HR Coffee Time

When you spot a problem at work, how quickly does your mind start coming up with solutions?
Welcome to Day 4 of The Strategic HR Sprint, a free five-day experience to help you build your confidence and skills in being strategic in your HR role.
Join the sprint for free and access all five episodes, worksheets and resources here: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/sprint
One of the most important parts of being strategic is taking the time to understand what is really driving a challenge before deciding how to respond.
It is easy to assume that the answer is training, a new policy, more people or better pay. But if you have not explored what is really causing the challenge, you could invest time and energy in an idea that only treats the symptoms.
Getting to the root cause helps you make better decisions about where HR can have the greatest impact and identify actions that are more likely to create lasting improvements.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to stay curious for longer and use a simple technique called the Five Whys to explore the challenge you identified during Day 3.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why understanding the root cause is an important part of being strategic
How to use the Five Whys technique
How to avoid treating a symptom instead of the underlying cause
Why involving people who are close to the challenge can lead to better insights
How to ask “why” without sounding critical or pushy

Your Day 4 Activity
Today’s worksheet will help you explore the challenge you chose during Day 3 and identify what may be causing it.
You’ll work through the Five Whys, think about where HR could have the biggest influence and note down your first ideas for how the challenge could be addressed.
You might also find it helpful to talk the challenge through with someone who sees or experiences it day to day, as they may notice things that are easy to miss from your perspective.
Once you have completed the worksheet, you can also use the optional AI prompt to suggest practical HR and People initiatives, including quick wins and longer-term ideas.
Before using the prompt, remember to remove or change anything that could identify your organisation or the people involved.
Access all the sprint resources here:
https://brightskyhr.co.uk/sprint
Chapters
[00:00] – Welcome to Day 4 of The Strategic HR Sprint
[01:09] – A recap of the sprint so far
[01:42] – Why we jump straight to solutions
[02:41] – Staying curious for longer
[03:03] – How the Five Whys works
[03:37] – Finding the right starting point
[04:45] – The employee turnover example
[06:10] – Your Day 4 worksheet
[07:18] – Involving other people
[07:43] – How to ask “why” without sounding critical
[08:51] – Using the optional AI prompt
[09:34] – Protecting confidential information
[10:42] – What to expect from Day 5

Useful Links
Join the free Strategic HR Sprint: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/sprint/
Connect with Fay Wallis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faywallis/
The Essential HR Planner: https://essentialhrplanner.co.uk/
Learn about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/hr-leadership-course/

Helpful Episodes to Listen to Next
Ep 174 | Free 5-Day Strategic HR Sprint (Struggling to Be Strategic? This Will Help)
Ep 176 | (Day 1) The Strategic HR Sprint - Building Your Strategic Confidence
Ep 177 | (Day 2) The Strategic HR Sprint - Seeing the Bigger Picture
Ep 178 | (Day 3) The Strategic HR Sprint - Finding Your Strategic Focus
Ep 179 | (Day 4) The Strategic HR Sprint - Look Beneath the Surface

Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!
Sign up to the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most
Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.
Kara Connect

When there are dozens of things you could be working on, how do you decide what deserves your attention most?
Welcome to Day 3 of The Strategic HR Sprint, a free five-day learning experience designed to help you strengthen your strategic thinking in just 10–15 minutes each day.
Join The Strategic HR Sprint for free: brightskyhr.co.uk/sprint
In today’s episode, you’ll identify one important challenge to focus on for the rest of the sprint.
Drawing on an insight from Richard Rumelt’s book Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, Fay explains why good strategy isn’t a long list of everything an organisation could do. It requires focus: understanding the challenges being faced and directing time and energy towards the ones that matter most.
You’ll explore different ways to identify a worthwhile challenge, whether that means looking at your organisation’s strategy, reflecting on what you discovered about the external environment during Day 2, reviewing HR data or noticing the frustrations that repeatedly arise in conversations with managers and employees.
Your chosen challenge doesn’t have to affect the entire organisation. If you’re earlier in your HR career, it could be something closer to your own role that you can influence. What matters is choosing an area where you have the opportunity to make a positive difference.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why being strategic includes deciding what not to focus on
How to identify the challenges behind your organisation’s strategic priorities
Where to look for ideas if your organisation doesn’t have a clear or up-to-date strategy
How external trends, HR data and recurring workplace frustrations can highlight important challenges
The question that can help you decide which challenge to prioritise
Why there isn’t an optional AI prompt for today’s activity

