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Why you're getting this: Welcome to My New Meta, where I share hard-earned wisdom (and humour-filled faceplants) from 30 years of corporate real estate development. Each week, I break down strategies that helped me climb from junior development engineer to company president - insights that could boost your salary by $20-50k this year (and give you a few laughs along the way).

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Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

Ever had that moment when you realize keeping quiet about a problem just made it way worse? Maybe you're sitting on some "minor issues" right now, hoping they'll solve themselves.

Well, grab your coffee (or Negroni, no judgment here) and settle in because I'm about to share how my attempt to hide a $2 million problem turned into both an expensive lesson and a surprising career accelerator.

Think of this as your cheat code for turning good communication into career growth - written by someone who learned it the hard way in a very expensive Toronto boardroom.

TLDR (The No-BS Version):

• In three decades of business, absolutely no one has ever said "Greg, that's too much information.”

• Communicate EARLY and OFTEN ← best advice I was ever given

• Communication isn't just about avoiding problems - it's about creating possibilities

• Built a simple template that got me promoted (and saved millions)

• How overcommunication added 15% to my salary

• Free tool: Weekly Pulse Check template

  Let’s get into it.

Small Talk (not part of the communication lesson)

Picture this: Our first wedding industry networking event for our side hustle, chargeFUZE. While Kirsten gracefully worked the room like a seasoned pro, I contributed by loudly complaining about tiny wine pours (at a winery, no less) before dramatically dropping a massive chunk of brie on their pristine floor.

Nothing says "trust us with your luxury wedding electronics," quite like watching the new vendor desperately chase runaway cheese across a fancy venue. At least I gave everyone something to talk about besides table settings.

The night turned out ok…one of the wedding planners, Olga, felt sorry for me and gave me her spare drink ticket…score!

On to the main event…

The $5 Million Lesson in Speaking Up: A Boardroom Intervention

SCENE: A gleaming boardroom in downtown Toronto, 2003. The view of Lake Ontario stretches endlessly, but I'm too busy sweating through my brand-new dress shirt to notice. Across the table sits Bill, our billionaire owner, calmly drinking his Tim Hortons coffee while I try to explain why I waited three months to mention a "small issue" with our biggest development project.

BILL: (stirring his double-double) "So, Greg, walk me through this again. When exactly did you first notice the problem?"

ME: (tugging at my collar) "Well, technically speaking, probably around... March?"

BILL: "And today is..."

ME: (suddenly very interested in my coffee cup) "June 27th."

BILL: "I see." (takes a long sip) "You're a hockey fan, right?"

ME: (confused by the direction change) "Yes?"

BILL: "What would happen if a coach noticed his star player had a minor injury in the first period but waited until the third period to tell anyone?"

ME: "The injury could get worse?"

BILL: "And then what happens to the team's chances of winning?"

ME: (starting to see where this is going) "They... drop significantly?"

BILL: (nodding) "And what happens to that coach's career?"

ME: "Also drops significantly?"

BILL: (leaning forward) "You know what the difference is between a $2 million problem in March and a $2 million problem in June?"

ME: "The interest charges?"

BILL: (volume rising) "It becomes a $5 million problem because we've lost all our options to fix it early. Plus, now I have to explain to the board why one of my development managers – who I constantly brag about, by the way – thought playing hide-and-seek with project issues was a good strategy."

ME: (sinking lower in my chair) "I thought I could fix it before-"

BILL: (cutting me off and volume rising more) "Before what? Before it got worse? Before anyone noticed? Here's what I know about problems, Greg – they're like rabbits. Leave them alone, and suddenly you've got a whole family of them."

ME: "But I didn't want to worry everyone..."

BILL: "Let me worry about worry. That's literally what they pay me the big bucks for. Your job isn't to protect everyone from bad news. Your job is to give us the information we need when we need it. Early warning means more options."

ME: (finally getting it) "So you're saying I should have just..."

BILL: "Come to me in March and said 'Hey Bill, I see something that might be an issue, here's what we know so far, and here's what we're doing about it.' That's it. Simple. Direct. Early."

ME: "Even if I'm not sure how bad it is?"

BILL: "Especially then. You know what's worse than bad news?"

ME: "Surprise bad news?"

BILL: "Surprise bad news that we could have fixed three months ago. Now, go get us both some fresh coffee. You're going to need it while we figure out how to turn your rabbit family back into a manageable bunny."

[Now, after becoming an entrepreneur myself, this lesson hit differently. When it's your own company, there's no corporate safety net - every delayed communication burns your own runway. The stakes aren't just higher; they're personal.]

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Why Early Communication Actually Matters

Let's break down what I learned that day (besides Bill's surprisingly deep knowledge of rabbit biology).

In business, timing isn't just about being fast - it's about giving people room to help. Think of it like a game of Jenga. The earlier you spot a wobbly piece, the more time everyone has to steady it before it knocks down the whole tower.

