Marissa Lee

Over the past year, I’ve heard a version of the same sentence again and again from team leads, HR partners, DEI heads, and business owners: “We don’t need another initiative. We just need space.” Not more frameworks. Not another change process. Just a way to get unstuck. The Reframing Room is my response to that. It’s a new B2B offer from Dixon Consulting, designed for teams and leaders navigating emotional complexity, cultural disconnection, or a quiet sense that something’s off but no one’s naming it. This isn’t a course or a toolkit. It’s structured space, high-trust, human, and psychologically grounded to help shift the narratives shaping how people show up and work together. There are three ways in: → A single 90-minute team session → A coaching package for people-facing leaders → A deeper reset for teams over three sessions It’s not about performance metrics. But we do pay attention to what matters: alignment, clarity, trust, and the conversations that weren’t happening before. All sessions are designed and delivered by me. Pricing is clear. And it starts with a conversation. Link in the first comment.

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The Compensation Profession Is Changing. Are You Ready? Ten years ago, compensation was largely a back-office function: lots of spreadsheets, unorganized old job descriptions, static salary surveys published once a year, and a lot of pay data analysis that took time complete and even more time and employees to summarize in PowerPoint. Technology has changed everything. Modern comp teams are no longer data wranglers. They are pay data strategists. Survey data is now integrated, interactive, and real-time. AI-powered tools surface insights on labor market shifts, peer benchmarking, and internal pay equity risks instantly. Job evaluation and job leveling approaches that once took weeks are now automated and adaptive. Job architectures are dynamic, global, and tech-enabled, allowing organizations to scale with clarity. And pay communications? They’ve gone from taboo to table stakes with tools that personalize total comp statements for employees. Laws and expectations have shifted fast. In the U.S., pay equity audits are no longer optional. State laws from California to New York now mandate transparency in job postings, salary ranges, and internal processes. Globally, the EU Pay Transparency Directive will push even multinational holdouts to publish gender pay gaps and provide justifications for pay differences. This regulatory wave is forcing comp leaders to integrate equity and reporting into the program design and pay decision making processes. The workplace has changed, and it is not done. Hybrid work, remote-first organizations, and purpose-driven employers have made rigid compensation structures obsolete. Location-based pay? Being reconsidered and adapted to employee and employer needs. Standard annual pay increases? Replaced by more frequent, data-driven market/equity adjustments. Employees today want to understand how they’re paid, why they’re paid that way, and how to grow their careers. As HR and comp leaders we must deliver answers to be trusted and to have the right impact. So, what’s next? The next 10 years will demand greater pay transparency, agility, data insights, and storytelling. Compensation will move from slow-moving data reporting and compliance function to a strategic driver of talent attraction, retention, and productivity. AI will help, but it won’t replace business acumen, context, and judgment. Compensation professionals who thrive will be those who can marry technology with strategy, analytics with empathy, and decision making with storytelling. It’s no longer just about “how much we pay.” It is about how we decide, how we explain, and how we adapt quickly. Are you ready for the next decade of compensation? What are your predictions for the future? #Compensation #HR #PayTransparency #TotalRewards #JobArchitecture #PayEquity #FutureOfWork #WorldatWork #CompensationConsultant #HumanResources #SHRM #Incentives #JobEvaluation #FairPay https://shorturl.at/Iuk4G

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DEI consultants: “Attendance” won’t save your budget. “Retention savings” will. Most DEI reports are still full of vanity metrics: • Attendance • Events run • Sessions delivered • Initiatives launched These make leaders nod. They do not unlock funding. Value metrics do: 🎯 Promotion rate 🎯 Employee referrals 🎯 Skills applied on the job 🎯 Retention savings Those don’t just look good. They move the business. That’s why I built the Metrics on Card inside the DEI Business Alignment Assessment. It swaps noise for numbers your clients can actually take into a board meeting: 💰 Preventable turnover £ 💰 Vacancy cost £ 💰 Ramp‑time tax £ 💰 Productivity lift £ 💰 Risk avoided £ Once DEI is framed in business terms, the conversation changes: Leaders stop asking, “How many workshops did we run?” They start asking, “Where should we prioritise spend to move KPIs this quarter?” They’re no longer buying awareness. They’re investing in outcomes. Want a simple way to start that shift on LinkedIn? Post the comparison your buyers feel in their gut: Vanity vs Value Metrics • Attendance vs Promotion Rate • Sessions Delivered vs Skills Applied • Events Run vs Employee Referrals • Initiatives Launched vs Retention Savings Your ideal HR Heads and CFOs will instantly know which side they care about. 👉 If you want the exact Metrics Card template I use with DEI consultants (plus the assessment link their clients see), comment METRICS below and I’ll DM it to you. (No signup required) --- ♻️ Repost to help other consultants in the DEI space.

