announced, march on their tummies). Appert finally prevailed after about a decade and proffered up his canning method and techniques winning in 1810. The rest is jelly, jam, and syrup history.

Appert struggled despite his innovation; he made it onto a French postage stamp in 1955 recognizing his vital contributions. By then, canning momentum and expertise had long before passed to the English and Americans, among the latter of whom was John Landis Mason: he invented and patented the glass jar and screw-on lid combination in 1858. It remains part of our cooking vocabulary, though Mason died a pauper.

Despite the rapid advance of technology we experience in our daily lives, canning hasn’t changed very much at all. Today, food is basically preserved by three methods: canning, freezing, and drying.

Freezing slows enzyme activity that causes food to deteriorate and is the quickest and easiest method of preserving. Things like green beans—and even the divine and funky little fiddlehead—are best frozen, suggests Rose Murray, Cambridge, the late Ontario-based broadcaster and author of A Taste of Canada: A Culinary Journey.

“Blanch them to stop the enzymes that will continue to make them deteriorate. Drain them, cool them, dry them off, and pack them in plastic bags and freeze. When you take them out it’s just a question of steaming them for a couple of minutes.”

Drying or dehydrating food simply removes most of the item’s moisture requiring little processing energy and taking up little space for storage. Dehydrated foods are perfect for taking while travelling or with outdoor activity.

Canning boom
Though it takes the most skill, canning is a preservation method that has been making something of a comeback in our kitchens. Bernardin, a major Canadian manufacturer of canning equipment, has noted significant sales increases in the last several years.

Canning preserves food without desiccation, the sour flavours of pickling, or the sweetness of sugar. The foodstuff is cooked in hermetically sealed jars to kill bacteria, molds, and enzymes; it can be stored without refrigeration in a cool, dark place for a year and maybe more depending on the food item.

While canned food loses some nutritional value, if it is processed at its peak of flavour it can still be more nutritious than some fresh foods that have been transported great distances and over longer periods of time.

Murray has observed the renewed interest in canning. As she tells it, historically canning was a way of preserving the harvest and making sure you had something to eat in the winter months.

“I grew up on a farm south of Collingwood,” Murray said. “We grew everything we ate, and my mother and I were in charge of the huge garden we had. It was the way we had fresh food in the winter. I can still see in our cellar a big long trestle table by the stone foundation. It was full of all kinds of colourful produce.”

Field to fork eating
Convenience is key too, she points out. When you go to your root cellar, your canned food—beets, relishes, peaches—are ready to go, requiring neither thawing nor cooking.

However, it is critically important, Murray stresses, to make sure you have up-to-date and reputable canning recipes, the proper equipment, and that you follow the sterilization steps and guidelines carefully.

The canning renaissance is tied closely to a heightened interest people have in where their food comes from, its provenance as it were. They want more control of their food sources and are planting urban gardens, Murray says.

“There has been a huge resurgence in canning and preserving. People are starting to become more aware of what they eat. They don’t want the additives and the sodium of processed foods. If you do your own canning, you know what you’re getting.”

Is cost an issue? Murray thinks so, even after you factor in the expense of canning equipment.

“I saw in an upscale shop recently a jar of beets for $20. Go to the market, get a six-quart basket for $4, and spend a little bit of time canning. It is a question of economy.”

Many young adults are starting to think similarly and they’re growing small gardens and preserving more and more, she adds.

“It’s field to fork in your own backyard.”

*     *     *

Canning Basics, adapted from Saving the Seasons, (Waterloo, ON: Herald Press, 2010)
– Can in the season: get the freshest produce for the freshest canned results;
– High-acid foods like fruits, pickles and tomatoes can be canned by means of the boiling water bath method;
– Low-acid foods like meats and non-pickled vegetables must be preserved through pressure cooking;
– Select produce to can that is at the perfect stage of ripeness, not overripe;
– Wash food to be canned thoroughly along with the utensils you are using.

What you need
Many hardware stores and larger supermarkets will have the supplies. Basic starter kits cost between $15-$20 with enameled steel pots of various sizes between $25-$80. Jars and lids will cost $8-$15, again depending on size.

You will need:
– a stove-top enameled steel water bath canning kettle or pot;
– metal rings, lids, and jars that will hold your finished canned goods;
– a canning rack that sits inside the water bath;
– a jar lifter;
– magnetic wand for removing lids (optional);
– a wide-mouth on-metallic funnel;
– a silicone spatula or two;
– an assortment of kitchen towels;
– kitchen space!

Bernardin’s step-by-step canning (adapted from www.homecanning.ca)

1. Review the recipe to ensure you have all the ingredients and tools.  For best results, do not make substitutions;
2. Fill your home canner with fresh water and heat;
3. Visually inspect jars for nicks, cracks, uneven rims or sharp edges that may prevent sealing or cause breakage. Wash jars (even if new) and place on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to simmer (180°F/82°C).  Keep jars hot until ready to use;
4. Set screw caps aside, place lid closures in small pot of hot (but not boiling) water;
5. Set up your “filling station” and have your non-metallic funnel, your ladle, paper towels, tongs and screw bands at the ready. Also, if making spreads, a spoon and bowl for skimming during cooking time is handy;
6. Set up your “resting station.” Set clean tea towels in a place near the stove where your processed jars can rest, undisturbed, for 24 hours;
7. Pre-measure dry ingredients. Some recipes are time sensitive, so having ingredients ready is essential;
8. Prepare fresh ingredients as per directions;
9. Heat process ALL home canned foods (freezer spreads excepted);
10.  Follow these step-by-step directions for canning success.

Check out my latest post Get ready to do some canning from AndrewCoppolino.com.