Here's what good communication actually does:

For Your Boss (or Investor/Client)

• Gives them time to adjust strategies

• Helps them protect the company

• Makes them look good to their bosses (trust me, they remember who helps with this)

For Your Team (or Consultants/Vendors/Suppliers)

• Prevents small issues from becoming disasters

• Creates a culture of openness

• Builds trust faster than any team-building exercise

For Your Company

• Operations teams can adjust workflows before deadlines are impacted

• Finance teams can prepare for changes in cash flow or resource needs

• Sales teams can manage client expectations proactively

• Executive team can update forecasts and strategies ahead of time

• Support teams can plan resources and training before they're needed

For Your Career

Remember how I mentioned preventing a $2 million problem from becoming a $5 million problem? Here's what that meant for my career:

• Got promoted the following year (turns out, Bill appreciated honesty more than perfection)

• Received a 15% salary bump (apparently, people who help prevent expensive problems get expensive rewards)

• Became known as someone who could be trusted with bigger projects (and bigger budgets)

The funny thing? After that day, I noticed something interesting. The more problems I shared early, the fewer actual crises we had. It's like magic, except instead of pulling rabbits out of hats, you're preventing them from multiplying in your project plan.

Your New Communication Super Tool: The Weekly Pulse Check

Here's the template I wish I'd had back in that Toronto boardroom. I created this and refined it through decades of expensive lessons learned.

Weekly Pulse Check Template

Just cut and paste this into Word/Excel/Google Docs, whatever you use.

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Making It Work: The Weekly Pulse Check System

Here's how to actually use the system it in your 1:1 meetings:

With Your Boss (or Investor/Client)

• Schedule regular 30-minute check-ins (weekly or bi-weekly)

• Send the Pulse Check 24 hours before your meeting

• Use the template as your meeting agenda

• Focus on early warnings and resource needs

• End each meeting with clear next steps

With Your Team (or Consultants/Contractors/Vendors/Suppliers)

• Have them use the same template as you

• Make it safe to share early concerns

• Focus on solutions, not blame

• Use their inputs to build your own report up

• Share relevant company-wide impacts they might not see

Pro Tips

1. Keep a running Pulse Check draft throughout the week

2. Update it as issues or wins come up

3. Colour-code items that need immediate attention

4. Follow up on previous issues in each new update

5. Share wins as openly as you share concerns

Here's the thing about communication - in three decades of business, absolutely no one has ever said "Greg, that's too much information." Not once. Communication isn't just about avoiding problems - it's about creating possibilities.

Curated Links: Two Goal-Driven Modern Tracking And Communication Helpers

Tracking your goals is the best helper for organizing and getting your communication out early and often. Here are a few of the modern AI versions (cutting edge).

🎯 GoalMentor.app - Your AI-Powered Goal Tracking Companion

Ever set a goal only to lose sight of it in the daily grind? Goal Mentor is like having a dedicated personal assistant who helps you stay on track and achieve your objectives.

What makes it cool:

• Aligns individual and team goals with company objectives

• Encourages regular check-ins for timely feedback and progress tracking

• Provides data-driven insights on your performance

• Offers collaboration tools to break down silos and improve teamwork

• Increases transparency across the organization

• Includes features for recognition and appreciation to boost morale

Best for: Professionals and teams looking to improve goal-setting, tracking, and overall productivity without the need for expensive management consultants.

The free version offers a robust set of features for most users. While I explored the paid options, I found the basic plan covers about 90% of what you'd need for effective goal management (and, in turn, communicating the status of those goals!)

📱 Griply.app - Turn Your Goals from Wishful Thinking into Done

Remember when I wrote that 37-page proposal because I couldn't organize my ideas clearly? Veterans know what I'm talking about! (Issue #5: My Big Fat Ego Problem). Well, Griply is helping me turn vague goals into actual progress.

Why it's worth checking out:

• Breaks down big goals into manageable subgoals, tasks, and habits

• Offers tools for tracking progress with detailed charts and graphs

• Helps you create SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound

• Integrates goals, habits, and daily tasks in one platform

Perfect for: People who are tired of setting the same goals every January without actually improving.

Whether communication, fitness, or starting a business, Griply helps turn your aspirations into actionable plans.

The free version lets you track 2 goals and 2 habits, which is enough to get started. The premium version unlocks unlimited goals and habits if you're feeling ambitious.

The Weekly Pulse Template in Action

For all you newsletter veterans who've been around for 20 issues, you know Kirsten's and my conversations can be quite something. Want to read how we first started utilizing the weekly pulse check system? Head to the link below. (Our newsletter's getting so packed that Gmail's threatening to clip it at 100kb!)

👇

KIRSTEN: (sighing) "That's not how this works. Green, yellow, or red?"

ME: "Can we have like... a greenish-yellow? Like a chartreuse of concern?"

See: Using The Weekly Pulse Template 

THAT’S A WRAP

Here's the thing about communication - in three decades of business leadership, nobody has ever said, "Greg, that's too much information." But I've lost count of how many times I wished I'd shared something sooner.

Got a work situation you're nervous about sharing? Hit reply and tell me about it. Sometimes just writing it down helps you figure out how to communicate it up.

Stay curious and keep communicating,

Greg "Former Information Hoarder" Mills

P.S. If you've got a great "I should have mentioned that earlier" story, hit reply. Your expensive lesson might help someone else avoid the same mistake!

P.P.S. Know someone who needs this lesson? Forward this email. Their boss will thank you (eventually).

If you liked what you read and are not a subscriber yet, join the crowd:

Here are some back issues if you are just not sure yet:

Issue #19: $2,295/Month To Avoid Talking To Humans 

Issue #18: The 5-Step Guide to Losing $65k in Salary 

Issue #17: How To Fail Less Spectacularly In 2025 

Looking for more to read:

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