It's Time for Change

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It's Time for Change

Let’s put the human factor back into business. Real change doesn’t come from rigid frameworks. It’s not about ‘fixing’ people.

Helping leaders lead people (not just projects) | Culture, performance, & leadership | Partnerships, strategy, & support | Chartered Psychologist | 🎙 Host of Beyond the Water Cooler It comes from conversations that make space for reflection, connection, and clarity - and from support that meets people where they’re at. I support leaders navigating the more human (& often messier) side of work - the stuff that affects how people feel, how they show up, and how well they perform. In a nutshell: People Strategy = Leadership, Culture, and Performance. Yes, I’m a psychologist, consultant, and coach, but mostly I’m the person organisations come to when something’s simply not working and they don't know what to do about it - whether it’s a team dynamic that’s off, a manager who's overwhelmed, a culture that doesn’t match what’s written on the wall - that’s when I get a call. And it’s certainly not about just ticking boxes. It’s about understanding what’s going on beneath the surface and creating the conditions people need to thrive - so your culture holds strong, even when the pressure’s on. There’s no one-size-fits-all-off-the-shelf-quick-fix. Whether I’m working with you through a retained partnership, facilitating team development, or coaching leaders through complex people challenges, it’s always:

- Bespoke
- Practical
- Psychology-backed
- Human-focused

Oh, and often - quite fun! Because when we get people right, we get business right. Fancy a chat about how we might work together?

📧 lisa@itstimeforchange.co.uk
🌍 www.itstimeforchange.co.uk
☕ https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/contact

🎙 Beyond the Water Cooler is where I chat with brilliant guests about leadership, culture, neurodiversity, burnout, and all the real stuff that affects how we work. Listen here: https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/podcast

🖊 Or check out my blog for honest advice and topical takes on people strategy, performance, mental health, and more: https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/blog

🌟 Client feedback? Head to Google or check out the testimonials on my site. They’ll tell you what it’s like to work with me - and why my clients tend to stick around. Off-duty you’ll find me hiking, travelling in our motorhome, wrangling children, and definitely enjoying a G&T (or 2).

29/01/2026

HR data - often gets written off before the conversation has even started.

For a lot of people, those two words mean spreadsheets, reporting for the sake of it, or long discussions about numbers that don’t seem to change very much. I see it time and time again.

I sat down recently with Lorna Moles to talk about why so many HR teams and leadership groups struggle to move beyond basic reporting. What we kept coming back to was this: data on its own doesn’t help anyone lead better. It only becomes useful when it helps people understand what’s actually happening in their teams.

What struck me most is how often we forget that people data isn’t just numbers. It’s frustration. It’s effort. It’s ideas that don’t get airtime. It’s patterns that show up in conversations long before they appear in a report.

We talked a lot about curiosity. Not accepting headline figures at face value, but asking what sits underneath them. Who’s missing from the data. What isn’t being said. And why certain patterns keep repeating.

None of this works if the conversation stops at “here’s the report”. The value comes when leaders and HR teams sit together and make sense of what they’re seeing, and then use it to support people, not just measure them.

If you’re trying to make better decisions about performance, culture, or leadership, this episode is a good place to start.

🎧 Listen to the latest episode of Beyond the Water Cooler and join the conversation: https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/captivate-podcast/making-people-data-matter-from-reporting-to-real-influence/

27/01/2026

I’m seeing more teams work harder than ever, and somehow achieve less.

It’s something that keeps coming up in conversations with leaders right now. The way we work has changed, but many of our assumptions about performance haven’t. We still default to speed, urgency and having answers, even when those approaches no longer fit the reality people are working in.

What I’m noticing instead is this....

Performance today isn’t breaking down because people aren’t capable or committed. 💡It’s becoming fragile because there’s no space left to think, learn or recover.

🪫Decision-making slows.
🪫Energy dips.
🪫Leaders feel pressure to know, rather than to notice.

High-performing teams are starting to do something counterintuitive.
They’re doing less.

✅Fewer meetings, but better ones.
✅Slowing decisions just enough to improve judgement.
✅Shifting from providing answers to asking stronger questions.
✅Creating psychological safety so thinking is shared, not bottlenecked at the top.

This isn’t about lowering standards or caring less. It’s about recognising that attention and energy are finite. When people are constantly stretched, judgement narrows and learning shuts down. No productivity tool fixes that. Only intentional leadership does.

When wellbeing becomes part of how performance is created, not a separate conversation, teams become more resilient and more effective.

I explore this more in my latest piece on rethinking team performance for 2026. It might prompt a useful pause https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/doing-less-to-achieve-more/

22/01/2026

Sometimes there is a better way of doing things - if only you could stop bumping for a moment and think.

