HR Coffee Time

Have you ever been asked for your opinion in a meeting and suddenly found your mind going completely blank? It can be especially uncomfortable when you're speaking with senior leaders or discussing an important issue and feel under pressure to come up with the "right" answer straight away.In this episode, Fay explores why mind blank moments happen and shares five practical techniques you can use when you're put on the spot. From buying yourself valuable thinking time to using coaching questions to move the conversation forward, you'll hear simple approaches that can help you feel more confident and credible in important meetings.What You’ll LearnWhy stress and pressure can make it harder to organise your thoughts and recall information in meetingsHow a deliberate pause can help you move out of panic mode and think more clearlyA simple way to clarify questions while giving yourself valuable thinking timeWhy you don't need to come up with a perfect answer to make a useful contributionHow to respond professionally when you genuinely don't know the answerThe benefits of preparing notes and key information before important meetingsHow coaching questions can help a team think more clearly about a problem without rushing to a decisionChapters[00:00] Introduction[02:43] The Psychology Behind Mind Blank Moments[04:40] Tip 1: Remember to Pause[05:57] Tip 2: Clarify the Question[07:40] Tip 3: Take the Pressure Off Yourself[08:38] Tip 4: Be Honest When You Don't Know[10:14] Tip 5: Ask a Coaching Question[11:34] Example: Coaching Questions in Action[13:10] Why Coaching Is Valued at Leadership Level[14:11] How to Get More Support[14:48] ClosingUseful Links and ResourcesConnect with Fay Wallis on LinkedInLearn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership ProgrammeTreat yourself to a copy of The Essential HR PlannerHelpful Episodes to Listen to NextEpisode 162: How to Feel More Confident Speaking Up in Leadership MeetingsEpisode 86: How to Stop Other People Taking Credit for Your Ideas in MeetingsEpisode 73: 5 Ways to Feel More Confident in Your Next Interview, Meeting, or PresentationEnjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time email for useful HR resources, ideas and new episode updates to support you in your HR career.Exclusive offer from HR Coffee Time’s sponsor, C-meHR Coffee Time listeners can book C-me’s 90-minute High Performing Team Workshop, with five High Performance profiles and a Team Wheel, for £499 (saving more than £2,500). Ideal for a Christmas team day or end-of-year get-together. Places are limited, so find out more and apply at https://colour-profiling.com/hrcoffee

Have you ever dismissed something you do brilliantly because it feels easy? Perhaps a colleague has praised you for something and you've thought, "That's nothing special. Doesn't everyone do that?" The challenge is that some of our greatest strengths can be hidden in plain sight because they come so naturally to us.In this episode, we explore why recognising and using your strengths can have a powerful impact on your wellbeing, performance and enjoyment at work. We also look at why many people spend too much time relying on learned behaviours rather than the things that genuinely energise them.To help us unpack this topic, I'm joined by chartered psychologists Michele Deeks and Martin Galpin, co-founders of Work Positive and creators of the At My Best strengths tools. Together, we discuss the research behind strengths-based approaches, how to identify your own strengths, and simple ways managers, leaders and teams can help people recognise what they do best.What You'll LearnThe difference between a genuine strength and a learned behaviour, and why recognising the distinction mattersWhy the strengths that come most naturally to you can be the hardest ones to spotHow focusing only on weaknesses can limit development and prevent people from excellingPractical ways managers can help team members identify and use their strengths more oftenWhy detailed positive feedback is more powerful than generic praiseHow reflecting on times when you've been at your best can help you identify your strengthsA simple team activity that encourages colleagues to recognise and appreciate each other's strengthsChapters[00:00] Introduction: Hidden Strengths[00:31] Welcome, Guests & HR Planning Day[03:35] What Are Strengths?[04:21] Strengths vs Learned Behaviours[05:47] Fay's Personal Example: Time Management[06:43] The Impact of Overusing Learned Behaviours[08:26] Why Focus on Strengths at Work?[10:28] Fixing Weakness vs Building Strength[12:16] The Cost of No Positive Feedback[12:37] How Managers Can Weave In Strengths[13:06] The Leaving Party Effect[14:29] The Power of Detailed Positive Feedback[16:37] The Ripple Effect & Strengths Blind Spots[21:22] Using Strengths Cards with People Facing Redundancy[23:08] The Research Behind Strengths[27:10] Wellbeing & Financial Performance: Oxford Research[28:37] How to Identify Your Own Strengths[32:03] The Story Behind the Strengths Cards[35:24] Team Activities with the Strengths Cards[39:02] Book Recommendation & Job Crafting[43:46] Wrap UpUseful Links and ResourcesConnect with Michele Deeks on LinkedInConnect with Martin Galpin on LinkedInVisit the Work Positive websiteExplore At My Best resources and strengths toolsTry the free Strengths Self-Reflection ToolConnect with Fay Wallis on LinkedInLearn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership ProgrammeTreat yourself to a copy of The Essential HR PlannerBook your ticket for one of the HR Planning DaysBooks & Articles Recommended in This EpisodePersonalization at Work: How HR Can Use Job Crafting to Drive Performance, Engagement & Wellbeing, by Rob BakerJournal article:Flourishing in New Zealand Workers: Associations With Lifestyle Behaviors, Physical Health, Psychosocial, and Work-Related Indicators (2015),by Lucy C. Hone, Aaron Jarden, Scott Duncan and Grant M. SchofieldMichelle McQuaid’s research on strengths-based organisational changeUniversity of Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre:Workplace Wellbeing and Firm Performance, by Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Micah Kaats and George WardHR Coffee Time Episodes to Listen to NextEpisode 47:Discovering Your Values to Help Your HR Career, with Zoe HawkinsEpisode 173:How to Build a Better Workplace Culture, So People Thrive at Work, with Aoife O'BrienEnjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss The Next One!Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time emailExclusive offer from HR Coffee Time’s sponsor, C-meHR Coffee Time listeners can book C-me’s 90-minute High Performing Team Workshop, with five High Performance profiles and a Team Wheel, for £499 (saving more than £2,500). Ideal for a Christmas team day or end-of-year get-together. Places are limited, so find out more and apply at https://colour-profiling.com/hrcoffee

