As the year comes to a close, taking time to reflect on 2024 can be a wonderful way to celebrate your successes and uncover inspiration for your goals in 2025.

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of focusing on what didn’t go to plan or overlooking achievements, thanks to the negativity bias we all experience. Add to that the recency bias—where only the most recent events stick in our minds—and it’s no wonder we often lose sight of the bigger picture.

In this episode, I’ll guide you through 10 powerful reflection questions from The Essential HR Planner to help you push past these biases, recognise all you’ve accomplished this year, and approach 2025 with confidence and clarity. And to show that I’m right there with you, I’ll share my own answers to the questions too.

Whether you’re using The Essential HR Planner or simply jotting down notes as you listen, this episode of HR Coffee Time is your chance to pause, reflect, and start shaping the year ahead with purpose and positivity.

[00:00] Introduction

[03:10] Question 1: What did you achieve? - Small wins are just as noteworthy as big ones

[09:06] Question 2: What did you do to help others?

[11:35] Question 3: What are you proudest of from 2024?

[13:02] Question 4: What did you do for your wellbeing during the past year?

[15:50] Question 5: What did you learn during 2024?

[21:35] Question 6: Which relationships did you develop and build?

[23:22] Question 7: What are you grateful for?

[24:22] Question 8: What did you find challenging this year?

[27:10] Question 9: What insights do you have from reading through your answers to questions 1-8?

[29:32] Question 10: How can these insights influence your goals for 2025?

[32:51] Conclusion

• The Essential HR Planner website
• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
• Fay’s website: Bright Sky Career Coaching
• Fay's blog post: Reflecting on 2024 - looking back to look forward
• Fay's YouTube channel

(Disclosure: book links are affiliate links which means Fay will earn a small commission from Amazon if you make a purchase through them)

• Neuroscience for Learning and Development: How to Apply Neuroscience and Psychology for Improved Learning and Training, by Stella Collins
• Think Like a Coach: Empower Your Team Through Everyday Conversations, by Jude Sclater
• Chatter: The Voice in Our Head and How to Harness It, by Ethan Kross

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:

Have you ever been asked to design or deliver a workshop and found yourself worrying whether it will be as good as it could be? Whether you’re preparing your first training session or looking to enhance your facilitation skills, this episode of HR Coffee Time is packed with ideas and resources to help you create training and workshops that are impactful, engaging, and memorable.

In this episode, host Fay Wallis reflects on her experience running the first in-person HR Planning Day and shares five brilliant resources that most inspired her when designing the event. You’ll discover practical insights and creative techniques to transform your workshops and training sessions, whether in-person or online.

[00:00] Introduction and Overview

[03:27] Resource 1: Kirsty Lewis’ online masterclass on workshop design

[11:45] Resource 2: The Two-Hour Workshop Blueprint book

[22:07] Resource 3: The Flipchart Facebook group

[23:37] Resource 4: Neuroscience for Learning and Development book

[28:01] Resource 5: The Ten-Minute Trainer book

[31:28] Conclusion

• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
• Fay’s website: Bright Sky Career Coaching
• Kirsty Lewis’ website: School of Facilitation
• The Flipchart Facebook group
• The Essential HR Planner (hardback & digital versions available)

Episode 110: Why facilitation skills can help your HR career & how to develop them, with Kirsty Lewis

(Disclosure: book links are affiliate links, which means Fay will earn a small commission from Amazon if you make a purchase through them)

• The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: Design Fast. Deliver Strong. Without Stress, by Leanne Hughes
• Neuroscience for Learning and Development: How to Apply Neuroscience and Psychology for Improved Learning and Training, by Stella Collins
• The Ten-Minute Trainer: 150 Ways to Teach it Quick and Make it Stick, by Sharon L. Bowman

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: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk.

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by

As organisations work to create more inclusive workplaces, some aspects of diversity receive more attention than others. Being able to express religious beliefs at work is an area that often remains unexplored despite its significance to many employees. In this episode of HR Coffee Time, host Fay Wallis is joined by Professor Binna Kandola, senior partner and co-founder of Pearn Kandola, to explore why religious expression matters to the people in your workplace and how organisations can better support this.

Binna shares insights from his firm's comprehensive research into religion at work, including findings from their largest-ever survey response. He explains the various aspects of religious expression, discusses both challenges and positive developments in workplace inclusion, and offers practical guidance for HR professionals looking to create more inclusive environments.

[00:00] Introduction and Overview

[02:02] Meet the Expert: Professor Binna Kandola

[04:19] Defining Religious Expression at Work

[10:03] Why Religious Expression Matters

[18:36] Benefits to Organizations

[21:01] Key Research Findings

[26:49] Examples of Good Practice

[31:23] Book Recommendation

[33:28] Conclusion and Resources

• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
• Fay’s website: Bright Sky Career Coaching
• Connect with Binna Kandola on LinkedIn
• Binna’s website: Pearn Kandola
• Pearn Kandola’s, “Religion at Work Report”
• Binna’s podcast, Making the World Fairer (on Apple Podcasts)
• Binna’s podcast, Making the World Fairer (on Spotify)

Create an Equitable, Diverse & Inclusive Workplace – Podcast Playlist (on the Bright Sky website)

Create an Equitable, Diverse & Inclusive Workplace – Podcast Playlist (on Spotify)

(Disclosure: book links are affiliate links which means Fay will earn a small commission from Amazon if you make a purchase through them)

‘World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and Explained’ by John Bowker

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...