GH Foundation: gh-foundation.com | Project Blue

That accumulation has a name: decision debt.

In this episode, Jami names decision debt as a systems outcome, not a leadership failure. She walks through four types of decision debt, the unmade decision, the reactive decision, the undiscussed decision, and the forced decision, and what they cost organizations, teams, and the people leading them.

This episode includes a personal story about a yes that wasn't, a breakdown of decision friction vs. analysis paralysis, and a three-question Decision Debt Inventory you can use this week.

If something has been sitting on your list longer than it should, or if your team is running in three different directions, this episode is for you.

SHOW NOTES TO INCLUDE:

Decision Debt Inventory (3 questions):

   1. What decision has been sitting the longest?

   2. What is the cost of continuing to defer it?
   3. What would a good enough decision look like right now — informed enough, honest enough, and reversible enough to move forward?

Invisible Load Inventory:

1. What am I carrying that has no place to land?
2. How is it shaping how I lead?
3. What do I need that I haven’t asked for?

If capacity is the real constraint, what around you might be quietly draining it? The pace? The expectations? The unspoken pressure?

Connect: deloustrategies.com

In the Season Two opener of Adaptive Humans, Jami de Lou explores why recalibration often gets misread as hesitation, what sustained stress does to clarity and capacity, and how to begin again without forcing certainty or burning out.

If this new year feels slower or heavier than expected, this episode offers language, permission, and grounding to move forward with care.

As we close out the year, this episode of Adaptive Humans offers a grounded reflection — not on resolutions, but on what this year asked of us emotionally, culturally, and physiologically. Beneath polished bios, many carried unseen stress, grief, and uncertainty. Jami explores why this wasn’t a talent problem but a capacity one, what it means to be brave enough before clarity arrives, and how making room for joy supports resilience. The episode closes with a gentle Just Be Reset to help listeners pause and enter the new year with more presence and care.

They explore cultural intelligence, systemic inequities, and how to build safety and trust in high-stakes spaces. This isn’t just about birth. It’s about leadership, healing, and how we care for one another.

🔗 Learn more about Leah Hairston and her team: https://sweetbeeservices.com

In this episode of Adaptive Humans™, host Jami de Lou shares practical, compassionate tools for navigating those first few days after everything changes. You’ll learn how to spot your body’s stress patterns, build a 72-hour plan to find stability, and support others through uncertainty.

This episode is for anyone who’s been laid off, “survived” a reorg, or leads a team in transition.

In This Episode

• What fight, flight, freeze, and fawn look like at work — and how to move through them
• How to create a 72-hour plan for your first three days of transition
• Self-care cues, breathing resets, and short focus sprints to re-regulate
• Text and meeting scripts to set boundaries and ask for help
• Practical actions for managers supporting impacted teams

You’ll hear:

• Why flexibility is a shared responsibility across orgs, leaders, and individuals
• The mindset shift from either/or to yes/and—and how it unlocks collaboration
• Practical ways to build return on experience (not just return to office)
• A simple reset: asking, “What do I need most right now?” to move from doing to being

If you lead people, or lead yourself, this episode offers clarity, language, and practices to support wholeness without burnout.

Resources & Links
• Diversity & Flexibility Alliance (consulting, research, events): Diversity and Flexibility Alliance
• The Flexibility Paradigm by Manar Morales (publisher page): Georgetown University Press

If today’s episode resonates, share it with a colleague who’s building a human-centered workplace. And remember: adaptability starts with presence.

You’ll hear:

• Why hidden codes at work create misunderstanding.
• The 4 dimensions of CQ: Drive, Knowledge, Strategy, Action.
• A Brave Enough Moment where I slipped into fawn mode—and what I learned.
• The ADAPT™ framework to reset when cultures collide.
• The Cultural Reframe: 4 steps to pause, breathe, name assumptions, and bridge with curiosity.

Because the truth is, culture and identity are always in the room. Pretending they’re not only deepens silos. Let’s practice choosing curiosity over reactivity.

✨ Resource: How to Respect Religious Observances on Your Team

Kerri shares the unexpected origins of her project, how a single letter (“E”) became a path to empathy, and why feeling grief can open the door to healing. Together, they reflect on creativity as a safe container for grief, and Kerri offers a Just Be Reset with small practices to process emotions. 

Content note: ⚠️ Content Note: This episode discusses suicide loss and navigating grief. Please listen with care. If today isn’t the right time for this conversation, you’re welcome to return when you’re ready. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Call or text 988 in the U.S. to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

To Learn more about the Sentiment Project, you can find more details on IG at @sentiment_project.