The Comeback Can Be Greater Than The Setback
09
Nov 2023
CPHR Alberta
207
Author: Jesse Adams, President, and Founder of Ember Experience
In my business coaching, leadership, and life, I operationalize many of the skills I learned during my master's program. Part of my advanced degree was spent coaching high-performance athletes for Canada’s Olympic teams. In a split second, a top athlete can sustain an injury that takes them out for a season or causes them to put their dream of competing for a podium spot on pause. I watched a few athletes who had to overcome personal setbacks. I coached them as they did the mandatory training, uncomfortable and slow-moving physical therapy. I witnessed some of them recover from painful surgeries to come back at top speeds after serious dedication and intense training.
Over the last year of growing my own consulting company, we have faced my fair share of setbacks requiring my team and I to re-strategize, pivot, overcome, and recalibrate. We endured staffing changes, various partnerships with altering priorities, personal challenges, and a reevaluation of our methods and procedures. All while we were taking on new clients, continuing relationships with past contacts, operationalizing and executing on the vision I had for our organization. My team and I collectively worked, (and continue to work through) challenges and setbacks. All those obstacles allowed us to come together and finesse our work, evaluate our systems, roles, processes, and resource needs. We are standing together on the other side, stronger.
Whatever setback you are currently experiencing, whether it is related to product development, policy implementation, staffing changes, or another struggle, remember when you focus on your purpose, mission, and values, the comeback can be stronger than the setback.
Here is a list of my five insights you and your team can consider when facing a setback to inspire the comeback:
- Expect Obstacles
Whether you own a business (new or established) or lead a group of people, expect obstacles. There will be challenges e.g., people, budget, client loss) that can get in the way of your big plans. By being ready and prepared for all eventualities, you are more likely to succeed and less likely to be taken by surprise when the goals you have in place are suddenly less achievable because a team member has resigned, or you have not been selected for an account or a client you pitched for.
- Debrief... Debrief... Debrief...
Allowing yourself to investigate the cause of the setback is another critical way to handle it. Understanding why a client has decided to go elsewhere or an idea has not worked out is a good starting point for preventing it from happening again.
In my experience, issues fit into four categories:
A. Systemic and structural
B. Lack of clarity and communication
C. Interpersonal relationships/dynamics
D. Resource allocation and management
It is important to establish whether the setback was caused by something at your end, something that was systemic, interpersonal, or a resourcing issue (budgetary or staff). Maybe you implemented a new policy that exasperated a problem? Perhaps your communication about deliverables and expectations was inadequate and led to the missed deadline. Whatever the concern, it is crucial that you and your staff work out what happened to rectify it.
- Be Accountable
Evaluate your own role honestly and fairly. Transparently acknowledge your part and any damage your actions may have caused. Act with integrity to repair. Encourage your staff to act with the same respect, responsibility, and courtesy.
- Accept the Things that You Cannot Change
Sometimes the setback really can be just one of those things that happens, just like in life. If you have thoroughly examined your role and identified all the considerable options, it may be best to accept it and let it go. You may have a staff member leaving because they have a sick/aging parent, or you may lose a contract because your product supplier has an inventory issue. These are out of your hands and accepting that is an effective way to approach these kinds of issues.
- Seek Support
If you are encountering a particularly difficult problem and you cannot see a way out, reach out to your trusted network and their professional insight. Find someone outside the issue to discuss it with, we can sometimes get so close to a problem, that we may not see a way around it. There are experts in every field, business coaches, and even a trusted colleague in another department, with a listening ear who can offer insight into your current situation, or just listen and help you sort through the issue. Speaking to others in your network can give you that lift you need to get out of the mire and back on track.
In business, just as in athletics, some situations and circumstances are seen as setbacks. By learning how to plan for, evaluate, own our role in, and build from these setbacks, we can come back stronger. The comeback allows for transparency, connection, and a strong workplace culture of trust and collaboration.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.
Author : Nicole Mahieux, Nick Canning & Kendal Tremblay Mental health is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of employee well-being, business resilience and community strength. For HR professionals, supporting mental health is no longer optional—it’s imperative. While conversations around mental health have gained traction in many industries, one critical sector still faces unique and persistent challenges: agriculture. Farmers and agricultural workers play a vital role in food production and national food security. Yet they are among the most vulnerable when it comes to mental health struggles. In fact, they experience some of the highest rates of stress, anxiety, depression—and even suicide. This is not just a personal issue. It's a workforce issue. It's a public health issue. It's a business issue. There are a range of compounding pressures makes farming one of the most mentally taxing professions. These include: 1.Financial Stress & Unpredictability Unstable markets, weather-dependent outcomes, and shifting government policies contribute to a constant sense of economic uncertainty. 2. Isolation Many farmers work alone and live in rural areas where access to social support is limited. Social isolation increases vulnerability to mental health concerns. 3. Stigma Although mental health stigma is slowly decreasing, it remains a barrier—especially among men, who represent 74% of the agricultural workforce. Traditional gender norms often discourage open conversations or help-seeking.
