Welcome to the Bridging The Gap Blog!

Dec 2

Hello and Welcome!

I’m Michelle Ogle, founder of Bridge Executive Coaching. Welcome to the Bridging The Gap Blog. I’m excited to share this meaningful space – to pause, reflect, and strengthen the clarity you bring to your work and your people.

Before we dive in, I’d like to share a quick note about who I am and what drives my work.

I’ve spent over 20 years helping leaders, teams, and individuals elevate acumen, navigate challenges, and turn insight into meaningful action. I am grateful to provide business coaching and executive individual and team coaching that helps leaders master what they feel will move them confidently forward in their career goals. The leaders with whom I have partnered want to master stakeholder relationships, refine their leadership in pressure situations, strengthen dynamic decision-making, and communicate in ways that deepen relationships up, down and sideways within their organization.

My passion is partnering with professionals to reveal their natural leadership capacity, stretch beyond their own limits, and navigate challenges with steadiness, respect, and a genuine curiosity for what is possible.

Back to Bridging The Gap - and why this space exists.

My goal here is to provide timely reflections on leadership, professional growth, and the very human dynamics that shape how we show up at work. You will find guidance on leading with clarity, collaborating with intention, navigating differences and conflict, managing discomfort, and strengthening your professional presence. I will bring lived experience, current themes, and the nuanced elements that build the integrity of a professional seeking excellence and of leaders developing a high-performing organization.

And if you have worked with me, you know this already – I do not stay in the comfortable lanes of professional development. I will challenge the behaviors that quietly hold you back, name the dysfunctional patterns people tiptoe around, and point to the element in the room that many spend energy trying not to see. Not to shame, but to be curious and to raise awareness. Not to provoke, but to understand and align. Not to criticize, but to help you lead with greater depth, courage, and honesty.

This blog offers a place to pause, reflect, and resource those insights – including the insights that require rethinking patterns, confronting uncomfortable truths, and committing to the intentional, hard shifts that real leadership and modern business demands.

Each post is designed to inspire curiosity and reflection while also inviting action. At the end of every article, you’ll find:

A Tips section offering practical ways to apply the ideas.
A Consider This section with reflective prompts to personalize your insight and apply it to your own context.

Whether you’re an experienced leader strengthening your influence, an emerging leader preparing for a new role, or a new or existing team connecting through professional development workshops, Bridging The Gap is for you.

I’m excited to share insights that help you close those gaps between intention and results.

I look forward to seeing you on the journey.

Leading forward,

Michelle

Bridging The Gap - where insight leads to impact.

Giving Thanks To Colleagues, Partners and Employees

The holiday season offers a natural moment to slow down, recognize the people who move the work forward, and honor the relationships that make success possible. As technology accelerates and organizations push for greater efficiency, it’s easy for human connection to slip into the background. Yet, as I often reflect with the leaders –connection, engagement, and the emotional experiences that make us human, remain at the heart of every great organization.

Here are a few ways to keep that human connection present this season:

A personal touch with a note or card

When you’re recognizing someone specific, keep it sincere and timely. A handwritten note shows you took the time to acknowledge someone personally; in a business setting, it still carries extraordinary weight.

With so many ways to communicate electronically, personal gestures often get lost. A simple thank you card can make a lasting impression and strengthen relationships with colleagues, contractors, and employees alike.

Social media shout-outs

Public recognition matters. A thoughtful post on your organization’s social platforms can highlight individuals, teams, or departments in meaningful ways.

This might look like:

a gratitude list
a group photo with a message of thanks
a company-wide gratitude campaign

Public appreciation amplifies connection and reminds people how their contributions matter.

WIT Certificates

“Whatever It Takes” Certificates are a simple, creative way to acknowledge extra effort. These can be printed in-house and given to employees or teams who step up to complete a project, meet a deadline, or support a colleague.

You may be surprised at how proudly people display them. Recognition doesn’t need to be complicated to be meaningful.

Meaningful meals

A memorable gathering doesn’t require a large budget. Low-cost options can still show genuine care and create moments of connection.

Here are two easy approaches:

Potluck party: Invite your team to bring a dish from their culture or a family tradition. It celebrates the person behind the role and brings authenticity into the workplace.
Post-holiday gathering: Holiday décor and venues often go on sale after the holidays. A post-season celebration can stand apart from the busy December rush and offer a refreshing way to reconnect.

Because The Heart Of Every Great Organization Still Beats Human.™

-Michelle Ogle, Bridge Executive Coaching

TARGET LEADERSHIP ACUMEN!

Leadership Under Pressure

Advanced executive coaching that helps leaders refine their presence, increase cognitive precision, and sustain meaningful impact in complex environments.

Leadership Under Pressure

Claim Your Courtesy Offer

Culture Conversations

Through the end of 2025, Michelle is offering a courtesy in-person talk to organizations within San Luis Obispo County.

Drawing on her human-centered approach to leadership and workplace culture, Michelle brings awareness to:

Meaning of connection
Team synergy
Navigating AI in a human world
Realignment around purpose
Motivation defined

Claim Courtesy Offer

Michelle brings enthusiasm and fresh perspectives and opens the door to renewed possibility.

Can your people use a fresh spark?

Claim your courtesy in-person Culture Conversation and discover how to reignite purpose, momentum, and meaningful energy in your workplace.