As a former HR attorney, Janine Yancey says that she hasn’t actually run into that many truly bad people. There are a handful of “bad eggs,” as she puts it, but most of the cases she handled involved decent folks who were struggling to manage workplace demands and the many different personality types they have on their teams.

“It’s just people being people. They have different perspectives on situations. They’re optimizing for different outcomes. They’re thinking about different things. They have different communication styles, which leads to conflict,” she said. “It’s just hard sometimes to interact.”

Her background led her to think of corporate culture a little differently; it's not just the history and values and mission, it’s the shared language and people skills that a company promotes. A healthy corporate culture can head off many workplace issues, and companies can instill that healthy culture intentionally. Now, the founder and CEO of Emtrain, an online compliance and culture training company, Yancey shared insights on measurably improving culture during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s LA conference.

Focusing on Actions, Not People

Leaders often assume good intent, Yancey says. But they also need to recognize how employees’ moods and pressures shape performance and interactions. Even strong managers are affected by stress and tight deadlines, and conflicts can arise between coworkers who are simply trying to do their best.

With that in mind, Yancey says HR professionals should avoid categorizing people as bad actors. It’s more constructive to focus on specific actions or habits that cause problems. When you do that, you can be more clinical and less judgmental. 

Interventions can take the form of teaching skills rather than correcting character faults. “You’re not judging somebody and calling them a toxic person or toxic manager, you’re saying, hey, you’ve got an area of opportunity, and we can help develop this skill a little bit.” 

Yancey describes a color scale for workplace interactions: green for those handled well, yellow for moments shaped by stress or bad habits. As an attorney and compliance specialist, she distinguishes yellow from orange, which involves legally protected groups and potential litigation. Red marks situations that are clearly illegal.

New Issues Create Workplace Stress

Emtrain has been gathering employee feedback through its training program, and Yancey notes trends HR should watch for. One key trend is generational differences: younger workers prioritize work-life balance more than older employees.

For example, Yancey describes a hypothetical law firm meeting where a senior attorney scolds a younger associate for being unavailable after hours on a time-sensitive project. Younger workers are more likely to view this as out of line, valuing work-life balance, which can heighten conflicts over after-hours availability and task flexibility.

Another potential conflict arises with AI implementation. While AI can save time, such as generating programs previously done by junior tech staff, it can also disrupt job roles and interdepartmental relations. IT workers may find themselves verifying AI-generated code rather than creating it.

With AI, departments will work together in different ways, says Yancey. And some workers will inevitably begin to question their value to the company—what is the computer coder’s role now when AI can write programs itself based on specifications it gets from executives? This confusion and insecurity will place new stress on employees, and HR professionals will need to be ready to deal with the fallout, she says. 

Building a Culture With Soft Skills

Proactive leadership can help a company build a culture with a shared language, a common set of values, and soft skills, all of which minimize conflicts and make it easier for workers to resolve them on their own.  

As a litigator, Yancey’s own experience was that much of the time she was coaching employees about people skills. She suggests that companies start by creating their own matrix of social habits that best serve their employees. Emtrain’s own skills matrix is based on four central values: ethics, respect, inclusion, and belonging. “If you have a really strong culture of soft skills, compliance becomes a non-issue,” she said.

Yancey suggests embedding these skills in regular compliance training. Additionally, tailored programs, especially online, can both reinforce culture and gather anonymous employee feedback, giving leaders insights to prevent conflicts and spot potential issues.

“We’re all works in progress, trying to do better,” Yancey said. “As we practice with intentionality, then our actions start developing into skills.” A well-designed training program can help employees develop the skills they need to excel, and help your company develop the positive culture it needs to adapt and grow.

Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Emtrain, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. 

Paul Kersey is a former attorney and freelance writer based in Chicago, IL.

(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)