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Financial wellness training as a talent management tool. https://zurl.co/0UA3h Economic pressure shows up in absenteeism, low morale, productivity gaps, and increased requests for staff loans and salary advances. When employees are financially stressed, HR teams end up managing symptoms instead of solving root causes. That’s where financial wellness becomes a talent management tool — not a “nice to have.” Here are 15 practical ways HR leaders can respond during tight economic cycles: ✔️Recognize financial stress as a performance issue, not a personal failure ✔️ Track trends in staff loans, advances, and payroll deductions ✔️ Introduce financial wellness programs alongside EAPs ✔️ Offer debt-elimination education, not just budgeting tips ✔️ Teach employees how credit scores affect housing, vehicles, and emergency access ✔️ Provide tools for expense tracking and cash-flow awareness ✔️ Partner with certified financial coaches for confidential guidance ✔️ Improve retention by addressing real-life financial pressure The reality: When employees can’t manage their salary, HR ends up managing the fallout. A structured financial wellness program — focused on debt reduction, credit score awareness, and expense tracking — helps employees stabilize their finances while helping organizations stabilize productivity and retention. #HumanResources #TalentManagement #FinancialWellness #EmployeeEngagement #HRStrategy #WorkplaceProductivity #PeopleAndPerformance

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Do you ever skip celebrating progress to focus on what's next? I'm guilty of this often. So today, I am hitting pause and celebrating the incredible impact and progress CoLabL & SHRM + the SHRM Foundation made in 2025 through several #mentorship initiatives. While the level of engagement is strong, what matters most to me is the quality of the connections and the application of learning! I am grateful for so many who made this programming possible including Lana Williams, Clayton Lord & Wendi Safstrom plus Michael Nemeth! And in the spirit of how do we build on this momentum, I am THRILLED to share that registration is now open for 2026 mentorship programming with #SHRM. Special shout out to Faith Stipanovich, SHRM-SCP, Nancy Woolever, SHRM-SCP & Kevin Abbed for helping us get launched this year! 👉🏾 Check out the details (https://lnkd.in/dD8sNzqY) and help us spread the word to students, emerging #HR professionals, and SHRM professional members willing to engage as mentors. We offer a variety of programming that fits diverse schedules and aligns with career goals & exploration! #EarlyCareer #ProfessionalDevelopment #HRCommunity #Inclusion

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New blog: Rage, Division, and Control — Understanding Malignant Narcissism in Leadership. Malignant narcissism can dismantle teams and boardrooms through rage, triangulation, and deliberate division. If you manage people or advise organizations, this piece outlines how to spot toxic patterns and practical protections. Read the full article: https://wix.to/e7vw8Gb #Leadership #HR #OrganizationalHealth #ToxicWorkplace #Narcissism

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Harvard Business Review shared this video from my recent article on a pattern I see often in my coaching work. Organizations hire bold leaders to drive change. Then the system around them trains them to go quiet. What looks like hesitation is often a rational response to the signals around them. If a new leader’s voice is fading, it’s worth asking: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞?

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For DEI practitioners budget cuts aren’t the hardest part. The quieter blow is what the country is telling them about their calling. Here's what Cecilia Stanton Adams named on TRAP Chat: • 20 years of work toppled in one administration. • Hearing your life's work framed as the problem on podcasts. • Retreating from the conversation because you're wondering if you're the one in a different world. That's gaslighting at scale. Your organization's retreat from DEI doesn't measure the worth of your calling. It just asks you to be more specific and more strategic about what you're trying to solve. Full episode link in comments.