We’re pleased to share the recording of our recent webinar, Tracking Surface Water and Groundwater Contributions to Flooding in an Alluvial Aquifer. This session, presented by Dr. Michael Callaghan, Senior Applications Engineer at Aquanty Inc., explores how integrated hydrologic modelling can improve understanding of groundwater flooding risks— particularly during major flood events.

Focusing on the June 2013 flooding in southern Alberta, the webinar demonstrates how groundwater flow within alluvial aquifers can contribute to infrastructure damage, even when overland flood defences are in place. Using HydroGeoSphere and its Hydraulic Mixing Cell (HMC) approach, the study tracks the dynamic contributions of surface water and groundwater throughout a flood event, offering new insight into subsurface flood mechanisms and system behaviour.

Key Highlights:

• Understand how groundwater flooding can impact infrastructure during major flood events.

• Learn how integrated surface water–groundwater modelling improves flood risk assessment.

• Explore the Hydraulic Mixing Cell (HMC) approach for tracking water sources through time and space.

• See how real-world case studies inform more effective flood defence and planning strategies.

This session is especially valuable for hydrologists, flood risk managers, and water resource professionals working to better understand and mitigate flood impacts in complex aquifer systems.

Watch the recording now to discover how integrated hydrologic modelling provides deeper insight into groundwater flooding and supports more resilient infrastructure planning.

Watch The Recording

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KITCHENER - The Kitchener Panthers are proud to announce the signing of pitcher Ernesto Punales.

Punales has plenty of indy ball experience, including in the Puerto Rico Independent Baseball League. Originally born in Cuba, Punales lives in the United States at the moment.

The former Baltimore Orioles farmhand was converted into a pitcher a few years ago, and has pitched in Puerto Rico and Mexico.

"I'm excited to add Ernesto to our pitching staff," said general manager Shanif Hirani.

"His experience and veteran presence will play a huge factor for our staff as a whole. Also, his ability to start or come out of the bullpen was something we value."

In a corresponding move to get to the import roster limit, pitcher Elian Serrata has been moved to the inactive list.

============

ERNESTO PUNALES

• Bats/Pitches: R/R
• Hometown: Miami, FL (IMPORT)
• Birthdate: February 4, 1993
• Pronunciation: err-NEST-oh pu-NAL-iss

A special milestone has been reached in our community! The Child & Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) of Waterloo Region has operated for 10 years. Check out photos from the anniversary celebration! ♦

On Wednesday, June 3, representatives from the CYAC’s core partners – Child Witness Centre (CWC), Family & Children’s Services (FACS) of the Waterloo Region, and Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) – were delighted to host an anniversary event held at Victoria Park Pavilion in Kitchener. We welcomed many wonderful partners, supporters, allies, board members, past staff, and family members.

The festivities kicked off with a delicious BBQ dinner that was generously prepared and gifted by ChefD, in showing his support for the work done at the CYAC to help local kids and families. Meaningful messages were then shared by Matt Demarte (Sergeant at WRPS & former CWC board member), Laura Muirhead (former CWC Executive Director & ongoing supporter), and Robin Heald (CWC Executive Director).

Much gratitude was expressed for the many supporters and contributors – including community leaders, funders, donors, and volunteers – who have made the centre successful. The CYAC partners were also honoured to receive recognition certificates from Karen Redman (Regional Chair) on behalf of Region of Waterloo and Wendy Creighton (Office Manager) on behalf of Kelly DeRidder (MP for Kitchener Centre).

The CYAC of Waterloo Region is a child and youth-friendly hub where allegations of abuse and crime are investigated – and the children and youth affected, along with their families, receive wraparound, trauma-informed support. This collaborative helps the brave young people who come forward to have a voice – while fostering healing, hope, and wellbeing.

The centre opened on May 2, 2016, initially working at Waterloo Regional Police North Division. In December 2016, the co-located multidisciplinary team moved to the child and youth friendly space at 400 Queen Street South, Kitchener (inside Camino Wellbeing + Mental Health’s building). During the first 10 years, at least 5,650 investigations took place, involving over 8,800 children and youth. With its success, the collaboration has grown with many other partners offering their services as well.

The first similar centre was established in Huntsville, Alabama, in 1985. Today, CYACs are considered the best practice model in handling cases of abuse and crime towards children. There has been a significant increase in the number of CYACs across Canada, with over 40 centres now open or in various stages of development.

Those involved with launching and operating the CYAC of Waterloo Region are very proud of how it has performed and evolved. Matt Demarte shared at the celebration he believes it’s one of the best in Ontario because of the strong multidisciplinary team’s commitment to cohesion and excellence. At Child Witness Centre, we provide oversight of the CYAC, while also offering services through our Child & Youth Advocate Program there to support young victims and witnesses, and their families.

Following a report of suspected child abuse to either FACS or WRPS, these organizations will refer the child or youth, and their family, to the CYAC for tailored and culturally responsive support through the investigation process. This approach reduces the number of times a child or youth must tell their story, and helps ensure responses are timely, coordinated, and focused on the young person’s wellbeing. They are supported in a safe and welcoming environment, which promotes safety, healing, and justice through collaboration, compassion, and evidence-based practice.

Perhaps Laura Muirhead summed it up best why the CYAC holds so much value at the event. She shared how it was simply not the norm 10 years ago to have a great level of collaboration between the organizations responding to child abuse and crime in our community. But because of the bold steps taken to launch the centre, and the exceptional communication and partnership that now exists, the investigation process feels much easier and natural. And those who benefit the most from this vast improvement are the kids and caregivers on difficult journeys.