As a proud participant in the Glowing Hearts program , CPHR Alberta continues to champion the value that Canadian Armed Forces reservists bring to our workplaces. Since joining the program, we’ve seen firsthand how supporting reservists not only strengthens our communities but also enhances organizational resilience and leadership. The Value of Reservists in the Workplace Reservists are more than military personnel—they are strategic thinkers, adaptable leaders, and skilled collaborators. Their training equips them with discipline, problem-solving abilities, and a mission-focused mindset that translates seamlessly into civilian roles. Captain McKenzie Kibler of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment exemplifies this. In a recent deployment on Operation REASSURANCE, he developed leadership and operational skills that now enrich his civilian career. Watch his story here. Support, Recognition, and Incentives for Employers Supporting reservists doesn’t mean sacrificing business continuity—in fact, it opens the door to meaningful recognition and financial support. Through the Compensation for Employers of Reservists Program (CERP) , employers can receive grants to help offset operational costs when a reservist-employee is away for 30 days or more. At the same time, organizations that register their reservist leave policies with the Glowing Hearts program are publicly recognized on the Canadian Forces Liaison Council website and receive a certificate of support and digital badge. These benefits not only ease the logistical challenges of supporting reservists but also position your organization as a leader in community engagement and national service. Tools and Templates for HR Leaders To make it easier for organizations to support reservists, CPHR Alberta offers a Reservist Leave Policy Template. This resource outlines eligibility, leave procedures, compensation, and compliance with federal and provincial legislation—making it simple to implement a supportive policy. Access the template through the Member Portal.
Companies that invest in leadership development see real returns. According to Brandon Hall Group, organizations with strong leadership development programs are 1.5 times more likely to be financially high-performing, reinforcing the clear connection between leadership strength and business success (Brandon Hall Group, 2015). For small to mid-sized businesses, this risk can be especially high. As teams expand and complexity increases, the informal leadership structures that worked early on can start to crack. That’s where proactive leadership development and risk mitigation go hand-in-hand. The Leadership Gap Is a Hidden Business Risk According to a recent CPHR Alberta report, talent development and leadership gaps remain one of the top five organizational risks (CPHR Alberta, 2023). The consequences are rarely immediate, but they compound over time: • Missed growth opportunities • High-potential employees leaving due to lack of career clarity • Poor team morale when unprepared managers struggle to lead • Strategic drift from lack of alignment at the top A growing company without a leadership pipeline is like a car without a spare tire, it might keep rolling, but one unexpected bump can send the whole operation into a tailspin. Risk Mitigation Starts with Leadership Insight The first step in mitigating leadership risk is to move from guesswork to clarity. That means using structured tools like leadership assessments, succession planning frameworks, and targeted coaching to surface the actual capabilities of current and emerging leaders. In professional services firms, for example, it’s common to see technically strong employees promoted into management roles. While they excel in their areas of expertise, they often lack key leadership capabilities like delegation, feedback, and emotional intelligence (Gallo, 2016). Without proper development, this can lead to stalled projects, disengaged teams, and higher turnover. Leadership assessments and focused coaching are essential to identify these gaps early and build the skills needed to lead effectively. Common Leadership Risks in SMBs Every organization faces different risks, but these are some of the most common leadership vulnerabilities seen in growth-stage companies (SHRM, 2022): • Lack of succession planning: Only one person knows how to run a key function, creating bottlenecks and burnout. • Unclear decision-making authority: Teams waste time waiting for approvals or duplicating efforts due to ambiguous roles. • Promotion without preparation: High performers are promoted into leadership roles without training, leading to micromanagement or misalignment. • Poor feedback culture: A lack of honest dialogue means small issues snowball into bigger people problems. • Leadership misfit: A leader’s natural style may clash with the culture or needs of a specific team or situation. Mitigating these risks requires more than a one-time workshop. It takes intentional development, structured tools, and reinforcement over time (SHRM, 2022). What Effective Mitigation Looks Like The most successful companies don’t wait for a leadership crisis to take action. They build leadership strength proactively. Here’s what that looks like: • Leadership assessments are used during hiring and promotions to identify fit, style, and potential blind spots. • Customized coaching programs help leaders build the exact skills they need in real time, tied to their actual challenges (International Coaching Federation, 2022). • Leadership training cohorts (such as PowerUp Leadership’s “Coaching Skills for Managers” or “Authentic Leadership” programs) create a shared foundation across the organization. • Succession maps identify who is ready or could be ready for key roles in 12–24 months, creating a proactive development plan (SHRM, 2022). As companies grow, the complexity of people management increases exponentially. Systems, tools, and strategy all matter but none of them work without effective leadership behind them (McKinsey & Company, 2018). Investing in leadership development isn’t a “nice to have” for big companies, it’s a risk management strategy for every business serious about sustainable growth.