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If you’re in HR, leadership, or people operations right now… this is one of those conversations you probably can’t afford to miss. Too many organizations are operating under pressure while quietly calling it “normal.” Burnout gets praised as commitment. Stress gets ignored until performance, culture, and retention start slipping. Next week, SHRM Tulsa is hosting two incredibly relevant sessions focused on something every organization is feeling right now. Also, for anyone pursuing their SHRM certification, registration for the SHRM Certification Prep Course has been extended through tomorrow. Facilitated by incredible leaders including Cricket Moore, SHRM-CP and Jenny Ruggs, SHRM-CP. Please help us spread the word by liking, commenting, and sharing with your networks. The more conversations we create around leadership, stress, and people strategy… the stronger our workplaces become. Tatum Shurkey, Barbara Abercrombie, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, Ph.D., GlenNel Barlow, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Gavin Ray Robinson, (SHRM-CP), LaToya Gordon, #Leadership #HR #SHRM #SHRMTulsa #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeWellbeing #PeopleStrategy #ExecutiveLeadership #StressManagement #HumanResources

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The work that actually needs to get done in a change is often what doesn't get done.  Success starts with clear decisions, focused work, accountability and reinforced behaviors. Only then does structure actually help.

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The popularity of unions remains very high, consistent positive employee engagement is vital to retaining a productive union free environment. Many times, employees don’t bring matters of importance to their direct supervisors, preferring to complain to their co-workers, many times out of frustration caused by inaction by the management team to address their issues or out of fear of retaliation. In my past life as a National Organizing Director with thousands of organizing campaigns under my belt across the U.S and Canada, I can say that a breakdown of communicating between management and employees is the biggest cause of union organizing activity. A majority of employers sincerely want do the right thing and treat their employees fair, I have listened to an untold number of stories by my clients management teams at the biggening of a campaign about how well they treat their employees and the great relationship they have with them, I always ask them” ok then why am I here, there are issues that you don’t know about and we need to find out what they are and rebuild their trust.” It's important to always have an open dialogue with your employees, today’s workplace is more diverse then ever and the days of a one management style that fits all is long gone, managing a Multigenerational workforce is much more complicated with Boomers, Gen X, Millennial and Gen z employees working together. Ethnicity in the workforce is also changing quickly, the 2020 census shows that the US workforce is 78% white, but the workforce is projected to change by 2045 where the majority of white workers will be under 50%, Hispanics 25%, Blacks 13%, Asian 8% and 4% will be Multiracial. Understanding your workforce dynamics is vital while navigating union activity in your facility, if you read union published news alone with pro union groups like Labor notes and Teamsters for a democratic union (TDU) you will realize that they are preparing for the changing diverse workforce, in fact the labor movement has always been trying to adjust to these worker dynamics, I was part of this process while I was a union official. Utilize emotional intelligence to win over employee’s trust and engrain them in the solution to the labor crisis/union campaign or high turnover problems. Getting to this level of understanding and motivating through emotional intelligence requires the opening of your senses, by talking less and listening more. You can learn almost everything you need to know about what is driving a labor crisis and how to fix it by keeping your eyes and ears open and your mouth closed. The more you know about a person, the more influence and power you have to persuade them. If you can understand the complexities of emotions stemming from your employees, you have the chance to change their emotions to an advantage. https://pslabor.com/