Robin Heald also emphasized the value she sees in this exceptional partnership. As someone who experienced abuse as a child and journeying through the justice system, she knows firsthand there is a stark difference. She recalled having to share her story about what happened while sitting in a dark police office with no windows and cigarettes burning. It was neither sensitive to a child’s needs or trauma informed. Today, the process keeps getting better, including the use of facility dogs, like Brady who was recently joined Child Witness Centre’s team to provide additional comfort. He’s the first justice facility dog to provide support at the CYAC of Waterloo Region.

It’s difficult to fathom how thousands of young people and families have been impacted at the CYAC over the past decade! Statistics show when young victims receive support when needed most, their life trajectory dramatically improves from the increased likelihood of negative outcomes to positive ones.

Our entire community is safer and stronger because of this best practice model. Together, we can help stop the perpetual cycle of hurt and harm to create a huge positive ripple effect. There is a lot of optimism and excitement about what the next 10 years have in store!

Learn more about the Child & Youth Advocacy Centre of Waterloo Region.

The post Child & Youth Advocacy Centre of Waterloo Region Celebrates 10th Anniversary first appeared on Child Witness Centre.

Pollution Probe is seeking new volunteer Directors to join its Board and help guide one of Canada’s most respected environmental organizations.

Pollution Probe is a Canadian charitable environmental organization (Charitable BN 108092701 RR0001) founded in September 1969 by University of Toronto students and professors. Over the past five decades, Pollution Probe has been at the forefront of progress on a range of environmental issues. We pursue environmental gains by working productively with governments, industry, and the public, with a steadfast commitment to Clean Air, Clean Water, and a Healthy Planet.

Pollution Probe’s Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup (GLPC) is embarking on its seventh season. This binational initiative, delivered with the Council of the Great Lakes Region and more than 160 partners, now operates at over 250 sites and remains the world’s largest freshwater plastic-pollution prevention effort. Beyond removing plastic, the GLPC drives research, education, local action, and advocacy that contribute to healthier ecosystems.

We’re also continuing our leadership in electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In partnership with Natural Resources Canada, our CHARGED program added 275 chargers across Canada in 2025-2026, expanding access in underserved and non-urban areas from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland. In total, CHARGED has facilitated the installation of over 1,050 chargers across Canada and is helping to make EV ownership accessible for all.

Read our latest annual report to view some of our additional work.

The Board Directors helps guide the strategic direction and governance of the organization while supporting its mission and values.

Directors are expected to:

• Participate actively in Board meetings and discussions
• Prepare for meetings and contribute to informed decision-making
• Serve as ambassadors for Pollution Probe within their networks
• Participate in at least one Board committee
• Attend quarterly board meetings, including the Annual General Meeting

We are seeking individuals who are motivated by Pollution Probe’s mission and values and who bring expertise, perspectives, and networks that can strengthen the Board.

Experience in areas such as environmental policy, governance, business leadership, communications, innovation, or public policy, with a priority on fundraising and resource mobilization to support the delivery of Pollution Probe’s projects.

Pollution Probe is committed to building a diverse and inclusive Board and encourages expressions of interest from individuals across Canada.

Please send your resume and a cover letter that addresses these questions to HR@pollutionprobe.org :

• Do you have previous Board experience?
• Do you have experience with fundraising?
• Why do you want to serve?
• What competencies will you bring to the Board?
• What perspectives, lived experiences, or insights would you bring that would strengthen the diversity and effectiveness of the Board?

The post Pollution Probe appeared first on Capacity Canada.

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The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce (GKWCC) provides strong, continued service to over 1500 members in one of Canada’s marquee pioneering and entrepreneurial business communities. For the past 140 years, dating back to the Chamber’s founding as the Berlin Board of Trade, we have expanded into one of the largest and most innovative Chambers in Canada by focusing on the needs of all our members, big and small. For more information, please visit GreaterKWChamber.com. 

The GKWCC is seeking a Marketing Manager who is responsible for strengthening the Chamber’s brand, supporting membership growth and retention, promoting events and programs, managing digital communications (including quality control), and overseeing the day-to-day execution of marketing initiatives.

This role operates under the direction of the Director, Community Engagement & Strategic Programs, who is responsible for setting organizational marketing strategy, campaign direction, budget allocation, and priority setting.

The Marketing Manager is responsible for translating this strategy into coordinated execution across all marketing channels, ensuring quality, consistency, and alignment with the Chamber brand and strategic plan. This role provides day-to-day leadership to one Marketing Coordinator.

Marketing Strategy Execution & Team Leadership –

Under the direction of the Director, the Marketing Manager ensures effective delivery of all marketing and communications initiatives.

• Execute the Chamber’s annual marketing and communications strategy as directed by the Director, Community Engagement & Strategic Programs
• Translate strategic marketing priorities into actionable campaign plans and coordinated workflows
• Provide day-to-day supervision for the Marketing Coordinator
• Assign priorities and manage workflow for the Marketing Department, to ensure deadlines are met across all channels
• Coordinate timelines, deliverables, and approvals across marketing activities to ensure successful execution, and support continuous improvement of each
• Coordinate cross-departmental marketing requests and ensure proper prioritization
• Ensure budgets are accurately updated with final expenses in a timely manner

Content & Communications

• Work in collaboration with the Marketing Coordinator on content creation (graphics, captions, blog posts, website updates, videos, etc.)
• Review, refine, and approve all marketing content prior to publication
• Maintain consistency in tone, branding, and messaging across all communications channels
• Maintain quality control across social media, email marketing, website updates, and promotional materials
• Oversee content calendars for social media, email, website, blogs, and promotional campaigns
• Ensure timely execution of all scheduled communications
• In collaboration with the Director, coordinate media releases, blog posts, and external communications as required
• In collaboration with the CEO, coordinate regular advocacy-related communications (socials, blog posts, press releases, etc.) and bi-annual advocacy impact reports
• Oversee the Chamber’s website content updates and digital presence
• Oversee digital advertising campaigns including coordination, scheduling, and delivery

