I’m Desmond Van Twest, founder of Groundline Advisory.

I spent 20 years in operations, starting as a team member and working up to VP Operations across facility services, logistics, manufacturing and retail. I’m also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Over those years I kept seeing the same thing: the people closest to the work already know what’s broken, and leaders rarely hear it. Good people, productivity and trust drift away quietly, long before anyone names the problem.

Replacing one employee can cost between half and twice their annual salary, according to Gallup, and for senior leaders the cost can be far higher: the Center for American Progress found turnover costs of up to 213 percent of salary for executives. The loss doesn’t stop at the invoice. Knowledge walks out, projects stall, and the people who stay watch and take note. Gallup also found that 52% of people who leave voluntarily say their manager or organization could have done something to prevent it.

Groundline exists to name the problem. We start with a confidential Culture Audit, so people can say what they won’t say in a meeting. We then spend time on site with people at every level, and we fix what we find, measuring before and after so you can see whether it worked.

I work by appointment with companies across Canada, with a focus on Toronto, Peterborough, the GTA and surrounding areas. If you’d like to talk about what’s happening in your company, book a free 30-minute call.