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HR Coffee Time

HR Coffee Time

By: Fay Wallis
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Summary

 Welcome to the HR Coffee Time podcast; a fortnightly podcast full of tips and ideas to help you have a successful and fulfilling HR career (without working yourself into the ground). It can feel hard to put yourself and your own career first when you're so busy looking after everyone around you. It can leave you at risk of burning out, finding that you're not where you want to be in your career, or feeling unsure about what you want from your career anymore. This podcast is here to help. Join career coach and founder of Bright Sky HR, Fay Wallis as she and her expert guests share advice on how to get what you want from your career. If you enjoy the podcast, learn more at: https://brightskyhr.co.uk/ or connect with Fay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faywallis/Copyright 2022 Bright Sky HR Ltd Career Success Economics
Episodes
  • 170 | Constant Interruptions at Work? Here Are 4 Ways to Handle Them

    170 | Constant Interruptions at Work? Here Are 4 Ways to Handle Them
    May 8 2026

    Are constant interruptions at work stopping you from getting through your most important tasks?

    If you work in HR or a People role, you’ll know how quickly your day can be taken over by “have you got a minute?” moments - making it difficult to focus on the work that really matters.

    In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay Wallis shares practical ways to protect your time, reduce distractions and create more space for focused work, helping you step up with more confidence and control in your role.

    You’ll learn how to:

    • Set clear boundaries without feeling unhelpful
    • Reduce interruptions across your organisation
    • Create uninterrupted time for deep work
    • Stay focused on your most important priorities

    This episode is designed to support HR and People professionals who want to feel more confident, effective and in control of their time at work.

    Chapters

    [00:00] Do you get interrupted at work?

    [00:16] Interruptions – a big time management problem

    [00:55] Why HR gets pulled in

    [01:35] Episode goal and boundaries

    [01:56] Welcome and host intro

    [02:33] Four tips overview

    [03:00] Tip one: open door hours

    [03:35] Scripts and signage

    [04:06] Red sign boundary lesson

    [05:07] Tip two: company focus time

    [06:15] Deep work explained

    [07:11] No meeting Wednesday example

    [07:28] Tip three: working meetings

    [10:21] Tip four: block a deep work day

    [12:26] Recap and next steps

    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

    Take Fay’s free HR Leadership Impact Assessment.

    Helpful Episodes to Listen to Next
    • Ep 7: What to Do When You Don’t Have Enough Hours in the Day
    • Ep 45: 6 Ways to Stop Procrastinating & Find Time for Important Projects at Work
    • Ep 52: Two Ideas to Help You Bounce Back From a Tough Day at Work
    • Ep 67: How to Get on Top of Email Overwhelm When You’re in a Busy HR Role
    • Ep 138: Can’t Find Time for Strategic Work in HR? 5 Tips to Help

    Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!

    Sign up for 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:

    Help That’s There 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 don'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
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • 169 | A Brilliant Example of What ‘Being Strategic’ in HR Actually Looks Like (with Harriet Mewis)