Career progression does not always have to mean securing a promotion or climbing further up the career ladder. You may want to deepen your expertise, move into a different area of HR or explore a completely new path.In this solo episode, Fay talks you through four possible career directions: growing in your current role, stepping up, moving sideways or stepping out. She also shares practical questions to help you decide which direction feels right for the next stage of your career.What You’ll LearnWhy meaningful career growth does not always require a promotion or a new job titleHow growing in your current role could help you develop your expertise, confidence or strategic impactQuestions to consider if you would like to step up into a more senior positionHow a sideways move could broaden your experience and support your longer-term career goalsPractical ways to explore stepping out of your current career path before making a major changeHow to identify the work, strengths and experiences you would like more of in your careerWhy choosing a general direction can help you make more deliberate decisions, even if you do not have every detail worked out yetChapters[0:00] Introduction: The Four Career Directions[01:15] Option 1: Grow in Your Current Role[03:28] Option 2: Step Up into a More Senior Role[05:21] Option 3: Move Sideways[07:03] Option 4: Step Out - Leaving Your Current Path & Exploring New Options[08:48] How to Choose Which Career Direction Is Right for You[10:19] Using The Essential HR Planner to Turn Your Decision Into a Plan[11:37] Closing: What Do You Want Next from Your Career?Useful Links and ResourcesConnect with Fay Wallis on LinkedInLearn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership ProgrammeTreat yourself to a copy of The Essential HR PlannerHelpful HR Coffee Time Episodes to Listen to NextEp 60 | Diving into HR Consultancy – what to expect & how to succeed in the role, with Pam MolyneuxEp 184 | Two Great Decision-Making Techniques for When You’re Stuck Between Two OptionsEnjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time email for useful HR resources, ideas and new episode updates to support you in your HR career.Exclusive offer from HR Coffee Time’s sponsor, C-meHR Coffee Time listeners can book C-me’s 90-minute High Performing Team Workshop, with five High Performance profiles and a Team Wheel, for £499 (saving more than £2,500). Ideal for a Christmas team day or end-of-year get-together. Places are limited, so find out more and apply at https://colour-profiling.com/hrcoffee

