Thoughtful Shade Thursday: The Professional Trends We Should Retire (Respectfully)

Not every habit, phrase, or “corporate culture norm” deserves a long life. Some trends had their moment—and now, respectfully, it’s time to let them go.

Enter: Thoughtful Shade Thursday. Not to be messy, but to get real about what’s holding us back from more meaningful, productive, and authentic workplaces.

Here are a few outdated professional behaviors we can gently move to the recycle bin:

1. “Let’s Circle Back” — The classic stall tactic. If it’s a no, say no. If it’s a maybe, give a deadline. Clarity is kind.

2. Hustle Worship — Burning out is not a badge of honor. Let’s replace “first in, last out” energy with boundaries and balance.

3. Toxic Positivity — Not every challenge needs a silver lining. Sometimes, honesty and empathy do more than forced optimism ever could.

4. Email Essays — A 700-word email could be a meeting. And that meeting could probably be an update in Slack. Let’s simplify.

5. Overusing Corporate Buzzwords — We get it. You’re “leaning in” and “driving alignment.” But can we talk like humans again?

Why does this matter? Because workplace culture is built on habits—what we reward, what we tolerate, and what we choose to change. By naming and retiring what’s not serving us, we make space for better practices and healthier dynamics.

Your turn: What professional behavior or trend do you think it’s time to move on from? Let’s share our shade… with solutions.