OTTAWA — A memo from the director of Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), has garnered positive feedback from employees. The June memo addressed significant cultural and morale challenges within the agency, marking a shift from previous management practices that often downplayed these issues. Employees expressed relief that management was finally acknowledging longstanding problems. Emails sent to Director Daniel Rogers revealed frustration among staff regarding senior management's failure to address poor employee survey results and systemic issues. A dozen pages of these emails were obtained through an access to information request, with all employee names redacted except for Rogers'. One employee, who has served nearly 18 years, wrote, "I cannot recall, in my almost 18 years of service, ever hearing anything of the sort from management, where there is a recognition of an obvious systemic issue within the organization." They added that the memo brought them to tears, stating, "It feels as though the organization is sick and the doctors haven’t been admitting it." Rogers' memo highlighted disappointing results from a biennial survey that assessed workplace morale, satisfaction, trust in leadership, and overall effectiveness. He stated, "I’ll be candid about what I’ve seen: the results are disappointing and unacceptable." He emphasized that low morale and a lack of trust in leadership hinder CSIS's mission success and erode public confidence in the agency. The director pledged to prioritize cultural change at CSIS over the next year. This includes linking executive bonuses to the implementation of updated corporate commitments aimed at fostering a healthy and effective workplace. Additionally, Rogers committed to reviewing the agency's processes for selecting, evaluating, and training managers. The 2024 survey results placed CSIS near the bottom of the public service rankings. Following the release of Rogers' memo, many employees reported positive reactions. One individual noted, "In the past when the PSES message had a positive twist, the feedback from employees was that the executive committee was tone-deaf." They appreciated the honesty of the current message, stating, "Not trying to sugar coat it or my favorite comment ‘no sunshine pumping there!’" Another employee remarked, "This seems to be the first time that our Executives even acknowledge the bad things as opposed to only focusing on the good." One emailer criticized previous management, telling Rogers he had "inherited a mess" when he took over the agency in October 2024. Employees also took the opportunity to share their concerns. One individual highlighted a lack of decision-making among managers, suggesting that too many projects were labeled as top priority. They wrote, "To me it seems that senior management is unable/unwilling to make decisions and just marks everything as priority 1, and then goes with the flow." The employee with nearly 18 years of service pointed out that "management-level denial" of systemic issues has led to a significant loss of experienced staff over the past eight years. The 2024 survey indicated that only 51% of CSIS respondents believe senior managers lead by example in ethical behavior, while 57% felt the agency promotes values and ethics effectively. Confidence in top management was low, with only 40% expressing trust, and just 29% believing senior management makes effective and timely decisions. In response to the feedback, CSIS spokesperson Magali Hébert stated that the agency has implemented several changes based on employee input and survey results. She noted, "Recent examples include a renewed executive talent management framework, revised appointment authorities for executive staffing decisions, and renewal of senior official champions roles in the areas of values and ethics, employee recognition and health, and executive leadership engagement."