Ah, November. That magical mashup of gratitude and gravy as we in the United States gather to celebrate the annual test of how far diplomacy can stretch before someone flips a table. To be clear, I’m not talking politics. I’m talking about the battlefield which is Thanksgiving dinner.

Every family is its own organization full of legacy processes (“We’ve always used canned cranberry sauce!”), unspoken hierarchies (“Grandma’s house, Grandma’s rules.”), informal change management (“This year, we’re trying a tofurkey.”), and performance reviews (“I didn’t know sawdust came in turkey form.”).

Although IA has spent twenty years helping leaders navigate complexity and misalignment, we have yet to litigate through Stuffing vs Dressing. It’s the HR vs People & Culture of the dinner table: Same goal, different branding, endless emotional investment. One side quotes tradition, the other touts innovation (“But ours has apples and sage!”). Meanwhile, some new guest is quietly eating both and wondering why we can’t just call it bread salad and move on.

And then, for those who consume Benjamin Franklin’s choice for national bird, there’s the turkey. The classicist brines and roasts with a master’s degree in basting, the thrill-seeker deep-fries while video recording for the fire department, and the smoker hand picks a potpourri of bespoke wood chips like a sommelier. Every year, we hear, “We’re open to change,” while the same cousins fight over turkey legs like the closing hour of a Renaissance Faire.

And the starch standoff – mashed vs. sweet, cream vs. marshmallow – reminds us that alignment is fleeting. No matter how many pre-meal “planning meetings” occur or well-designed family potluck spreadsheets are deployed, someone will always forget the gravy, or worse, bring cauliflower mash, the well-intentioned but ill-fated transformation that no one asked for.

Let’s not overlook cranberry sauce, both the great equalizer and eternal wedge issue. Some swear by small-batch, hand-zested versions; others are loyal to the ridged cylinder that plops from the can with a sound equal parts nostalgic and alarming. Each side believes they alone protect the culture.

So many strong opinions. And yet, somehow, it mostly works. We sit, we share, we laugh (at first at, and eventually with, each other) and remember that Thanksgiving is really a masterclass in compromise. The secret isn’t in the recipe. It’s in showing up, listening, and extending a little grace, especially to the person who brought green Jell-O “salad.”

Whether you’re navigating workplace transformations or family traditions, remember that every gathering is a system of its own. It’s messy, unpredictable, and occasionally overcooked. But it’s also what binds us: the desire to connect, to contribute, and to find common ground, even when we can’t agree on pie crust versus crumble topping.

From all of us at IA, thank you for pulling up a chair to this ever-expanding table. You bring your ideas, your energy, and your humanity, and that’s what makes it worth coming back for seconds.

Now pass the rolls, pour a little more gratitude, and if all else fails… there’s always Friday’s leftovers.

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Meaningful change doesn’t happen through process alone. It happens when leaders genuinely connect with their teams.

In this month’s featured PM Corner post, Sammye Walton highlights how emotional intelligence strengthens collaboration, reduces friction, and brings people back to purpose. Her article offers a grounded look at how tuning into human signals can turn challenging initiatives into confident, coordinated movement.

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