Reporting & Performance Support

• Track campaign performance and consolidate reporting for leadership review
• Maintain dashboards and reporting tools to track campaign performance
• Provide insights on execution effectiveness and recommend operational improvements
• Assemble monthly reports

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Events, Membership, Sponsorship, and Advocacy (including Physician Recruitment/Healthcare) teams to execute aligned marketing deliverables
• Attend all Chamber events to provide live coverage on social platforms
• Ensure sponsor, member, and partner messaging is accurately represented across all channels
• Provide sponsors and partners with marketing plans to help promote events & programs
• Identify opportunities to enhance engagement, participation, and member value through marketing
• Ensure all departmental campaigns are executed in accordance with strategic direction provided by leadership
• Complete retention calls, as assigned, to assist with member engagement & retention

Other Duties as Assigned – As with any organization, priorities may shift and additional responsibilities may arise. The Marketing Manager is expected to be adaptable and responsive to evolving needs.

• Strong Team Leader: You are comfortable managing people, setting expectations, and ensuring accountability while supporting professional growth.
• Exceptional Organization. You thrive in managing workflows, timelines, approvals, and cross-functional coordination.
• Translating & Executing: You excel at translating strategy into structured, high-quality execution and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
• Experience in a fast-paced environment: You can tackle projects independently and push through until the job is done. You’re an exceptional multi-tasker, and a self-starter with the ability to take initiative and ownership of your responsibilities.
• Detail-Oriented Quality Controller: You take pride in consistency, accuracy, and brand alignment. You love proofreading and catching grammar mistakes.
• Excellent communicator: You can write, edit, and guide messaging across multiple platforms and audiences. You enjoy creative writing, but you can also adapt it to a specific brand/audience. You’re excited at the opportunity to expand your network and build relationships within the community (in-person, over the phone, and via DM’s).
• Tech Savvy: You are comfortable adapting to new forms of technology and using various platforms (social media, video editing, AI, etc.). You are also proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Trend Setter: You stay ahead of digital trends and know how to turn timely ideas into high-impact, high-visibility content that gets people talking (and maybe goes viral).
• Support Local: You make regular trips to the corner bakery, participate in #KWAwesome community groups on social media, and generally enjoy supporting Waterloo Region business owners.
• Helpful, but not required: Experience in photography, videography, video editing, live productions, graphic design, project management, public relations, and/or public speaking.

If this sounds like you, or what you’re striving to obtain, then please apply. We look forward to learning more about you and what you could bring to this role.

To Apply: Please send your application to Carolyn Marsh at cmarsh@greaterkwchamber.com. When applying, please provide a resume, and either a cover letter or 60-second self-introduction video.

Next Steps: We thank all those who apply, however, only those candidates who are selected to move forward in the application process will be contacted. The posting will remain open until the position is filled. The start date for the successful candidate is flexible, but preferably they will start in July 2026.

Position Type: Full time, Permanent.

Hours of Work:Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm, with a 30-minute unpaid lunch for a total of 37.5 hours each week. Evenings/early mornings will be required, to attend our Chamber events. Although extremely rare, some weekend coverage for events may also be required.

Travel: Hybrid work environment, with minimum 2 days per week in-office (80 Queen St. N., Kitchener), with additional travel required around Waterloo Region for events and/or video shoots. Mileage will be reimbursed for work-related activities, but this role requires a valid driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle.

Compensation: $54,000 – $64,000 annually, plus benefits. Compensation within this range will be based on experience & qualifications.

Benefits:

• Healthcare including dental and vision plan, as well as an EAP program, which all starts 3 months into employment
• RRSP matching, which starts 3 months into employment
• 2 weeks’ vacation + stat holidays + lieu time for hours earned for events
• Monthly mental wellness half-day Friday (subject to change)
• Hybrid work model
• Professional Development opportunities
• Parking included

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The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce believes that everyone is free to be their true self and receive the same respect and opportunity, regardless of ethnicity, gender, culture, identity, sexual orientation, age, beliefs, language, or disability. We have an inclusive work environment that is a safe and welcoming space for all and we encourage applications from all qualified candidates. If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please email cmarsh@greaterkwchamber.com.

The post Job Posting: Marketing Manager appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

♦

So, it appears that Doctor Who may be done for a while.

Russell T. Davies recently confirmed that his production company and the BBC had parted ways. There will be no Christmas Special for 2026, and the cliffhanger at the end of the second season of Disney's Doctor Who will likely never be resolved. Instead, the BBC will be tendering out the property to potential co-producers, with no relaunch date in sight -- language eerily similar to what they said after the original series ended in 1989.

And, strangely enough, I feel fine.

Make no mistake, this is a bittersweet moment. It's hard to overstate how much of an impact this show has had on my life. I am a writer because of Doctor Who. I met the woman who became my wife through Doctor Who. The show has provided me with many happy memories since I stumbled upon it on TVOntario in 1978 and pretended to be a Dalek on my elementary school's playground (I was six). I have loved every single Doctor I watched from William Hartnell to Ncuti Gatwa, and all of the extras that have been shoehorned in, including Jo Martin and John Hurt. Will it feel like something's missing in my life as we pass another Christmas without a special, or another year without a season? Yes.

