“Magic words” — phrases we treat as if they automatically change situations — but don’t falling for their spell.

This week we talk about the “flawed mentor” — that Gandalf/Dumbledore/Merlin figure who guides us… until the moment their limitations show up.

HR’s role is not to make decisions but to ensure decisions are made well by identifying risks and variables.

“HR”, “People & Culture” or something - a real change or just a rebrand? New approach or old wine in new bottles?

Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car reminds us that some things are deeply felt but hard to express—just like real expertise.

What would future beings think of us if humanity suddenly vanished?

Why punishment rarely creates better behaviour — but a simple “thank you” can?

A lot of the time in HR, we don’t actually have power — we have influence. And the most effective kind of influence often comes from calmness.

What does the business need without knowing it?

Testing people doing the job is the best tool you don't use.

What comedy can teach us about risk—and why playing it too safe can quietly kill your organisation’s growth.

How is a dinosaur like a piece of legislation? The lesson of Jurassic Park is chaos theory; life is too complicated to be fully accounted for by any system. It's the same with the law.

Trying different solutions, not the same ones again.

Getting people to listen to the words is hard, just like love songs.

Stop pretending to be a marketer, but instead pretend to be an engineer.

Most managers don’t realise they have a hidden superpower.

Whitney's talent tells us a lot about what talent really is.

Don’t forget that pressures that management feels is much worse for the employee.

We rattle off the term 'best practice' all the time, but is it true? Is there a 'right way' to do things in all situations?

Thinking is a skill. Too little, and you blunder, too much and you get analysis paralysis. A pause is the trick.