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✨ Feeling inspired after yesterday's lunchtime webinar with Elizabeth Leiba and the amazing Christy Rutherford ♦ Executive Leadership Expert! 🙌 Here are a few key takeaways for Black women in leadership (and really, for everyone!): ➡️ We bring incredible value to our organizations. Let's own that! 👑 ➡️ Often, we go above and beyond to prove our worth, but this can lead to burnout. 🔥 Let's prioritize! ➡️ Dropping the ball shouldn't negate our overall contributions. We deserve better. ❤️ So, what can we do? Here’s what Christy said: for at least 3 days a week, let's focus on ourselves: ✅ Get at least 8 hours of sleep 😴 ✅ Meditate for 5 mins 🧘🏾‍♀️ ✅ Move our bodies for 30 mins 💃🏽🏃🏾‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️ These small changes can make a HUGE difference in how we value ourselves and what we prioritize. Christy also shared some fantastic tools for career reinvigoration, entrepreneurship, and increasing earnings – definitely check her out! 🚀 At Better HR, we're listening to the experiences of Black women in toxic work environments. The stories of being devalued, tokenized, overlooked, and underpaid are far too common. There are too many stories of auto-immune diseases developing, weight gain, depression, heart disease, infertility and in some cases, suicidal ideation- all over how we’ve been treated at work. It's time for a new brand of leadership where our contributions are truly valued and we can thrive. Better HR is working on the blueprint for the management talent we all deserve. 💪 Looking forward to hearing more stories and building a better future of work, together. Let's save our time and talents for workplaces that truly appreciate us! Make sure to connect with Christy Rutherford ♦ Executive Leadership Expert, follow Elizabeth Leiba and join future webinars! #BlackWomenInLeadership #Leadership #SelfCare #Inspiration #CareerGrowth #BetterHR #ToxicWorkEnvironments #EmployeeWellbeing #ManagementTalent #WebinarTakeaways #BetterHR #Blacklinkedin

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in the last week, SHRM quietly rebranded their Inclusion Conference to "Blueprint". no fanfare. no explanation to their members. just... different words on a website. this is how institutions die. not with dramatic failures, but with quiet compromises that no one talks about. last year they dropped "equity" from DEI. barely a press release. this year they removed "inclusion" from their flagship conference. mentioned it in passing. next year? what other words will quietly disappear? SHRM isn't fighting for anything. they're just... managing perceptions. adjusting language. staying safe. it's not only that they made these changes. it's that they made them so quietly. no debate with their members. no explanation of strategy. no acknowledgment that these words meant something to people. as if changing the language changes the reality. the unfortunate message this sends is: don't make noise. don't take stands. don't use words that might upset anyone. be professional. which apparently means being invisible. I keep thinking about all the HR people out there: fighting for fair hiring practices in companies that don't want to hear it. pushing for inclusive policies while their budgets get cut. trying to build belonging while everyone argues about what that even means. and their professional organization's strategy is... quieter branding? SHRM represents 340,000 people. that's real influence. real power to shape conversations, set standards, lead difficult discussions. instead, they're teaching people that leadership means saying less, not more. that influence becomes silence. if HR professionals can't speak clearly about inclusion and equity, who will? if we whisper about the work that matters most, why would anyone listen? maybe that's the point.

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A recent leadership survey conducted among HR professionals, business leaders, and organizational managers to evaluate current leadership practices and perceptions regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) found that DEI isn't dead. As long as you are working with humans, you need to intentionally take a humanistic approach. Here's what's important: Inclusive Leadership Awareness/ Understanding of Inclusive Leadership: A majority of respondents (78%) indicated they understand the principles of inclusive leadership, yet 42% acknowledged challenges in implementing these effectively within their teams. Current Practices: About 65% of leaders reported actively promoting diversity and inclusion, mainly through diversity training and open communication initiatives. Organizational Culture and DEI/Perceived Inclusivity: Employees rated their organization's inclusivity levels at an average of 7.2 out of 10, highlighting room for improvement in areas such as leadership representation and equitable advancement opportunities. Psychological Safety: Seventy percent of participants feel safe expressing diverse opinions, although there is a call for more mechanisms to support psychological safety across different organizational levels. Barriers to DEI Implementation/Identified Challenges: Common barriers include lack of time and resources (56%), insufficient training (47%), and resistance to change within teams (39%). Support Needs: Respondents expressed a need for more comprehensive DEI training (62%) and leadership development programs to enhance cultural intelligence and empathetic communication (54%). What KMC Recommendations Enhance Leadership Training: Develop and implement comprehensive DEI training programs that focus on practical, real-world applications of inclusive leadership principles. Create mentorship opportunities to support leaders in developing cultural intelligence and empathetic communication skills. Strengthen Organizational Culture: Foster an environment where psychological safety is prioritized by establishing clear communication channels and feedback mechanisms. Encourage leadership representation that reflects organizational diversity to inspire trust and demonstrate commitment to DEI values. Address Barriers to DEI: Allocate dedicated resources and time for DEI initiatives and training to overcome constraints and promote consistent leadership engagement. Implement change management strategies to address and reduce resistance within teams, facilitating smoother transitions toward inclusive practices. Connect with us for more support in these areas!

