Starting January 5th, 2026, tens of thousands of Ontario government employees return to the office full-time, with Alberta following in February. Major banks and corporations are rolling out similar mandates across Canada. But are we solving the real problem?

Canada's productivity crisis is undeniable. Our GDP per capita has fallen to 75% of the US level (down from 90% in 2010), and we're second only to Italy in G7 productivity decline. Business productivity dropped 1% in Q2 2025—the sharpest decline since 2022.

The instinct is to blame remote work. But the data tells a different story: 77% of remote workers report being more productive at home, yet 85% of leaders don't trust it. The real issue? Most managers never learned to manage without proximity, and most employees never developed the self-management skills remote work requires.

For decades, managers relied on presence as a proxy for productivity. Remote work exposed this weakness. Meanwhile, 61% of remote workers say they need more training, but only 70% receive it. The result: some thrive remotely while others work 65% more hours and burn out.

The solution isn't about choosing remote versus office—it's about intentional skill-building. Managers need to learn outcome-based management. Employees need time management and boundary-setting skills. Organizations need to design work models deliberately.

This week's Golden Hour challenge: If you're a manager, define what "good" actually looks like for one person's role. If you're an employee, track where one full workday actually goes. If you're an owner, identify your biggest productivity drain.

The businesses that build these skills will dominate. The ones arguing about chairs won't.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

You're losing the hiring war. Not because there aren't good people out there—but because you're fighting the wrong battle.

48.3% of Canadian businesses say recruiting skilled employees is their top obstacle. You're competing with every other business in your market for "experienced" candidates, offering signing bonuses and competitive wages. And even when you land them, there's a coin flip chance they'll be gone within 18 months.

Here's the truth that changes everything: 90% of new hire failures happen because of attitude and personality issues—not technical incompetence. Only 11% fail due to lack of skills.

You're hiring for the wrong thing.

This episode breaks down the 80/20 Hiring Solution—a five-step system to hire for fit, train for skill, and build teams that actually stick around:

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• Identify your ONE non-negotiable character trait
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• Stop competing for "experienced" candidates
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• Build a 2-week onboarding system that creates competence fast
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• Create retention through growth paths, not just pay raises
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• Replace yourself in one role per quarter
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Southwest Airlines became an industry leader using this exact philosophy. Founder Herb Kelleher hired for humor and attitude first, skills second. You can do the same.

Your Golden Hour this week: Write down the ONE character trait your best employee has. That's your new hiring filter.

While your competitors wait for the perfect candidate to show up, you're building a system to create them.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

Two hundred years ago, jobs lasted generations. Your grandfather kept the same job for 40 years. Today? You'll change jobs at least 12 times in your working life—and you're unlikely to be doing what you're doing now in just five years.

The job cycle has collapsed from multi-generational stability to something almost unpredictable, and AI is accelerating this change beyond anything we've seen before. But here's the truth most people miss: AI isn't taking your job. Your outdated skills are.

In this episode, we break down what employees need to do to stay relevant and how employers can manage workforce transitions without destroying their teams. You'll hear real examples from companies getting it right—Citibank trained 175,000 employees, Amazon invested $1.2 billion, and PwC created gamified learning that attracts 9,000 participants monthly.

Workers now need new skills every decade, not every generation. Self-education isn't optional anymore. Companies that figure out how to retrain their people will dominate their industries. Those that don't will lose their best talent.

The pace of change isn't slowing down. This episode gives you the playbook for navigating it—one Golden Hour at a time.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/