When you're in a busy HR or People role, finding time for strategic work can feel incredibly challenging. There are always urgent issues that need your attention and endless tasks on your to-do list. However, strategic work often has the greatest impact - helping you craft an organisation where people are proud to work, can thrive, and are empowered to drive the organisation forward.

In this episode of HR Coffee Time, host Fay Wallis shares five practical tips to help you carve out time for strategic work, even when you're incredibly busy. These tips will help you overcome common barriers and create the space needed to focus on work that drives meaningful organisational change.

• Introduction and welcome
• Tip 1: Build your confidence about being strategic
• Tip 2: Schedule dedicated time for strategic work
• Tip 3: Make the most of AI to free up time
• Tip 4: Remember that less is more
• Tip 5: Communicate your strategic priorities clearly

• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
• Fay’s website: Bright Sky Career Coaching
• The Essential HR Planner

• Operate Strategically or Create a Powerful HR/People Strategy Playlist
• Episode 102: Boosting Your Strategic Knowledge to Step Up in Your HR Role
• Episode 108: How to Create a Simple but Powerful One Page Strategy with Dr. Max Mckeown
• Episode 134: Creating an HR Strategy - How to Get Started When You're Feeling Stuck
• Episode 7: What to Do When You Don't Have Enough Hours in the Day
• Episode 92: Time Management Tips to Stay on Top of Your Busy Day
• Episode 58: How to Feel More Confident Using Data & Analytics in Your HR Role

• Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The difference and why it matters, by Richard Rumelt
• The One Thing, by Gary Keller

You can find the transcript on this page of the Bright Sky Career Coaching website.

If you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This video shows you how to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts (because it isn’t very intuitive). If you're kind enough to leave a review, let Fay know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at:

Shaping workplace culture is becoming an increasingly important part of HR's role, with many HR functions being renamed as "People and Culture" and culture-related responsibilities appearing in job titles. But how do you actually go about shaping culture, especially when you're already busy with your day-to-day work?

In this special episode of HR Coffee Time, host Fay Wallis is joined by two guests: Annabelle Lawson, HR Manager at SPT Lab Tech, and Paula Brockwell, Founder and Chief Culture Shaper at the Employee Experience Project. Together, they explore practical strategies for defining, shaping, and embedding a winning workplace culture.

This episode is packed with actionable advice, from how to engage leadership in culture initiatives to how HR professionals can avoid becoming overwhelmed by the process. Whether you're just starting your culture journey or looking to refine your approach, this conversation is here to help.

[00:00] Introduction and Overview

[01:33] Meet the Guests: Annabelle Lawson and Paula Brockwell

[03:59] Annabelle Explains Her Culture Project

[08:32] Culture is a Strategic Enabler of Business Growth

[09:26] Using the Business Culture Canvas for Culture Conversations

[12:46] Embedding New Culture and Measuring Progress

[15:20] Timeframes for Seeing Cultural Changes

[19:55] Avoiding Overwhelm When Working on Culture Initiatives

[23:25] Starting a Culture Journey from Scratch

[24:33] The Importance of CEO Engagement in Culture Initiatives

[25:03] Book Recommendations

[26:06] How to Connect with Annabelle and Paula

• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
• Fay’s website: Bright Sky Career Coaching
• Connect with Annabelle Lawson on LinkedIn
• Connect with Paula Brockwell on LinkedIn
• Paula’s website: The Employee Experience Project

• Download Paula’s free culture change resources
• Access Paula’s Business Culture Canvas
• Access Paula’s Culture Catalyst Scorecard

• Episode 114: What workplace culture is, how to measure it, and a surprising way to improve it with Arend Boersema
• Episode 120: Crafting culture: unearthing and shaping the heart of your business with Louise Kennedy

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