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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
  • 189 | 5 Ways to Answer Questions in Important Meetings (When Your Mind Goes Blank)

    189 | 5 Ways to Answer Questions in Important Meetings (When Your Mind Goes Blank)
    Nov 6 2026

    Have you ever been asked for your opinion in a meeting and suddenly found your mind going completely blank? It can be especially uncomfortable when you're speaking with senior leaders or discussing an important issue and feel under pressure to come up with the "right" answer straight away.

    In this episode, Fay explores why mind blank moments happen and shares five practical techniques you can use when you're put on the spot. From buying yourself valuable thinking time to using coaching questions to move the conversation forward, you'll hear simple approaches that can help you feel more confident and credible in important meetings.


    What You’ll Learn
    • Why stress and pressure can make it harder to organise your thoughts and recall information in meetings
    • How a deliberate pause can help you move out of panic mode and think more clearly
    • A simple way to clarify questions while giving yourself valuable thinking time
    • Why you don't need to come up with a perfect answer to make a useful contribution
    • How to respond professionally when you genuinely don't know the answer
    • The benefits of preparing notes and key information before important meetings
    • How coaching questions can help a team think more clearly about a problem without rushing to a decision


    Chapters

    [00:00] Introduction

    [02:43] The Psychology Behind Mind Blank Moments

    [04:40] Tip 1: Remember to Pause

    [05:57] Tip 2: Clarify the Question

    [07:40] Tip 3: Take the Pressure Off Yourself

    [08:38] Tip 4: Be Honest When You Don't Know

    [10:14] Tip 5: Ask a Coaching Question

    [11:34] Example: Coaching Questions in Action

    [13:10] Why Coaching Is Valued at Leadership Level

    [14:11] How to Get More Support

    [14:48] Closing


    Useful Links and Resources
    • Connect with Fay Wallis on LinkedIn
    • Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme
    • Treat yourself to a copy of The Essential HR Planner


    Helpful Episodes to Listen to Next
    • Episode 162: How to Feel More Confident Speaking Up in Leadership Meetings
    • Episode 86: How to Stop Other People Taking Credit for Your Ideas in Meetings
    • Episode 73: 5 Ways to Feel More Confident in Your Next Interview, Meeting, or Presentation


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

    Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time email for useful HR resources, ideas and new episode updates to support you in your HR career.
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    15 mins
  • 188 | “That’s Not Special, That’s Just Me”: How to Spot the Strengths You Can’t See (with Michele Deeks & Martin Galpin)

