Dave Whiteside

Think about how much has happened in the world since March 2023.

Now think about how many orgs survey employees every other year.

Odds are, you're not the organization you were in 2023. So why are you still using 2023's data to guide your employee experience decisions in 2025?

We get "survey fatigue" all wrong.

Survey fatigue isn't about too many surveys, it's about too little action.

So if you want to do a survey right, start by asking if you've closed the loop on the last one and if you're committed to making tangible changes based on a new one.

It is wild that Trump campaigned primarily on the price of groceries and literally said "I won an election based on that. We're going to bring those prices way down".

We're now five weeks into his presidency, and his biggest policy decision will literally raise grocery prices.

Your Tenured Employees Need Love Too: The Honeymoon Hangover at Work A digestible, data-driven story of the honeymoon-hangover effect and why organizations need to do better to support their more tenured employees.

This is the second blog in my "Bite-Sized But Impactful Data" series.

This month, I focused on one of the most reliable effects we see in our data at YMCA WorkWell: The Honeymoon Hangover at work and how we regularly let down our most tenured employees.

blog.ymcaworkwell.com/honeymoon-ha...

2025 has been 18 months long already, but today marks the first morning that I’ve thought to myself “hey, it’s kind of light out” while walking my dog.

And that’s something I can get behind.

As my family enters into a new tax season with the end of a mat leave and EI benefits, a job change, a side hustle, and the start of a child in child care, I’m grateful that my education prioritized teaching me cursive, Pythagorean, and “stop, drop, and roll” over taxes.

Last night’s annual Cocktail and Chips competition.

🥇Pineapple Whiskey Sour with BBQ kettle chips
🥈Tamarind Margarita with fajita Takis
🥉Cucumber Melin Spritz with cucumber chips

Highly recommended as an activity.

One more time for those at the back:

Unlimited vacation and PTO doesn't mean anything if employees don't feel like they can actually use it.

My 22 month old daughter will hand me an Etch-A-Sketch and will give me orders on what she wants me to draw.

“Fish”, she’ll say.
“Turtle”
“Bubbles”

She’ll watch me take my time, then look me dead in the eyes as she erases it. Emotionless.

And then, tapping the screen…
“Fish”, she’ll say.

Please, snow. Please.

We’ve had enough.

This is your reminder that there are stars you can see tonight that are thousands of light years away, and the light you see from them tonight was emitted thousands of years ago.

Those stars could have died out hundreds of years ago and we wouldn't even know it for hundreds more.

AI can do some really awesome things.

I just uploaded my lab results from my most recent bloodwork and it gave me a summary of my results that was about 10x more detailed than my doctor's, along with extra recommendations on some things I might want to target.

That is awesome.

That’s the dream, right there.

Trustworthiness is made up of 3 things:

1⃣ Ability: Do people think you can do what you say you will?
2⃣ Integrity: Do people believe that you will do what is "right"?
3⃣ Care: Do believe believe you care about them?

If people don't trust you, where are you falling short?

Why Leader Well-Being is Critical to Your Nonprofit's Success A digestible, data-driven story of why leader well-being is crucial to nonprofit success, with insights on where to start to best support leaders' health.

One of my personal goals this year is to create more content with the incredible amounts of data our @YMCAWorkWell team has.

And so, this is my first monthly blog on the undeniable importance of front-line leaders' well-being in the nonprofit sector.

blog.ymcaworkwell.com/nonprofit-le...

Calling this a "trade war" is like watching the high school wannabe tough guy sucker punch their supposed friend from behind and calling it a fight.

Hey parents,

If your kid shows you something that they’re excited about, be excited back. I know it’s easy to get lost in to-do lists and the busyness of life, but they deserve it.

Match that enthusiasm.

Here’s your reminder that you don’t find balance, you create balance.

a close up of a statue of an owl in a dark room . ALT: a close up of a statue of an owl in a dark room .

So. My daughter can officially open doors and it feels like the scene in Jurassic Park where the raptors have learned how to open doors and you immediately know this new development changes everything about the way things were going.

Want to find the quick wins in your data? Here's a simple framework:

▪️Take the time to read every comment
▪️Find every issue that can be fixed for less than $100
▪️Fix every one within two weeks

Execute the simple actions quickly while you develop the complex & long-term plan.

Today has been a sad and scary day.

Congrats to the winner of the “Guess how many Cheerios my daughter had stashed away in her diaper” raffle with the correct answer of 8.

Both are wrong and no answer is right.

a man in a plaid shirt is standing in front of a window . ALT: a man in a plaid shirt is standing in front of a window .

Watching out the window as another bout of snow falls 20 minutes after shovelling the driveway.

Full send

It's sad that it's so expensive to eat healthy.

My family is having a medium pepperoni pizza from Gino's tonight for $11.

It's nearly impossible to make us salads with a protein for that amount, even if we made them at home. And the salad doesn't come with free dipping sauce.

Seeing the richest man in the world troll the outgoing Prime Minister of Canada because he refuted the incoming President's claims that Canada is going to happily become part of the United States...

This, sadly, is truly the weirdest and worst timeline.

Pointed reminders.

Just finished season 2 of Shrinking and I have to say:

Between #Shrinking and #TedLasso, #AppleTV has really nailed the combination of funny and heartfelt, while somehow being both uplifting and open to discussing tough topics.

Take the time to watch it if you haven't yet.

What's a stat that scares you coming into 2025?

This is one that sticks with me - but it's not one I'm going to run from. Tackling this reality is going to be one of my primary objectives this year, because nonprofits are the backbones of our communities.

www.ymcaworkwell.com/insights-to-...