That line from Winnie-the-Pooh captures something I see all the time in organisations.

High-performing teams don’t just move faster.
They stop, reflect, and choose more wisely.

Are you stuck in a loop?

Download the free 'Insight to Action' resource - 'Sustainable High Performance in 2026: What Teams Need to Do Differently'. You will discover practical steps for leading your team to sustainable high performance in 2026 and beyond https://itstimeforchange.activehosted.com/f/39

The answer is not by doing more, but being more intentional about what you do. And what you don't.

How wise are you about your use of time?
How impactful are those choices?

21/01/2026

Personalisation is talked about, but rarely practised well.

Most leaders I work with still feel the pull to roll out one-size-fits-all solutions - policies, perks, even development plans. It’s efficient, gets things ticked off, and feels fair on paper. Yet what actually shifts things for performance and culture is when we make space for context. Small things - like knowing what specific support a person needs, what fits their role, or why the same strategy works wonders in one team but falls flat in another.

What often happens is that leaders get stuck between wanting consistent standards, and needing flexibility for people to thrive. It’s uncomfortable to admit, but personalisation takes more time and attention than most expect. Organisations aren’t lacking clever methods, they’re often just missing space for genuine listening.

I keep noticing that culture feels most connected when leaders are willing to slow down and find out what actually matters to each person. The risks of getting this wrong? Frustration, missed opportunities, and teams feeling unseen. That shows up everywhere.

Listen in and start exploring how personalisation can change the way you lead: https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/captivate-podcast/the-5-unseen-people-challenges-leaders-must-face-in-2026/

Interested to hear what you’re noticing.

15/01/2026

What will high performing teams actually do differently going into 2026?

Across many organisations, I’m noticing that working harder doesn’t equal better results - in fact, it’s often making performance feel more fragile. We’re all familiar with the urge to add more meetings, push for speed, or rely on managers having all the answers. But in rapidly changing environments, these old habits can quietly hold us back.

Sustainable high performance is born from creating space - space to think, reflect, prioritise and learn. The leaders making the biggest impact aren’t the loudest or fastest, but those who facilitate thinking, ask better questions, and distribute decision making. Protecting team energy, setting clearer boundaries, redefining the purpose of meetings, and modelling ‘doing less’ all help people to thrive rather than just cope, or worse still, burnout.

This is about building a work culture where clarity, focus and connection drive results - not just endless activity.

Are you noticing where noise is creeping in? Where could you pause or step back to let others step forward?

Catch the latest conversation here: https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/captivate-podcast/what-high-performing-teams-will-do-differently-in-2026

14/01/2026

With five generations at work (soon to be six!), communication can get complicated fast.

A basic rule: never assume what people want!

Instead, ask your colleagues about their communication preferences and needs. Research can suggest that certain generations love particular approaches, but individuals may surprise you.

It’s all about honest conversations and equipping managers to flex their approach.

One trend that is consistent is that the younger generation are actively seeking emotionally intelligent leaders. So, the more willing we are to ask and adapt, the stronger our workplaces will be.

Have you talked with your team about communication styles?

Alliance of Independent Agencies

13/01/2026

I’m noticing a pattern that’s becoming harder to ignore as we look towards 2026.

Many organisations are still pushing for performance using approaches that no longer fit the reality people are working in. The world of work has shifted, yet too often our leadership habits haven’t caught up.

In my work, five people challenges keep surfacing. Not as dramatic crises, but as quiet pressure points. Personalisation being replaced by one-size-fits-all solutions. Emotional exhaustion hidden behind the label of resilience. Managers carrying cultural responsibility without the support to do it well. Fragmented cultures in hybrid and multi-site environments. And a growing gap between what leaders think they’re providing and what employees actually experience.

Individually, these can feel manageable. Collectively, they shape whether success is sustainable or short-lived.

What strikes me most is that none of this requires grand gestures. Progress comes from small, thoughtful shifts. Leaders slowing down to understand context. Creating space for honest conversations. Paying attention to energy, not just output. Translating values into everyday behaviour people can feel.

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters, more intentionally.

I’ve explored these five challenges in more depth in my latest piece. If you’re thinking about how to lead in a way that’s built to last, it’s a good place to pause and reflect: https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/five-people-challenges/

08/01/2026

Leading well in 2026 will require something different.

The world of work has shifted.
Expectations are higher.
People want more.

And many organisations are still finding their feet when it comes to leading the people side of performance well.