    169 | A Brilliant Example of What ‘Being Strategic’ in HR Actually Looks Like (with Harriet Mewis)
    Apr 24 2026
    Have you wondered what ‘being strategic’ actually looks like? In this episode, you’ll hear a real, step-by-step example of what being strategic can look like in your day-to-day work.Host, Fay Wallis, is joined by Harriet Mewis, Head of People and Development, who shares how she spotted a small pattern in employee behaviour – and used it to uncover a much bigger issue affecting the business.What makes this conversation so powerful is how practical it is. You’ll hear how being strategic doesn’t require a big budget, a senior job title, or complicated frameworks. It starts with curiosity, observation, and asking thoughtful questions.By the end of the episode, you’ll have a much clearer sense of how you can apply this way of thinking in your own role – in a way that feels realistic and achievable.Chapters[00:00] Introduction with guest host Sarah Archer[01:00] Why “being strategic” can feel vague and frustrating[01:24] Introducing Harriet and her approach to strategy[02:14] What being strategic actually means in practice[03:02] Beginning of the interview with Harriet & Fay[04:18] Defining what ‘being strategic’ means[05:48] Why you can be strategic in any role[07:22] Harriet’s example of being strategic in her role[21:30] Learning about other departments & building trust[23:39] Becoming an ‘apprentice’ for the day[27:35] Introducing Lean Six Sigma thinking[34:46] Harriet’s book recommendation[37:12] Final reflections & closeUseful Links from This EpisodeConnect with Fay on LinkedInConnect with Harriet Mewis on LinkedInConnect with Sarah Archer on LinkedInListen to Sarah’s Podcast – Unstuck & UnstoppableLearn about Fay’s Essential HR PlannerLearn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership ProgrammeTake Fay’s freeHR Leadership Impact Assessment.Helpful Episodes to Listen to NextEp 166:The Biggest HR Strategy Mistake – And How to Fix It, with Dean CorbettEp 164:Becoming More Strategic as an HR Team – 3 Ways OKRs Can HelpEp 163:3 Ways to Prove You’re Strategic in Your HR Leadership Job InterviewEp 108:HR Leadership – How to Create a Powerful One-Page Strategy, with Dr Max McKeownEp 98:HR Insider Insights – How to Create a Powerful People Strategy for an SME, with Kelly VincentEnjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!Sign up for 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:Join the Inspiring HR Leadership ProgrammeBuild your confidence, credibility & impact through the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme. The next cohort is now open for booking. Inspiring HRHelp That’s There when It’s Needed MostMenopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they don'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
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • 168 | The 5 Things That Will Help You Become a Successful HR Director

    168 | The 5 Things That Will Help You Become a Successful HR Director
    Apr 10 2026

    If you’ve been working hard in your HR career but still feel unsure what will truly help you step up into an HR Director role (or have more impact in the one you’re already in), this episode is for you.

    You might have your CIPD qualification. You might have years of experience. You’re probably working incredibly hard. But those things alone don’t always lead to the impact, influence, or progression you’re aiming for.

    In this episode of HR Coffee Time, I share the five key areas I’ve identified from working with more than one hundred aspiring and existing HR leaders that really make the difference.


    And make sure you listen all the way to the end - because the fifth area is often the most overlooked, yet can have the biggest impact on your success.


    Chapters From This Episode

    [00:00] HR Director Roadmap

    [00:31] Five Key Areas Preview

    [01:00] Free HR Leadership Impact Assessment

    [02:27] Key Area 1 Confidence

    [02:51] Confidence in Practice

    [03:51] More Confidence Resources

    [04:15] Key Area 2 - Strategic Thinking

    [04:44] What Strategic Really Means

    [05:13] Strategy Benefits and Tools

    [06:25] Key Area 3 - Influencing

    [08:35 Key Area 4 - Empowering Others

    [09:51] Key Area 5 - Be Distinctive

    [11:09] How to Assess Where You Are Now & Next Steps


    Useful Links from This Episode:
    1. Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
    2. Learn about Fay’s Essential HR Planner
    3. Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme
    4. Take Fay’s freeHR Leadership Impact Assessment.


    Helpful Episodes to Listen to Next

    If you’d like to go deeper on some of the ideas from this episode, here are a few great next listens:

    1. Ep 167: A surprising way to feel calm and more confident in stressful moments
    2. Operate Strategically Playlist(multiple episodes)
    3. Ep 34: Influencing: How to get buy-in for your ideas at work
    4. Ep 44: Succeeding as an HR professional: How to influence at a senior level


    Enjoyed This Episode? Don’t Miss the Next One!

    Sign up for 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:

    Help That’s There 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 don'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

    Join the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme

    Build your confidence, credibility & impact through the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme. The next cohort is now open for booking.

    Inspiring HR
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
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These bite size chunks are brilliant to listen to, will help me develop my HR career and give me the confidence to push forwards !

Invaluable career advice!

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I’m in the process of leaving the RAF after 26 years and venturing into a new (to me) world of HR/People & Culture. I was recommended Fay Wallis’s epic podcast and 6 episodes in and I’m hooked. Incredibly informative and articulated to perfection, what I’m learning will hopefully be expertly used in future job interviews. Thank you Fay, now on to the other 100+ episodes.

Understanding the Jargon of a New World

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