Ageism: Look at contribution, not age
Age and tenure tell us little about what a person can contribute. A People First approach recognizes dignity, capability and the opportunity to put experience into action.
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Support for the work.
MHI shares original thinking, carefully selected research, practical resources and values-aligned service to help people reflect, learn and act. Resources run underneath People, Projects and Performance and support all three.
Articles & Reflections
Thinking shared in plain language.
Articles, ideas and field notes from our work with people and organizations. Each is written to help readers see something more clearly, question an assumption or carry a useful thought into their own work.
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Know what you own.
Responsibility is the work you carry out. Accountability is owning the result. When people understand the difference, managers can lead and employees can contribute with clarity.
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Empathy, sympathy & compassion
Empathy, sympathy and compassion are related, but they are not the same. Understanding the distinction helps managers lead with both care and accountability.
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Research that helps us understand people better.
At MHI, our work begins with a simple belief: people matter. We share research from respected organizations because it helps us understand who we are, how we develop, what gives life meaning and what allows people and organizations to flourish.
Featured Research
Human judgment in the age of artificial intelligence.
2026 Work Trend Index | Microsoft; 2026 Global Human Capital Trends | Deloitte
As AI takes on more execution, the distinctly human work becomes more important: directing the work, weighing information, exercising judgment and taking responsibility for outcomes.
Why MHI is paying attention: Technology is a powerful servant. It can strengthen research, analysis and preparation. It never replaces human wisdom, judgment, empathy, responsibility or relationship.
Explore the researchHuman Flourishing
What does it mean to flourish?
The Global Flourishing Study | Harvard University, Baylor University & Gallup
The Global Flourishing Study follows more than 200,000 people across 22 countries, looking beyond happiness alone to health, meaning, character, relationships and financial security.
Why MHI is paying attention: Flourishing is a serious human question. WHO you are, HOW you show up and WHAT you contribute all matter.
Explore researchLeadership & Technology
Human judgment is the work that remains human.
2026 Work Trend Index | Microsoft; 2026 Global Human Capital Trends | Deloitte
Recent research points to the same responsibility: as AI supports execution, people still need to direct the work, make sound decisions and remain accountable for outcomes. How organizations design the relationship between people and technology matters.
Why MHI is paying attention: Technology can strengthen research, analysis and preparation. It does not replace human wisdom, judgment, empathy, responsibility or relationship.
Explore researchEmpathy & Leadership
Empathy must become action.
Empathetic Leadership in Corporate Communication | 2026 study
A 2026 study of 1,055 communication professionals in Canada and the United States found that empathetic leadership was positively associated with employee engagement and organizational commitment. It did not, on its own, significantly reduce burnout.
Why MHI is paying attention: Understanding a person matters. What a leader does with that understanding matters too. Workload, conditions and leadership conduct all require attention.
Explore researchVoice & Culture
Psychological safety makes candor possible.
The 2026 Psychological Safety Study | Center for Organizational Effectiveness
Drawing on clinical insights from workplace well-being professionals in 47 countries, this study connects psychological safety with inclusive leadership, trust, innovation, collaboration, engagement and retention.
Why MHI is paying attention: People need enough trust to question, disagree, challenge and contribute. Productive conflict helps turn candor into better decisions and stronger work.
Explore researchRole Fit & Judgment
Understanding role fit is human work.
State of AI in HR 2026 | SHRM
SHRM’s research with 1,908 HR professionals emphasizes that the value of AI in HR depends on human experience, judgment and empathy. Technology can provide information. People still have to decide what it means in context.
Why MHI is paying attention: An assessment, a résumé or an algorithm can identify patterns. Conversation, experience and judgment help an individual and organization understand fit, contribution and possibility.
Explore researchPurpose & Meaning
Purpose changes the experience of work.
Gallup & Stand Together
Purposeful work is associated with stronger engagement, lower burnout and stronger retention. Meaningful work does not require the perfect career. It grows when people can see how their contribution matters.
Why MHI is paying attention: Your work is not necessarily your purpose. It can be one place where your purpose finds expression.
Explore researchStrengths
What happens when people get to be more of who they are?
CliftonStrengths Research | Gallup
Strengths give us clues about how we naturally think, build relationships, influence others and get things done.
Why MHI is paying attention: Knowing your strengths is only the beginning. Self-awareness becomes valuable when it changes how we live, lead and contribute.
Explore researchLeadership & Engagement
The manager matters.
State of the Global Workplace 2026 | Gallup
Gallup found that global employee engagement fell to 20 percent in 2025. The experience of managers fell sharply as well.
Why MHI is paying attention: We cannot focus exclusively on employees. We have to support the people leading them.
Explore researchWellbeing & Performance
People first is not the opposite of performance.
Wellbeing Research Centre | University of Oxford
Oxford research connects workplace wellbeing with productivity, retention, customer loyalty and financial performance.
Why MHI is paying attention: Organizations perform through people. People and performance are connected.
Explore researchHope
Hope is more than positive thinking.
Positive psychology & the science of meaning
Hope helps us imagine possibility and gives us something to move toward.
Why MHI is paying attention: Hope is not the denial of difficulty. It is our capacity to see that possibility still exists.
Explore researchConnection & Belonging
We are built for connection.
World Happiness Report 2026
Contemporary wellbeing research continues to show the importance of relationships, trust, connection and belonging.
Why MHI is paying attention: In organizations, belonging is built through thousands of ordinary interactions: how we welcome, listen, respond, include and lead.
Explore researchWhat We're Watching
Human flourishing · Purpose and meaning · Strengths · Identity and character · Hope · Happiness and wellbeing · Leadership · Employee engagement · Belonging and social connection · Psychological safety · Workplace culture · Human judgment · Responsible use of technology · Organizational performance
Good research should help us ask better questions about how we live, lead and work together.Tools & Worksheets
Something useful to work with.
Understanding becomes more useful when people can put it into practice.
MHI develops practical guides, reflection tools, self-assessments and worksheets to support useful conversation and responsible action. Some are used within client engagements. Others will be made available here for wider use.
Practical guidesReflection toolsSelf-assessmentsDownloadable resources
Explore the tools Stewardship & Pro Bono
Meaning comes through giving.
Pro bono work is part of MHI's people-first commitment. Each year, MHI seeks to return a portion of its time, expertise and resources in service to people, organizations and communities where the work aligns with our values, capacity and potential impact.
This may take the form of professional support, mentoring, community involvement or charitable giving. Each contribution is considered carefully so that it is responsible and useful.
We give because stewardship is part of who we are.
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Tell us what would be useful.
We will listen and help you find the right place to begin.
Start a conversation905-380-7329