    188 | “That’s Not Special, That’s Just Me”: How to Spot the Strengths You Can’t See (with Michele Deeks & Martin Galpin)
    Oct 23 2026
    Have you ever dismissed something you do brilliantly because it feels easy? Perhaps a colleague has praised you for something and you've thought, "That's nothing special. Doesn't everyone do that?" The challenge is that some of our greatest strengths can be hidden in plain sight because they come so naturally to us.In this episode, we explore why recognising and using your strengths can have a powerful impact on your wellbeing, performance and enjoyment at work. We also look at why many people spend too much time relying on learned behaviours rather than the things that genuinely energise them.To help us unpack this topic, I'm joined by chartered psychologists Michele Deeks and Martin Galpin, co-founders of Work Positive and creators of the At My Best strengths tools. Together, we discuss the research behind strengths-based approaches, how to identify your own strengths, and simple ways managers, leaders and teams can help people recognise what they do best.What You'll LearnThe difference between a genuine strength and a learned behaviour, and why recognising the distinction mattersWhy the strengths that come most naturally to you can be the hardest ones to spotHow focusing only on weaknesses can limit development and prevent people from excellingPractical ways managers can help team members identify and use their strengths more oftenWhy detailed positive feedback is more powerful than generic praiseHow reflecting on times when you've been at your best can help you identify your strengthsA simple team activity that encourages colleagues to recognise and appreciate each other's strengthsChapters[00:00] Introduction: Hidden Strengths[00:31] Welcome, Guests & HR Planning Day[03:35] What Are Strengths?[04:21] Strengths vs Learned Behaviours[05:47] Fay's Personal Example: Time Management[06:43] The Impact of Overusing Learned Behaviours[08:26] Why Focus on Strengths at Work?[10:28] Fixing Weakness vs Building Strength[12:16] The Cost of No Positive Feedback[12:37] How Managers Can Weave In Strengths[13:06] The Leaving Party Effect[14:29] The Power of Detailed Positive Feedback[16:37] The Ripple Effect & Strengths Blind Spots[21:22] Using Strengths Cards with People Facing Redundancy[23:08] The Research Behind Strengths[27:10] Wellbeing & Financial Performance: Oxford Research[28:37] How to Identify Your Own Strengths[32:03] The Story Behind the Strengths Cards[35:24] Team Activities with the Strengths Cards[39:02] Book Recommendation & Job Crafting[43:46] Wrap UpUseful Links and ResourcesConnect with Michele Deeks on LinkedInConnect with Martin Galpin on LinkedInVisit the Work Positive websiteExplore At My Best resources and strengths toolsTry the free Strengths Self-Reflection ToolConnect with Fay Wallis on LinkedInLearn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership ProgrammeTreat yourself to a copy of The Essential HR PlannerBook your ticket for one of the HR Planning DaysBooks & Articles Recommended in This EpisodePersonalization at Work: How HR Can Use Job Crafting to Drive Performance, Engagement & Wellbeing, by Rob BakerJournal article:Flourishing in New Zealand Workers: Associations With Lifestyle Behaviors, Physical Health, Psychosocial, and Work-Related Indicators (2015),by Lucy C. Hone, Aaron Jarden, Scott Duncan and Grant M. SchofieldMichelle McQuaid’s research on strengths-based organisational changeUniversity of Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre:Workplace Wellbeing and Firm Performance, by Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Micah Kaats and George WardHR Coffee Time Episodes to Listen to NextEpisode 47:Discovering Your Values to Help Your HR Career, with Zoe HawkinsEpisode 173:How to Build a Better Workplace Culture, So People Thrive at Work, with Aoife O'BrienEnjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss The Next One!Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time emailExclusive offer from HR Coffee Time’s sponsor, C-meHR Coffee Time listeners can book C-me’s 90-minute High Performing Team Workshop, with five High Performance profiles and a Team Wheel, for £499 (saving more than £2,500). Ideal for a Christmas team day or end-of-year get-together. Places are limited, so find out more and apply at https://colour-profiling.com/hrcoffee
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    46 mins
  • 187 | What’s Next for Your Career? 4 Options to Help You Decide

    187 | What’s Next for Your Career? 4 Options to Help You Decide
    Oct 9 2026

    Career progression does not always have to mean securing a promotion or climbing further up the career ladder. You may want to deepen your expertise, move into a different area of HR or explore a completely new path.

    In this solo episode, Fay talks you through four possible career directions: growing in your current role, stepping up, moving sideways or stepping out. She also shares practical questions to help you decide which direction feels right for the next stage of your career.

    What You’ll Learn
    • Why meaningful career growth does not always require a promotion or a new job title
    • How growing in your current role could help you develop your expertise, confidence or strategic impact
    • Questions to consider if you would like to step up into a more senior position
    • How a sideways move could broaden your experience and support your longer-term career goals
    • Practical ways to explore stepping out of your current career path before making a major change
    • How to identify the work, strengths and experiences you would like more of in your career
    • Why choosing a general direction can help you make more deliberate decisions, even if you do not have every detail worked out yet

    Chapters

    [0:00] Introduction: The Four Career Directions

    [01:15] Option 1: Grow in Your Current Role

    [03:28] Option 2: Step Up into a More Senior Role

    [05:21] Option 3: Move Sideways

    [07:03] Option 4: Step Out - Leaving Your Current Path & Exploring New Options

    [08:48] How to Choose Which Career Direction Is Right for You

    [10:19] Using The Essential HR Planner to Turn Your Decision Into a Plan

    [11:37] Closing: What Do You Want Next from Your Career?

    Useful Links and Resources
    • Connect with Fay Wallis on LinkedIn
    • Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme
    • Treat yourself to a copy of The Essential HR Planner

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

    Sign up for the free weekly HR Coffee Time email for useful HR resources, ideas and new episode updates to support you in your HR career.
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    13 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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