Managers are expected to handle everything from one-to-ones and development conversations to absence, performance issues and disciplinaries. Yet many step into management without having been properly taught how to deal with these responsibilities. For HR and People professionals, finding a way to build managers’ knowledge and confidence without overwhelming them can be a real challenge.In this special bonus episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay Wallis is joined by Amy Critchley, Head of People at Indigo Networks. Amy explains how she created a management development programme from scratch after joining an organisation that had not previously had a dedicated HR or People team.Amy shares practical ideas for combining essential HR knowledge with wider management development, making potentially dry subjects more engaging and helping learning stick. She also explains how the programme strengthened relationships between managers and changed the way they worked with the People team.What You’ll Learn How to decide which topics to prioritise when creating a management development programmeWhy combining practical HR knowledge with wider management skills can make training more effectiveIdeas for making subjects such as absence, investigations, disciplinaries and employment law more engagingHow to accommodate different learning preferences without relying on lengthy presentations or uncomfortable role playWays to support learning beyond the workshop through e-learning, workbooks, drop-in clinics and People Partnering sessionsHow real-life scenarios, discussion and peer learning can build managers’ confidenceSigns that manager training is working, including stronger peer relationships and a more positive relationship with the People teamChapters [00:00] Introduction: Why managers matter[01:14] The challenge of developing managers[02:02] The Workforce Success Stories Summit[02:49] Meet Amy Critchley: building a management development programme[04:11] How Amy identified the need for manager training[05:47] Deciding on the training content[08:28] Combining HR knowledge with management development[09:50] Designing engaging, brain-friendly training[13:27] Wraparound support: e-learning and drop-in clinics[15:28] From drop-in clinics to people partnering[17:46] Measuring success: executive buy-in and manager engagement[20:18] Changing the perception of HR[24:16] Making learning stick: worst-case scenarios and one-to-ones[29:06] How the programme changed HR's perception in the business[32:43] Book recommendation and wrap-upUseful Links and Resources Learn more about the Workforce Success Stories SummitConnect with Fay Wallis on LinkedInLearn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership ProgrammeTreat yourself to a copy of The Essential HR PlannerBook Recommended in This Episode The Trainer’s Toolkit: Bringing Brain-Friendly Learning to Life, by Kimberly Herr and Larry ReynoldsAmy recommends this practical resource for ideas on keeping training real, recognising the different needs of people in the room, creating multisensory learning and managing the state of the group.Helpful Episodes to Listen to Next Episode 129: Five Essential Techniques to Become a Great Manager, with James RoseEpisode 118: 9 Tips to Unlock Training Success When You're a Busy HR ProfessionalEp 79 | How to create a powerful career development programme that has an impact, with Kate MansfieldEnjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One! Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time email for useful HR resources, ideas and new episode updates to support you in your HR career.Exclusive offer from HR Coffee Time’s sponsor, C-meHR Coffee Time listeners can book C-me’s 90-minute High Performing Team Workshop, with five High Performance profiles and a Team Wheel, for £499 (saving more than £2,500). Ideal for a Christmas team day or end-of-year get-together. Places are limited, so find out more and apply at https://colour-profiling.com/hrcoffee

Cancer affects far more people in the workplace than many of us realise. As HR professionals, there may be times when you're supporting an employee with a cancer diagnosis, someone undergoing treatment, a colleague living with the long-term effects of cancer, or an employee who is caring for a loved one affected by it.Knowing that support matters is one thing. Feeling confident about what to say, what practical help to offer, and how to create the right support across your organisation is another.In this episode, Fay is joined by Tara Ferguson, Founder of Onward With You. Drawing on more than 20 years in senior HR roles and her own experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, Tara shares practical advice to help HR teams and managers better support people affected by cancer at work. Together, they explore the role good line management can play, the reality of living with cancer beyond active treatment, and the steps organisations can take to build greater cancer confidence.What You’ll Learn Why cancer should increasingly be considered a long-term condition rather than a short-term illnessThe scale of cancer's impact on today's workforce, including employees with caring responsibilitiesWhat Tara's line manager did that made such a positive difference during her diagnosis and treatmentWhy work can sometimes play an important role in someone's recovery and wellbeing during treatmentWhat HR professionals need to understand about legal protections and reasonable adjustmentsHow to approach the first conversation when someone shares a cancer diagnosis with youPractical steps organisations can take to improve awareness, support and manager capabilityChapters [0:00] Introduction: Cancer at Work[01:15] Meet Tara Ferguson[02:50] Tara's Story: From HR to Cancer Diagnosis[03:48] The Changing Face of Cancer in the Workplace[05:12] How Tara Is Now: The Ongoing Impact[08:07] Cancer in the Workplace: The Statistics[11:36] What Good Line Manager Support Looks Like[15:32] The Positive Role of Work During Treatment[17:13] Legal Protections & Reasonable Adjustments[19:05] Supporting Employees with Hidden Cancer Diagnoses[21:40] Having the First Conversation About Cancer[24:20] Organisation-Wide HR Strategies[27:26] Book Recommendation & Resources[29:27] How to Reach Tara[29:55] Key Takeaways & ClosingUseful Links and Resources Visit Tara's website:Onward With YouConnect with Tara Ferguson on LinkedInConnect with Fay Wallis on LinkedInLearn about Fay's Inspiring HR Leadership ProgrammeTreat yourself to a copy of The Essential HR PlannerHelpful HR Coffee Time Episodes to Listen to NextEp 135 | Why & how to support women experiencing the menopause at work, with Emma ThomasBooks and Resources Recommended in This Episode The Leopard in My House, by Mark SteelTara also mentions a number of resources available through Onward With You, including:A guide covering 12 common questions HR professionals and line managers ask about supporting employees affected by cancerThe Cancer Confidence FrameworkThe Cancer Confidence HR MasterclassEnjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One! Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time email for useful HR resources, ideas and new episode updates to support you in your HR career.Exclusive offer from HR Coffee Time’s sponsor, C-meHR Coffee Time listeners can book C-me’s 90-minute High Performing Team Workshop, with five High Performance profiles and a Team Wheel, for £499 (saving more than £2,500). Ideal for a Christmas team day or end-of-year get-together. Places are limited, so find out more and apply at https://colour-profiling.com/hrcoffee