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Honored to be speaking at the Mile High SHRM 2026 Annual HR Conference. Session: Joy As The Engine™: A Plug-and-Play Culture Shift with Zero Initiative Fatigue. Leadership burnout is a systems design flaw. In this session, I’ll share the operating model I use to stop leadership burnout and stabilize performance within 90 days without launching a new initiative. JOY AS THE ENGINE™ is SHRM & HRCI approved, and HR leaders are enrolling to earn the credits required to maintain certifications including SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, and SPHR. If you’re responsible for people, culture, performance, or retention, this conversation is built for you. Grateful for the opportunity to serve the HR community. 📍 Mile High SHRM Annual Conference | Denver Convention Center 📅 Feb 27 | 12:45–1:45PM 🎟 Conference details: https://lnkd.in/gFbUeBq8 See you in Denver. Mile High SHRM SHRM HRCI Organizational Certification HRCI SHRM Southern Colorado SHRM Colorado State Council SHRM APAC Rocky Mountain People + Strategy DisruptHR DisruptHR Denver DisruptHR Northern Colorado University of Denver - Daniels College of Business Professional and Workforce Development at the University of Denver College of Professional Studies at University of Denver

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SHRM - the world’s largest human resources body - asked a court to exclude evidence of its own HR expertise in a racial discrimination trial. Their argument? That holding them to higher standards than other employers would be “unfair”. But SHRM is not “just another employer.” It is a global authority that: • Sets HR standards • Certifies HR professionals • Advises governments, institutions and corporations • Defines what “best practice” means in the modern workplace If that expertise is only valid when selling courses - but inconvenient in court - then we are not dealing with a standards body. We are dealing with a branding machine. The judge saw through it and ruled that SHRM’s “asserted expertise … is integral to the circumstances of this case.” That ruling should matter to every policymaker, regulator, and institution that relies on third-party HR “expertise”. The question now is universal: > When our standards bodies are tested, will they live by the frameworks they impose on others - or will they, like SHRM, try to escape them? When standards are no longer lived, compliance becomes theatre. And ethics becomes marketing. This case is not just a lawsuit. It is a stress test for the credibility of the entire HR-industrial ecosystem. Singapore must take note: If we tolerate institutions that preach values they cannot follow, we are teaching our workforce to settle for spectacle over substance. Integrity is not optional. It is the foundation of governance, productivity, and trust.

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“Our employees want to share. They just don’t feel confident.” The #1 barrier to advocacy is uncertainty according to DSMN8’s 2026 benchmark report. That’s why 88% of program managers now use training to scale participation, and why programs with clear guidance consistently outperform the rest. This is just a snapshot of the data. If you’re planning your 2026 advocacy strategy, the full report will help you benchmark properly while learning from the most successful programs. 👉 https://lnkd.in/g-zFAJ-y

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Most leadership outcomes are decided long before the formal moment arrives. From years working as a global talent head and partnering directly with MDs and senior leadership teams, I’ve seen this quietly play out. Promotions, stretch roles, and critical mandates don’t hinge on effort alone. They hinge on whether authority and judgement were visible early, before decisions became crowded or political. From a brain and decision standpoint, organisations reward predictability under pressure. Leaders who progress don’t wait to be assessed at milestones. They reduce ambiguity in real time, make their judgement legible, and establish decision ownership before stakes rise. This isn’t about self-promotion. It’s about understanding how leadership signal is read when speed, risk, and accountability increase. Comment Rewired if this shift matters in your role.

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