Chapters
[00:00] Welcome to Day 3 of The Strategic HR Sprint
[01:09] Recapping Days 1 and 2
[01:30] What good strategy looks like in practice
[02:52] Identifying one challenge worth focusing on
[03:42] Using your organisation’s strategy
[04:43] What to do if the strategy isn’t helpful
[05:14] Learning from data and recurring frustrations
[05:34] Choosing the challenge with the greatest potential impact
[06:15] Why today’s activity doesn’t include an AI prompt
[06:38] Share how you’re getting on

Resources Mentioned
Join The Strategic HR Sprint for free: brightskyhr.co.uk/sprint
Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters by Richard Rumelt

Useful Links
Join the free Strategic HR Sprint
Connect with Fay Wallis on LinkedIn
The Essential HR Planner
Learn about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme

Helpful Episodes to Listen to Next
Ep 174 | Free 5-Day Strategic HR Sprint (Struggling to Be Strategic? This Will Help)
Ep 176 | (Day 1) The Strategic HR Sprint - Building Your Strategic Confidence
Ep 177 | (Day 2) The Strategic HR Sprint - Seeing the Bigger Picture
Ep 179 | (Day 4) The Strategic HR Sprint - Look Beneath the Surface

Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!
Sign up to the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.

If you’re taking part in The Strategic HR Sprint, Fay would love to hear how you’re getting on. Leave a comment underneath the YouTube video, share your progress on LinkedIn and tag Fay, or reply to one of your daily sprint emails.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most
Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.
Kara Connect

What does it really mean to be strategic in HR?
One of the biggest shifts you can make is to stop looking only at HR and start paying much more attention to the world your organisation operates in.
In Day 2 of the free five-day Strategic HR Sprint, Fay Wallis explores why strategic HR professionals develop an "outside-in" perspective. Drawing on insights from HR From the Outside In by Dave Ulrich and colleagues, she explains why understanding your industry's challenges, opportunities and emerging trends can help you anticipate what's coming next and make a greater strategic contribution.
You'll also discover a simple habit you can build into your routine to strengthen your commercial awareness, along with an optional AI prompt that can quickly generate an executive briefing about your sector.
Whether you're early in your HR career or already leading a people function, this episode will help you become more curious, more commercially aware and more confident about contributing strategically.
Chapters
[00:00] Welcome to Day 2 of The Strategic HR Sprint
[01:09] Why understanding your organisation's world matters
[02:39] The "outside-in" approach from Dave Ulrich & colleagues
[03:47] How external trends shape strategic HR priorities
[04:38] Today's worksheet: building your outside-in awareness
[05:55] Using AI to understand your industry more quickly
[07:10] Building a lasting strategic habit
[08:14] Looking ahead to Day 3

Useful Links
Join the free Strategic HR Sprint
Connect with Fay Wallis on LinkedIn
The Essential HR Planner
Learn about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme

Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!
Sign up to the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most
Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.
Kara Connect

Want to become more strategic in HR, but not sure where to start? This episode is Day 1 of my free five-day Strategic HR Sprint.
Over five short episodes, I'll help you build your strategic confidence one practical step at a time through bite-sized lessons, downloadable worksheets and optional AI prompts.
👉 Join the free Strategic HR Sprint here: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/sprint
When you sign up, you'll receive 5 daily emails, containing each day's:
Podcast episode
Practical worksheet for each day
Optional AI prompt to deepen your learning