But if I'm honest, I could sense this closure coming, back when the BBC decided to farm the show out to Disney rather than replace exiting producer Chris Chibnall with someone else in-house. Returning producer Russell T. Davies gave it his best shot on the Disney revival, but it felt like too much of a break from what had come before, and it felt like Disney's heart wasn't in it. The production values were strong, but the seasons were shorter, giving the storytelling far less room to breathe (a problem of many television series nowadays, including Star Trek). When Ncuti bowed out early rather than suspend his burgeoning film career for a third season that might not happen, the writing was on the wall, in spite of RTD's attempts to sugarcoat the thing.

And maybe that anticipation makes this closure easier to accept. Or, maybe it's the fact that I'm forty years older than I was during the program's cancellation crises of the mid-to-late 1980s that I'm able to be philosophical about the whole thing. Right now, given the shenanigans RTD had to pull to get the ending of the second Disney season that we got when he realized he had no guarantee of a third season, I'm glad he was able to pull off some semblance of an ending. I'm still impressed by the audaciousness of Gatwa regenerating into Billie Piper and leaving us hanging on that moment. Say what you will, but it still makes for a memorable send-off.

So, as bittersweet as this moment is, I am... thankful. I'm thankful for Russell T. Davis. The fact that this moment is bitter is because of the many good memories of the show over the past twenty years -- memories that would not have happened if he hadn't successfully launched it and set its tone. I am thankful that we got twenty years out of the revival, which is comparable to the twenty-six the original series got. I am thankful for the many actors who took on this role, who were able to give their own take on the character of the Doctor while staying true to his essence. And I am grateful for the many friends I have found through the show's fandom, from the time I first saw the program in 1978, to the past twenty years of its existence.

Yes, anybody who revives this show is going to have a devil of a time dealing with Russell T. Davies' ending cliffhanger, and frankly they'll probably avoid addressing it altogether. That's fine by me. Let fan fiction figure this one out and do a hard reboot instead. We know this program can do it, because it's done it successfully before -- not only in 2005 with the revival's first episode, Rose, but at several places within the show itself, from the original to the revival. This show can change course and set aside its old continuity very easily -- far more successfully than, say, Marvel or DC Comics. The Doctor just falls through another universe. Time can be rewritten. Et cetera. Et cetera.

It may be that a rest and a reboot is exactly what Doctor Who needs. Let the fans process the twenty years of new material they've been given. They have plenty of other sources of Doctor Who for their fix, and plenty of spaces with which to share their passion with other fans. Let them get hungry again, and then bring things back after a few years. As long as the new producers remember that this is, at heart, a story about a wizard with magical cabinet that can take him anywhere in the universe -- an individual who fights for peace, but doesn't believe the ends justify the means, who values intelligence and empathy over raw strength, then it will be a success again.

After all, this is how we things restarted back in 2005.

So, thank you, Doctor Who, for the past twenty years. Thank you for the past sixty-three. You have given me so much in my life, and we will always have Gallifrey.

• One thing that I am especially sad about is Carole Ann Ford, the actress who played Susan, who was brought aboard in the final season for a few mysterious appearances to build a plotline that will now never be resolved. The contributions she made were worthwhile and stand on their own, but I still think she deserved more than what she got, and that's a shame.
• I will say, regarding the finale, that while it was a brazen scramble by Russell T. Davies to pull a resolution out of his ass, I do appreciate one particular element of Ncuti Gatwa's regeneration: the fact that RTD finally got it right. Every other Doctor in this revival has passed away in epic, sprawling adventures. While Ncuti's last story was epic, he decided to regenerate in order to save the existence of a single child. That was the regeneration Davies wanted for David Tennant's Doctor, which he got talked out of. And while there are similarities to Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi's regenerations, in that they sacrificed themselves to save small communities, they did so while fighting Daleks or Cybermen. Ncuti's Doctor sacrificed himself for Belinda's child after the main fight was over, because everyone matters. Every single child. This Doctor sweats the small stuff, and that's what makes him the Doctor. Good on Russell T. Davies for remembering that.

NDMA has not been reduced to drinking water standards. Chlorobenzene has not been reduced to drinking water standards. Ammonia has not been reduced to drinking water standards. How many other dissolved solvents, pesticides, rubber additives and agricultural chemicals are still in our groundwater? How many of them are above their drinking water standards? These dissolved chemicals by the way are not in just one of our drinking water aquifers but in both the Municipal Upper (MU) and the Municipal Lower (ML) aquifers. Merely as an aside what is the drinking water standard for water with multiple toxins in it? Is it higher or lower than with only one toxin in it? What about water with two or three toxins above drinking water standards and with another dozen or more toxic chemicals that however are below their drinking water standards? As of this point in time science can not answer those questions. Common sense fortunately can despite all attempts to prohibit it by guilty parties and replace it with bought and paid for by the polluter opinionated suits. 

 Then of course there is the Canagagigue Creek. There has been decades of sampling and discovering DDT, dioxins/furans, PCBs, mercury and PAHs the entire length of the downstream Creek from Uniroyal/Lanxess. All of these over the years have exceeded various government health standards for decades yet not one shovelful has been permanently removed. We are talking health standards for benthic communities living in the sediments, creekbank soils, floodplain soils, the sediments in the bottom of the Creek as well as fish tissues that have bioaccumulated the toxins. The failure to date to clean up these toxins from the Creek has negatively affected wildlife, the environment and human beings living and farming along the Creek. I believe that some day Woolwich Township's abandonment of the Old Order Mennonite farmers along the Creek will be viewed as potentially criminal behaviour. 

Meanwhile TRAC will continue to be both the centerpiece of the cheerleading brigade as well as the scapegoat when it all hits the fan. I will enjoy watching Sandy Shantz, Susan Bryant, Nathan Cadeau, Tiffany Svensson and others twist in the wind as they are abandoned by Lanxess, Waterloo Region, the Ontario MECP and the other fellow travellors. 

