What to do when 'People & Culture' isn't working

A rebrand isn't the same as a rebirth

Last week at the Festival of Work, I had the chance to chat with a bunch of people who had made the leap from HR to People & Culture. But I was surprised to hear that for them, it still felt like the same old story with a new fancy label.

A lot of organizations fall into the trap of thinking that transitioning from HR to People & Culture is as simple as changing the name on the door. But this shift is a big deal, and it's not always easy. HR has traditionally been seen as the department that handles the nitty-gritty of employee management – think payroll, benefits, disciplinary procedures. But People & Culture? That's about creating a workplace that people actually want to be a part of.

It's a shift from the transactional to the transformational. Instead of just ticking boxes, People & Culture is all about building a culture that engages, inspires, and supports your employees and an environment where people can thrive, both personally and professionally. To really make the transition work, you've got to be willing to shake things up. That means taking a hard look at your current policies and practices and asking yourself – are they really serving your people? Are they aligned with the kind of culture you want to create?

It's not about throwing out everything that HR has done – there's still a lot of important transactional work that needs to happen. But it's about finding ways to infuse those tasks with a people-first mindset. It's about looking for opportunities to create moments of connection, to show your employees that you value them as human beings, not just as cogs in the machine.

I firmly believe in the power of the People & Culture model to do this when implemented well - it's why I created peopleandculture.com.?If you're thinking about making a switch to People & Culture or are already in the process, explore how our?People & Culture Operating Model? can help you make a seamless transition from HR in a way that works for your employees, your customers, and your business.

Welcoming new colleagues to the team

Our team continues to grow! We were delighted to welcome Libby Batehup this week who joins us from a corporate role in employee relations to head up our Workplace Investigations Services.

So much of the work that we do at The TCM Group centres around resolving workplace complaints, concerns, conflicts and conduct issues through restorative approaches such as mediation. However, sometimes a fair, through and rigorous investigation is required and The Investigation Company does a fantastic job of navigating the most complicated of workplace issues.

Our congratulations to Anne O'Neill and her team at the The University of Manchester as our Customer of the Week!??They participated in a very bespoke 1-day course with actors in role play to do a deeply interactive version of our??Facilitated Conversations course.?These were some reflections from attendees:

???"It has been very engaging and raised my level of understanding on how to facilitate a conversation. I feel more confident now in taking on this role." - Claudia Henninger

???"Acting is always good to access the learning. This course helps to focus on early conflict resolution. So useful to engage with attendees." - Deborah Bunker

It was great to hear how well the sessions were received and their impact on the team. Keep up the good work!

Exploring Psychological Safety at Work

I'm very much looking forward to my next Transforming Work (PACE) Videocast which will feature Sacha Thompson, Founder & CEO of The Equity Equation. They are doing great work to help organizations design and curate inclusive environments where all team members and populations feel valued, seen, heard, and connected. Together we'll be exploring?inclusive leadership, equity and psychological safety at the workplace.

The TCM Reading Corner

Andy Lancaster's book only just arrived at my home on Tuesday and after just an hour with it, I'm already loving it. His is a practical guide to?developing a culture of learning within organizations. And crucially, how they can transform problem solving, development, and performance. I'll be speaking with Andy on an upcoming videocast to discuss so check back for dates! You can get the book here.