Even if you're discovering this episode months or years after it was first released, you can still sign up and work through the sprint at your own pace.
About this episode
One of the biggest challenges I hear from HR professionals isn't a lack of strategic ability. It's a lack of confidence.
Many people assume strategy is something reserved for CEOs, senior leaders or people with MBAs. But what if you've actually been thinking strategically for years without realising it?
In Day 1, you'll discover a simple way of thinking about strategy that completely changed the way I see it. You'll also complete a practical reflection exercise to help you recognise the strategic strengths you already have, giving you evidence to build your confidence throughout the rest of the sprint.
In this episode you'll learn:
Why so many HR professionals underestimate how strategic they already are
A simple definition of strategy that makes it much easier to understand
How everyday experiences can demonstrate strategic thinking
How to recognise the strategic strengths you've already demonstrated
How today's worksheet and optional AI prompt can help build your confidence
Why building evidence of your strengths is the first step towards becoming a more confident strategic HR professional

Chapters
[00:00] Welcome to Day 1 of The Strategic HR Sprint
[02:35] A simple definition of strategy
[03:18] You're already strategic
[04:38] Today's worksheet
[05:44] Examples of strategic thinking in everyday life
[07:24] Using the AI prompt
[09:54] Share your strategic strengths
[10:32] Coming up in Day 2

Resources mentioned in this episode
The Strategy Book by Dr Max McKeown

Useful links
Join the free Strategic HR Sprint: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/sprint
Connect with Fay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faywallis
Learn more about The Essential HR Planner: https://www.essentialhrplanner.co.uk
Find out about the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme: https://www.brightskyhr.co.uk/inspiring-hr-leadership-programme

Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!
Sign up to the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most
Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.
Kara Connect

🎁 Download your free Mid-Year Reset activity here: https://brightskyhr.kit.com/a2ea9eb841
Have you reached the halfway point of the year wondering where the time has gone?
If you'd like to feel more focused, intentional and excited about the months ahead, this episode is for you.
In this solo episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay shares a simple but powerful Mid-Year Reset exercise that will help you pause, reflect and decide where you'd like to focus next, instead of simply drifting through the rest of the year.
Using the simple Stop, Start, Continue framework, you'll reflect on what's helping you, what's holding you back and the changes that could make the biggest difference during the second half of the year.
In this episode you'll discover:
Why halfway through the year is the perfect time to pause and reflect
How the Stop, Start, Continue framework can help you gain clarity
Reflection questions to identify what you should stop doing
Ideas for what to start doing to have more impact and enjoyment at work
Why recognising what's already working is just as important as making changes
How to turn your reflections into practical actions you'll actually follow through on
Simple ways to finish the year feeling more focused, fulfilled and proud of what you've achieved

Chapters
[00:00] Why a mid-year reset matters
[02:10] Introducing the Stop, Start, Continue framework
[04:00] Stop: What needs to change?
[06:26] Start: What will make the biggest difference?
[07:41] Continue: What's already working well?
[09:28] Turning reflection into action
[10:15] Final thoughts

Useful Links from This Episode
Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
Learn about Fay’s Essential HR Planner
Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme
Download your free Mid-Year Reset activity

Other HR Coffee Time episodes you might enjoy
Ep 125: Create Your Perfect Professional Development Plan in 8 Simple Steps
Episode 85: 6 Questions to Prioritise What Matters for Your HR Career
Episode 80: How Quarterly Reviews Can Help You Thrive in Your HR Career
Episode 170: Constant Interruptions at Work? 4 Ways to Take Back Control

If you're enjoying HR Coffee Time, I'd be so grateful if you could follow the show, leave a rating or review, or share this episode with another HR or People professional who might enjoy it too.
Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!
Sign up to the free weekly HR Coffee Time email to be notified each time a new episode is released – and get free career tips, tools, and resources.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most
Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.
Kara Connect
Free Strategic HR Sprint
Join the free Strategic HR Sprint and set yourself up for strategic success. 5 easy-to-implement ideas delivered to your inbox across 5 days.
The Strategic HR Sprint