♦

Steak-frites, or just plain ol’ “steak fries” (the former making them sound all fancy), are a favourite dish of mine.

Steak frites is a common bistro and brasserie menu in many European countries and in North America as well. With their claim to having invented French fries, Belgian cuisine also claims steak frites as their creation too.

I don’t really care where they came from: they are usually good wherever you find them, and the plate pictured above is from the venerable and excellent Montreal bistro Restaurant L’Express (#73 on Canada’s 100 Best).

Check out my latest post Steak frites from AndrewCoppolino.com.

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined, for an absolutely remarkable conversation, by Steve Sjogren, the founding pastor of one of the most influential churches in America, the Vineyard Church Cincinnati, to talk about his conversion to Catholicism. 

Steve not only founded and pastored one of the most influential churches in America, but was one of the founding pastors of the Vineyard Church movement from the beginning – worshipping alongside the likes of Bob Dylan and Keith Green in the earliest incarnation of the charismatic church movement in Los Angeles. 

Steve's story is one of servant leadership, radical evangelization, and following the Holy Spirit wherever he was led – including right into full communion with the Catholic Church. 

You're going to absolutely love Steve's story.

For more from Steve Sjogren visit his website.

Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com.

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Like any other new joinee, I was very ecstatic about starting a new project in the organization. There is a different kind of excitement when you become part of something from its very beginning. It feels as though you are not merely assigned to a task but invited to build something meaningful.

I was excited about sketching the design, discussing ideas during the whiteboarding sessions, understanding the trade-offs, and hearing senior engineers debate architecture decisions that I barely understood at that time. Even sitting quietly in those meetings felt special because for the first time, I felt included in something important.

There was an emotional attachment developing without me realizing it. I had already started imagining how the project would evolve over the next couple of years, what features we would build, what scale challenges we would encounter, and how much I would grow technically along with the project.

Little did I know that one day my manager would break the news that the management had decided to put the project on hold.

At that point in my career, I did not even understand the corporate vocabulary surrounding such decisions. People used terms like sunsetting the project, organizational dynamics, budget alignment, revenue pressure, business priorities, and many other polished phrases that sounded sophisticated but emotionally empty to me.

All I understood was this:
Something I was genuinely excited about was no longer going to exist in the way I had imagined.

I still remember how strange those days felt afterward. Technically, work continued as usual. Meetings happened. People logged in. Tasks were assigned. But internally, something had changed for me.

I noticed a gradual sadness during the day. A strange lack of enthusiasm. Even the current tasks at hand started feeling mechanical. It became difficult to put the same energy into the work because somewhere in the mind, disappointment had quietly occupied space.

What surprised me most was how normal this seemed to everyone else.

Whoever I spoke to in the office would casually say:

“This happens.”
“You need to get used to these things.”
“Projects come and go.”

At that time, those statements did not comfort me. In fact, they almost sounded cold. I kept wondering how people could become so emotionally detached from something they spent months or years working on.

But as time passed, I slowly understood what they actually meant.

Corporate life moves differently from personal emotions. Organizations take decisions based on survival, market conditions, leadership vision, customer demand, and financial realities. Sometimes a technically good project may still not continue because the business no longer sees long-term value in it. Sometimes the timing is wrong. Sometimes leadership changes. Sometimes priorities shift faster than teams can emotionally process them.

As early-career professionals, we are never really taught how to deal with this side of work. We prepare ourselves to clear interviews, solve DSA problems, understand system design, and write efficient code. But nobody teaches us how to emotionally process uncertainty at work.

Nobody teaches us what to do when the thing you were emotionally invested in suddenly loses importance.

For a young engineer, a project is not just a project. It quietly becomes a source of identity. You begin associating your learning, your future growth, your visibility, and sometimes even your self-worth with it. So when the project slows down or disappears, it can unknowingly shake your confidence as well.

Looking back now, I realize the bigger challenge was not technical adaptability. Engineers eventually learn new technologies and move to different teams. The harder part is emotional adaptability — learning how to stay motivated even when things do not go as planned.

That experience taught me something important very early in my career:
never attach your entire sense of growth to one project alone.

Projects may stop. Teams may dissolve. Managers may change. Entire business directions may shift within months. But the effort you put into learning never truly goes to waste. The discussions you participated in, the design thinking you observed, the mistakes you made, the confidence you slowly built — all of it stays with you quietly.

Today when I see young engineers going through similar situations, I understand their disappointment much better. Because when you are new, every opportunity feels deeply personal. Every project feels permanent. Every team feels like it will stay together forever.

But careers are much longer than individual projects.

Sometimes the very experiences that disappoint us initially are the ones that slowly teach us resilience, adaptability, and emotional balance in professional life.

When My First Project Was Sun-Set: A Lesson in Corporate Reality was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

There’s a version of this conversation that happens in nearly every tech team, eventually. A strong engineer, a talented systems administrator, a high-performing developer; someone doing great work, building credibility, and one day wondering: Is management the next step?

It’s a question that comes with a lot of noise. Some people assume it’s the natural progression. Others feel pressured into it. And many talented technical professionals hold back, uncertain whether they’re ready, or whether it’s even what they really want.

As a Career Strategist who has worked extensively with professionals in technology, I wanted to get past the generic advice and go directly to people who have lived this transition. I spoke with four experienced IT leaders, all of whom began their careers in hands-on technical roles before moving into management, and asked them the questions that actually matter.

What follows is what they told me, combined with research on what the transition really demands, and practical guidance on how to approach it with intention.

Before we get into the how, it’s worth acknowledging the why this matters, particularly for women in tech.