In my work this year, supporting leaders, managers and teams across a wide range of organisations, I’ve seen the same patterns showing up again and again - and the most recent research is telling the same story.

That’s why I’m sharing the five people challenges leaders simply can’t ignore in 2026. These challenges sit right at the intersection of performance, culture and wellbeing - and this is where the biggest gains (and risks) now lie.

I’ve created a free ‘Leading in 2026’ resource to help leaders and managers turn insight into practical action. 🎧 Listen to the latest episode of Beyond the Water Cooler, where I explore these challenges in depth.

If performance feels harder than it should right now, this will likely resonate.
👉 Access the episode and download here: https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/captivate-podcast/the-5-unseen-people-challenges-leaders-must-face-in-2026/

I’d love to hear — which of these challenges feels most pressing in your organisation?

23/12/2025

🎧 How do you respond to disagreements as a leader or manager?

Gareth Weir, Deputy Ambassador, British Embassy Seoul, shares the power of shadowing - taking time to study and learn with full attention, especially when friction rises.

Instead of moving away from disagreement, Gareth chose to get to know his counterpart at the Ministry of Finance better. He listened beyond what was said and sought to understand what was really behind the challenges.

By seeking to understand what drives someone’s thinking and behaviour, you can respond with greater empathy. This approach doesn’t just ease tension - it builds trust and helps create a collaborative, high performing culture.

Next time you sense friction, consider moving closer to the source, shadowing and listening more deeply.

Catch the full conversation here: https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/captivate-podcast/lead-like-a-diplomat/

18/12/2025

Most leaders think they know where the pressure points are in their organisation. In reality, the biggest people challenges going into 2026 are the ones we’re not seeing - they're not dramatic or obvious.

They’re quiet, interconnected, and already shaping performance.

On the latest Beyond the Water Cooler, I highlight the five people challenges that simply can’t be ignored if we want to create a thriving, high-performing work culture. Emotional exhaustion, manager capability gaps, fragmented cultures, a more complex world, and the disconnect between leaders and employees - these are all deeply interconnected.

Personalisation and context matter more than ever. Small, intentional changes - clear feedback, skilful conversations, and safe spaces for honest dialogue - have the biggest impact.

Sustainable performance happens when we prioritise energy, clarity, connection, and self-awareness. It’s not about keeping up the pace at all costs, but about creating the right conditions for people to do their best work.

Curious to know where the ‘cracks’ might be in your team or organisation? Have a listen - I’d love to hear what resonates for you: https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/captivate-podcast/the-5-unseen-people-challenges-leaders-must-face-in-2026

16/12/2025

Something stood out to me again this week, and I haven’t been able to shake it.

I was reflecting on a conversation I had with Gareth Weir, and it brought me back to something I see so often in leadership teams. The qualities that make the biggest difference today aren’t technical or tactical. They’re human. Curiosity. Connection. Courage. Simple words, but not simple to practise.

Curiosity is the one we tend to overlook. It’s easy to assume we already have the full picture. Yet when leaders slow down enough to ask “What might I be missing?”, it opens up thinking in a different way.

Gareth talked about shadowing colleagues to see work through their eyes, and I love that approach. It reminds me how much insight sits beneath the surface if we’re willing to look for it.

Connection takes that further. The moments that shape culture are often subtle - how people speak to one another, who feels able to challenge, and whether differences are genuinely welcomed. Hierarchy can unintentionally silence the voices we most need to hear. And when people don’t feel they can show uncertainty, organisations miss out on ideas they would have benefited from.

And then there’s courage. The kind that creates space for healthy disagreement and sitting with uncertainty rather than rushing to answers. Leaders who invite robust challenge tend to make clearer decisions, and they do it with more collective commitment.

It leaves me wondering how often we each pause to notice these things. Are we staying curious? Are we building real connection? Are we choosing courage when it matters?

I explore this more in my latest piece on modern leadership and the qualities that help people - and organisations - thrive. Let me know where it takes you: https://itstimeforchange.co.uk/the-heart-of-modern-leadership/

11/12/2025

💡 As leaders and managers, seeking consensus often feels safer - but without inviting challenge, we risk missing out on innovation and true engagement.

My new 'Insight to Action: Lead Like a Diplomat’ free download turns essential ideas into simple, practical steps you can use right away. It’s all about encouraging healthy disagreement, modelling psychological safety, and building a culture where employees genuinely thrive.

Leadership is about more than keeping things smooth - it’s about intentionally stirring the pot to unlock high performance and fresh thinking.

Access the resource here: https://itstimeforchange.activehosted.com/f/35 and let’s build workplaces where everyone’s voice makes us stronger.

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