{"podcast":{"title":"HR Coffee Time","slug":"hr-coffee-time-4106816","podcast_index_feed_id":4106816,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/hr-coffee-time/","website_url":"https://brightskyhr.co.uk/hr-coffee-time-podcast/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/9c63f38f-f2ad-4455-88d4-79702b4d95f6/HR-Coffee-Time-Logo-Oct-2025.jpg","author":"Fay Wallis","episode_count":176,"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/","last_synced_at":"2026-07-03T14:20:13.094905+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hr-coffee-time-4106816"},"episode":{"title":"169 | A Brilliant Example of What ‘Being Strategic’ in HR Actually Looks Like (with Harriet Mewis)","slug":"169-a-brilliant-example-of-what-being-strategic-in-hr-actually-looks-like-with-harriet-mewis","published_at":"2026-04-24T05:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hr-coffee-time-4106816/169-a-brilliant-example-of-what-being-strategic-in-hr-actually-looks-like-with-harriet-mewis","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hr-coffee-time-4106816","url":"https://www.brightskycareercoaching.co.uk/hr-coffee-time-podcast/169","audio_url":"https://op3.dev/e/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/73660034-b045-4cb7-9808-91393d49e37b.mp3","summary":"Have you wondered what ‘being strategic’ actually looks like? In this episode, you’ll hear a real, step-by-step example of what being strategic can look like in your day-to-day work. Host, Fay Wallis, is joined by Harriet Mewis, Head of People and Development, who shares how she spotted a small pattern in employee behaviour – and used it to uncover a much bigger issue affecting the business. What makes this conversation so powerful is how practical it is. You’ll hear how being strategic doesn’t require a big budget, a senior job title, or complicated frameworks. It starts with curiosity, observation, and asking thoughtful questions. By the end of the episode, you’ll have a much clearer sense of how you can apply this way of thinking in your own role – in a way that feels realistic and achievable. Chapters [00:00] Introduction with guest host Sarah Archer [01:00] Why “being strategic” can feel vague and frustrating [01:24] Introducing Harriet and her approach to strategy [02:14] What being strategic actually means in practice [03:02] Beginning of the interview with Harriet & Fay [04:18] Defining what ‘being strategic’ means [05:48] Why you can be strategic in any role [07:22] Harriet’s example of being strategic in her role [21:30] Learning about other departments & building trust [23:39] Becoming an ‘apprentice’ for the day [27:35] Introducing Lean Six Sigma thinking [34:46] Harriet’s book recommendation [37:12] Final reflections & close Useful Links from This Episode Connect with Fay on LinkedIn Connect with Harriet Mewis on LinkedIn Connect with Sarah Archer on LinkedIn Listen to Sarah’s Podcast – Unstuck & Unstoppable Learn about Fay’s Essential HR Planner Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme Take Fay’s free HR Leadership Impact Assess…","meta_description":"Have you wondered what ‘being strategic’ actually looks like? In this episode, you’ll hear a real, step-by-step example of what being strategic can look l…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2364,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/hr-coffee-time-4106816/episodes/169-a-brilliant-example-of-what-being-strategic-in-hr-actually-looks-like-with-harriet-mewis/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hr-coffee-time-4106816/169-a-brilliant-example-of-what-being-strategic-in-hr-actually-looks-like-with-harriet-mewis.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}