According to Grant Thornton’s 2024 Women in Business report, women hold just 32% of senior management positions across the global tech sector, below the cross-industry average of 33.5%. But zoom in on the most senior technical roles specifically — CIOs, CTOs, and IT Directors — and the picture is starker: the Nash Squared Digital Leadership Report 2023 found that only 14% of those positions were held by women, a figure that has barely moved in years.¹

Those numbers aren’t just a diversity statistic. They represent a gap in perspective, in decision-making, and in the kind of leadership that high-performing technical teams need. If you’re a woman in a technical role considering management, you’re not just making a career move; you’re stepping into a space that genuinely needs more of what you bring.

Before exploring how to move into management, there’s a more important question to sit with: Do you actually want to?

Management is not a promotion in the traditional sense. It’s a different job. It requires a fundamentally different orientation, away from technical execution and toward enabling others to execute well. And for many people, that shift is more demanding than they anticipated.

Ronan Murray, Infrastructure Manager, who moved through JP Morgan and IBM before taking on people management at LeasePlan Information Services, reflects on what drew him there: “I’ve always gotten the most satisfaction from delivering something new or improving how things are done. People management was a completely new challenge, but even more rewarding. Today, the most rewarding part of the job is seeing engineers and managers develop and grow.”

Not everyone finds that shift equally natural. Olivier Beyssac, Site Reliability Manager at Google, is candid about how different the reality was from his expectation: “I understood it would be a different job, but I didn’t think it would be such a radical difference. As a manager, the people aspect is predominant, combined with team dynamics. Your teammates expect you to take the right decisions on projects, while your reports need you to take the right decisions about them.”

And Gavin Hand, Head of IT Infrastructure, offers a perspective that gets to the heart of the mindset shift required: “Management requires a greater level of acceptance in order to succeed — acceptance of criticism, constraints, responsibility for others’ actions, even if this doesn’t sit well with you. The sooner your mindset changes, the better.”

These are not small shifts. They are identity shifts.

Harvard Business Review’s leadership research describes this well: moving into management for the first time requires genuine identity work, getting clear on who you want to be as a leader, not just what tasks you’re taking on. In a 2023 HBR Women at Work episode on becoming a first-time manager, leadership coach Jen Dary puts it directly: “There is identity work to do, which is: who do I want to be and what is my intention?”

Ask yourself honestly:

• Do I get energy from developing others, or does it drain me?
• Am I comfortable with outcomes I don’t directly control?
• Can I find satisfaction in team achievement rather than personal execution?
• Am I ready to take responsibility when things go wrong, even when I didn’t cause them?

There are no wrong answers. Some exceptional technical professionals find their deepest satisfaction staying in deep expertise. Others find management unlocks an entirely new dimension of impact. Clarity here will serve you more than any qualification.

Across every conversation I had, one theme was consistent: technical expertise gets you to the door, but it’s your human skills that determine whether you thrive once you’re inside.

This aligns with a growing body of evidence. McKinsey’s research on talent management highlights how social and emotional skills — empathy, communication, adaptability, leadership — are increasingly critical as organisations navigate change. The same research notes that these capabilities remain persistently underdeveloped, precisely because they’re harder to measure and build than technical competencies.

In practical terms, what does this mean for a technical professional stepping into management?

1. Delegation is a skill, not a hand-off.

One of the most consistent pieces of feedback from the leaders I spoke with was how profound the shift from doing to trusting others to do really is. As our anonymous female IT Director put it: “A manager needs to be able to delegate, depend, and trust others to do the work. That is the most fundamental change, the shift from doing a task and knowing when it is completed, to handing that responsibility to a team member.”

This isn’t just an operational change. It requires genuine confidence in your team and a willingness to accept that things may be done differently from how you would do them, and that different doesn’t mean wrong.

2. Communication becomes your primary technical skill.

In a technical role, precision matters in code and systems. In a management role, precision matters most in how you communicate expectations, feedback, and direction. Ronan Murray describes it as needing “strong communication skills to translate what you need into something others completely understand and can deliver.”

Research from Harvard Business Review (2024) reinforces this, noting that a manager's impact on their team depends heavily on interpersonal capabilities that most first-time managers haven’t needed to develop before, including clear communication, empathy, and the ability to invest in others’ careers.

3. People are the work, not an interruption to it.

This sounds obvious, stated plainly, but it represents one of the biggest mental adjustments for technical professionals. The shift means staying selectively hands-on, not to hold on to the old role, but to serve the team. As our anonymous IT Director notes, staying technically engaged is most valuable “when it is required to impart skills to a team or team member,” a subtle but important distinction between doing the work and developing the people doing it.

Olivier Beyssac captures the broader balance well: “Switching to management at Google doesn’t mean that you stop being technical. It can be quite hard to mix people management and technical projects, but I don’t think you can manage an effective team in tech if your engineers don’t think your technical background is legitimate.”

The goal is not to abandon your technical identity. It’s to build a new one alongside it.

It’s worth noting that when asked about his top three daily skills, Beyssac named coaching, negotiation, and industry experience, notably different from the communication and delegation cited by others. It’s a useful reminder that management in tech isn’t one-size-fits-all. The blend of skills you develop will be shaped by your context, your team, and your own strengths as much as any rulebook.

If you’ve read this far and the move still appeals to you, here’s where to start, without waiting for a formal opportunity to land in your lap.

Build your soft skills visibly.

Soft skills are the primary criteria when organisations promote into management. But many technical professionals develop them informally, without ever making them visible. Update your LinkedIn profile, your CV, and your professional presence to articulate not just your technical competencies but also your interpersonal ones: time management, mentoring, conflict navigation, team collaboration, communication, and stakeholder management.

