Your 12 minute HR lesson

"How about.... instead of this process.... we talk about a deal". Legally, this can be hard, or maybe easy. BUT- laws aside, it's a pandora's box, you can't walk it back and pretend you didn't say that. It's tricky, so let's talk it through.

In chapters, we talked about how people have history, old chapters. In this question, we talk about whether someone can turn over a new leaf?

The greatest rule of thumb for explaining why people do they they shouldn't. People are dumb before they are cruel. Curious? have a listen.

In Taylor Swift's song Fortnight, did her character also commit infidelity? Or am I reading too much in? Suburban boredom and frustrated love is not a standard pop music topic, but Taylor did it anyway, which is worth respectful consideration. In this episode, I talk about how "The most powerful voices aren't those who tell people what they want to hear, but those who say something wo...

This episode explores the philosophical idea that most people work not because they are deeply engaged, but because employment is a practical exchange. Drawing on a concept popularised by Slavoj Žižek—"I would prefer not to"—the discussion argues that the opposite of engagement is often not dissatisfaction or resentment, but simple indifference. Employees may accept work as a necessary m...

Workplace ambushes occur when managers bring employees into conversations or investigations without adequately informing them of the issues being discussed, leaving them surprised and unprepared. While there can be a temptation to catch people off guard in the hope of getting more candid answers, employment law and good practice require employees to be fully informed and given a fair opportunity t...

This episode explores whether a person’s past should define their future, particularly in workplace decisions involving criminal convictions and trust. Using the idea of “chapters of life,” it examines how time, growth, maturity, and the nature of past behaviour shape whether someone has genuinely changed. A practical framework for HR and leaders weighing risk, fairness, and personal transformatio...

This episode explores “advanced ER” — situations where employers must sometimes act despite limited evidence. Using a World War II analogy about German U-boats misreading Allied tactics, it examines disciplinary strategy, anticipating responses, and why waiting for perfect proof can leave harmful workplace behaviour unchecked. Especially relevant for complex “he said, she said” cases.

How employees can create personal “versions of reality” in workplace conflicts, particularly around performance and conduct issues. Drawing parallels with broader social narratives and online echo chambers, it argues people sometimes shape facts around preferred beliefs instead of evidence. We recommend how to respond with clear written communication, factual detail, and time for reflection rather...

This article examines “lose-lose” situations in workplaces through the lens of tragedy and difficult decision-making. Drawing on Romeo + Juliet , it argues that damaging employment outcomes often arise when people harden their positions and leave no room for compromise. Leaders may not control employee decisions, but they can influence the environment by avoiding pressure, cornering, and forcing i...

We explore the importance of managing conflict before it escalates. Using the extraordinary restraint shown by Vasili Arkhipov and Stanislav Petrov during the Cold War, it highlights the power of choosing the right action over the expected one. The lesson for the workplace is clear—conflict is always present, and the real skill lies in gently “warming up” small issues early, rather than trying to...

This episode explores the often-overlooked role of workplace norms—those unwritten rules that sit between formal law and policy. Using the example of raising your voice at work, it highlights how expectations vary in rigidity and enforcement, and how HR professionals must constantly judge when to tolerate, nudge, or correct behaviour. Drawing an unexpected parallel with Limp Bizkit and their contr...

People care more about what they think is important than what you think should matter to them. In HR, the mistake is prioritising internal initiatives before solving the problems the business actually cares about.

The concept of “management by walking around” encourages leaders to leave their offices and spend time observing and engaging with people on the floor. OFor HR, the goal is slightly different: being visible and accessible so managers can raise issues early before they escalate into bigger problems. Instead of waiting for problems to come to HR, proactive HR professionals “go to the mountain” by re...

In disciplinary situations where an employer raises concerns about misconduct, employees typically respond in one of three ways: “kiss the ring,” “fight the fight,” or “split the difference.” Ultimately, disciplinary decisions are less about punishment and more about whether the employer can restore trust and confidence that the behavior will not happen again.

Police body-cam footage shows how trained officers manage conflict by calmly asserting authority, clearly outlining expectations, and signposting consequences. They also show us how poor management of situations can lead to escalation that no one wins from. The lesson for workplaces: restore order by staying calm, setting clear expectations, and communicating consequences in advance.

“Stick to message” is a powerful leadership skill, especially in conflict. It prevents conversations being derailed by “whatabout” arguments and keeps accountability clear. But control without listening fails. Like a four-on-the-floor drumbeat, leaders must be steady and consistent — then pause for the bridge to genuinely listen — before returning clearly to expectations and next steps.

Why do managers (and HR) often feel anxious when dealing with union representatives or others from outside of the workplace, or outside their control? Are we used to only having to listen to our own voices, our own priorities, our own version of the truth?

Like the “found family” trope from films, workplaces are where people form new gangs, new groups, new familites. But sometimes......the piece explores a common HR dilemma: when someone isn’t working out, are we helping them find the right fit, or simply moving the problem?

Using the parable of the prodigal son, we explore the workplace dynamic of “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” The younger son demands his inheritance early, squanders it, yet is welcomed back and celebrated by his father, while the dutiful older brother feels the deep injustice of being overlooked.

This episode of the 12 Minute HR Podcast uses Tim Minchin’s song Come Home (Cardinal Pell) to explore how difficult truths can be delivered calmly and effectively without emotional padding or aggression.

We’re living through a step change with AI, much like when platforms such as Facebook suddenly became universal after years of quiet development. The key issue isn’t the technology itself but how we use it: AI can be a powerful tool — like upgrading from a shovel to a digger — that makes us faster and more effective while we retain responsibility and judgment. But when people outsource their think...

Email is not true communication — it is only evidence that something was sent. We use examples from history and communication theory, the talk explains that communication only occurs when the idea in the sender’s mind is clearly understood in the receiver’s mind, which email alone cannot guarantee. Written messages are easily misunderstood, and without feedback or verification, the sender cannot k...

This lesson explores why listening is a complex but essential skill at work, arguing that many people struggle either because they’re distracted or because they listen with an agenda rather than to understand. It frames listening as an “art” rather than a formula and offers a practical model—X + Y + 1—to improve it: first, passively listen and let the other person say what they need to say (X); th...

This episode explores why moving people from a period of lax rules to stricter expectations is one of the hardest challenges in people management. Using analogies from war and the film Inception , the host explains that real change doesn’t come from coercion but from internalisation—getting someone to genuinely accept and believe in a new way of working. When employees have grown comfortable with...