All posts by: Debra Adey

Employee Terminations

  The so-called ‘business decision’ to exit employees from your organization could be a positive experience for both you and the employee. With some thoughtful attention to what people need when they are being released from a familiar role in... Read More

Workplace Predictions 2023

  We just entered a new year and that means a year ahead to look forward to. What better way to tackle the challenges and opportunities head on by anticipating what’s to come. Once again, Debra Adey and Lisa Schmidt... Read More

Who Are The New Leaders In The C-Suite?

  Now that working from home and hybrid arrangements have become fixtures in many businesses across the globe, many CEOs are considering—or even hiring—new direct reports to the senior leadership table. Joining the Chief Operating Officer (COO), the Chief Technology... Read More

The 4-Day Workweek Movement With Andrew Barnes

  When Andrew Barnes decided to change his company to a 4-day work week, he expected some positive results, but even he was surprised by the 20% increase in productivity, amongst many other benefits. Now, his organization, 4 Day Week Global, is helping... Read More

Ghosted By The Boss

  Who’s accountable when a hiring decision goes wrong? As JP illustrates in her compelling personal story, often, the employee feels ashamed and disrespected when they are exited from an organization, in her case, just five weeks after being hired.... Read More

Why Gender Equity is Good for the Economy with Katica Roy

  For far too long, we’ve been hearing how much less money women make than men. While progress is being made, there is still a long way to go—if we look to the latest report from the 2022 World Economic... Read More

Ask Us Anything: Dan Price

  Dan Price was once the CEO who realized that he was making much more money than his employees. So he decided to pay every single one of his employees $70,000 (USD) while taking a 90% pay cut. But his... Read More

Guiding Women On Debt, Wealth And Everyday Finances With Crystal Buhler

  When it comes to women, wellbeing and autonomy are critical. Be it over our healthcare decisions, our freedom of movement, or our finances, having the ability to make informed choices that meet our needs and address our challenges is... Read More

Levels Of Leadership With Carlos Davidovich

  The Personality Data Assessment is an assessment that can help you find your unique and dominant style. It will help you evolve and progress through the different levels of your leadership journey. You will move from managerial to CEO... Read More

Straight Talk on Feminist Leadership

  Is there a difference between being a woman and a feminist in the workplace? What about feminist leadership? There is no doubt that women belong on the job no matter the job: construction, business, engineering, media, academia—plus everything they... Read More
As founder of Work Revolution, I am an outspoken advocate for humanizing the workplace, focused on developing conscientious leadership, and supporting professional careers grounded in purpose. Does this sound airyfairy to you? I can assure it’s not. There is a growing body of peer-reviewed behavioral and neuroscience research that shows we can do better. Much, much better! My academic and professional credentials include a business degree and post-graduate certifications in Human Resources Management, and Adult Learning and Development. Amongst my peers and clients, I am known as a principled, straight shooter with a great sense of humour, dedicated to helping people and organizations do their best work. Speaking of humour, one of my passions is Improv; I completed the program at Second City, in addition to many other courses, and I perform occasionally, or at least I used to prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The principles of Improv are fantastic for improving listening and collaboration, building trust and practicing non-judgment of self and others. I am always looking for ways to incorporate this into my facilitation and coaching work. On a personal note, I live in Toronto with my husband, two sons and our dog. I love traveling, spending time with family and friends, lake swims, skiing, ice cream cones and inventing new cocktails. Although I sometimes swear like a trucker, I balance it out with Pilates, meditation and gratitude.
As founder of Work Revolution, I am an outspoken advocate for humanizing the workplace, focused on developing conscientious leadership, and supporting professional careers grounded in purpose. Does this sound airyfairy to you? I can assure it’s not. There is a growing body of peer-reviewed behavioral and neuroscience research that shows we can do better. Much, much better! My academic and professional credentials include a business degree and post-graduate certifications in Human Resources Management, and Adult Learning and Development. Amongst my peers and clients, I am known as a principled, straight shooter with a great sense of humour, dedicated to helping people and organizations do their best work. Speaking of humour, one of my passions is Improv; I completed the program at Second City, in addition to many other courses, and I perform occasionally, or at least I used to prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The principles of Improv are fantastic for improving listening and collaboration, building trust and practicing non-judgment of self and others. I am always looking for ways to incorporate this into my facilitation and coaching work. On a personal note, I live in Toronto with my husband, two sons and our dog. I love traveling, spending time with family and friends, lake swims, skiing, ice cream cones and inventing new cocktails. Although I sometimes swear like a trucker, I balance it out with Pilates, meditation and gratitude.
Far more than a consultant, I am a thoughtful and pragmatic facilitator who goes to the heart of things, and taps into decades of coaching and supporting leaders at all levels in iconic Canadian organizations such as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the CBC, the Hospital for Sick Children—and internationally with the Mastercard Foundation. I do my best work helping senior leaders get out of the business of managing people, and into catalyzing belonging, innovation, purpose and impact. My core philosophy about development is this: before you can do you, you must be you, which many of us struggle with, having contorted ourselves to fit into workplaces that ask us to bring our best work, but block any thinking or behaviour that threatens the status quo. My focus is on helping leaders get clear on who they are, and want to become—and from there, figuring out what they want to do. My formal education includes a BSC in Human Nutrition and Biochemistry, a Masters of Education in Organizational Change and a professional coach certification. Aside from that, I’m a former speechwriter credited with writing "the Million Dollar speech" for a hospital fundraising campaign, the recipient of Canadian Council literary funding, a contributor to Forbes on leadership and coaching, an occasional essayist on Medium, and a co-host for the first two seasons of the Different People Podcast. I am currently writing both a non-fiction book on how to address organizational dysfunction once and for all, and a novel set in 1980s Montreal. I love travel (and miss it terribly, given pandemic constraints), paddleboarding at sunrise, Scandinavian noir fiction and mucking about in the garden.
Far more than a consultant, I am a thoughtful and pragmatic facilitator who goes to the heart of things, and taps into decades of coaching and supporting leaders at all levels in iconic Canadian organizations such as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the CBC, the Hospital for Sick Children—and internationally with the Mastercard Foundation. I do my best work helping senior leaders get out of the business of managing people, and into catalyzing belonging, innovation, purpose and impact. My core philosophy about development is this: before you can do you, you must be you, which many of us struggle with, having contorted ourselves to fit into workplaces that ask us to bring our best work, but block any thinking or behaviour that threatens the status quo. My focus is on helping leaders get clear on who they are, and want to become—and from there, figuring out what they want to do. My formal education includes a BSC in Human Nutrition and Biochemistry, a Masters of Education in Organizational Change and a professional coach certification. Aside from that, I’m a former speechwriter credited with writing "the Million Dollar speech" for a hospital fundraising campaign, the recipient of Canadian Council literary funding, a contributor to Forbes on leadership and coaching, an occasional essayist on Medium, and a co-host for the first two seasons of the Different People Podcast. I am currently writing both a non-fiction book on how to address organizational dysfunction once and for all, and a novel set in 1980s Montreal. I love travel (and miss it terribly, given pandemic constraints), paddleboarding at sunrise, Scandinavian noir fiction and mucking about in the garden.