Our anonymous IT Director is clear on why this matters in practice: “Communication is key; managing a team requires a manager to lead by giving good instruction, and to be a good listener. Organisation is essential for balancing needs from different people: your team, peers, senior management, internal and external customers. And delegation requires the confidence to trust others to do the work.”

Volunteer for team lead and mentoring opportunities now.

You don’t need a manager title to build management experience. Volunteer to lead projects, act as an escalation point for junior colleagues, or take on mentoring responsibilities. These experiences become both evidence and practice.

A useful framing from Ronan Murray: “Project management is a great interim step, you can work on technical projects and get people experience without having to formally manage people.”

Invest in structured learning.

Our anonymous IT Director completed a Supervisory Management course with the Irish Management Institute (IMI) and describes its impact clearly: “It helped put a lot of things into perspective. It is not instinctive; it is a skill which needs to be learned.” Exploring leadership, management, or HR development programmes, whether through your organisation or independently, gives you both a framework and a confidence boost that can be genuinely transformative.

Consider transition roles.

Not every move from technical to management has to be immediate. Intermediary roles, such as project manager, tech lead, team lead, and product owner, allow you to develop the people-facing muscles gradually, while still staying connected to the technical work you’re good at.

Management is not a more important job than deep technical expertise. It’s a different one. Both matter enormously. The most effective technical organisations need both great individual contributors and great people leaders, and the best managers are usually the ones who choose it, rather than the ones who feel they have no other way to progress.

Ronan Murray puts it simply, and it’s the best note to leave on: “Whatever you do, treat people with respect and the way you would like to be treated. People are a company’s greatest resource; look after them.”

If this is the direction you’re drawn toward, the path is more navigable than it looks from a distance. It starts with self-awareness, builds through small visible steps, and develops through genuine investment in the skills that enable others to thrive.

The technical skills that brought you here are a foundation, not a limitation. What comes next is up to you.

Thinking about what your next step looks like? Explore career consultancy and coaching services at elizabethlenihan.com, or connect on LinkedIn.

This piece draws on original interviews conducted with the following professionals:

• Gavin Hand, Head of IT Infrastructure, Dublin — LinkedIn
• Ronan Murray, Infrastructure Manager, Dublin — LinkedIn
• Olivier Beyssac, Site Reliability Manager, Dublin — LinkedIn
• Anonymous, IT Director, Dublin

1. Grant Thornton (2024). Women in Tech: A Pathway to Gender Balance in Top Tech Roles. Note: the Grant Thornton figure (32%) measures senior management broadly across all functions within mid-market tech firms globally. (This is a wide net: it includes heads of department, directors, VPs, and senior managers across all functions within tech companies: HR, finance, operations, not just technical roles). The Nash Squared figure (14%) measures digital/technology leadership specifically, CIOs, CTOs, IT Directors, and heads of technology function. The two figures are complementary, not contradictory. www.grantthornton.global/en/insights/women-in-business/women-in-tech-a-pathway-to-gender-balance-in-top-tech-roles/
2. Nash Squared (2023). Digital Leadership Report 2023. Referenced via AIPRM (2024). www.aiprm.com/women-in-tech-statistics/
3. Harvard Business Review / HBR On Leadership Podcast (2023). How to Embrace Your New Identity as a Manager. hbr.org/podcast/2023/12/how-to-embrace-your-new-identity-as-a-manager
4. Penney, C. (2024). New Managers: You Don’t Need to Know It All. Harvard Business Review. hbr.org/2024/12/new-managers-you-dont-need-to-know-it-all
5. McKinsey & Company (2023). What Is Talent Management? www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-talent-management

From Technical Expert to People Leader was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Hindsight allegedly being 20/20 I believe the reason that our so called authorities have studiously ignored, minimized and silenced discussion around these highly toxic, persistent and mostly organic pollutants (POPs) is their tacit belief from the beginning that the Elmira Aquifers would not/could not ever be remediated to drinking water standards. At the very least all parties way back in the early 1990s after the EAB (Environmental Appeal Board) was bilaterally shut down were committed to NOT publicly criticizing and disparaging each other. They knew that the magnitude of their misbehaviour and negligence was such that it could permanently rupture public confidence in our entire political/judicial/economic systems.

Hence the big LIE began. Yes we can do it! Yes using the "cheapest and least effective" remediation method of Pump & Treat (hydraulic containment) we will restore the Elmira Aquifers to drinking water standards by 2028. This lie was LOUDLY proclaimed for twenty-five years by Uniroyal Chemical, Crompton & Knowles and Chemtura even years after CPAC, myself and numerous colleagues all said otherwise.in the spring of 2012.  

In reality I am an optimist who believes that with proper, professional and unbiased study, effort and expenditure of resources the groundwater resource could have been saved. That likelihood now, decades later, is greatly diminished thanks to the efforts of Sandy Shantz, Susan Bryant, the Ontario MECP, Woolwich Township, Lanxess (& predecessors) and Waterloo Region. Yes I believe that the dissolved NDMA, chlorobenzene, ammonia and so much more can eventually be reduced considerably more. It is the list of POPs plus mercury above that likely will be the toxic sticking point. As our authorities and others have lied to us for so many decades they have wasted opportunities to find and remove them throughout the past 36 years. However much they were diffused and entrenched into low permeability soils and aquitards, time has only increased the removal difficulties and costs.      

Penny wise and pound foolish is an old English saying. In this context if Uniroyal and our governments had spent less time and money on face saving, public relations and gamesmanship and done the right thing from the beginning as many citizens so advised, we would be so much closer to restoring our aquifers to clean, potable water.