Woodpecker HR

17/05/2026

Thank you for having me Chesterfield Rotary

I really enjoyed the discussion and some great questions

There was a topical issue being discussed by local businesses at this month's Derbyshire Business Hub held at the East Midlands Chamber on Thursday 14th May 2026.

The guest speaker leading the discussion, was Tanya Parkin of Woodpecker HR, on the thorny question, 'How the government's new Employment Rights Act will impact on businesses. A lively discussion ensued.

The next bi-monthly Derbyshire Business Hub breakfast networking meeting, organised by Chesterfield Rotary in conjunction with East Midlands Chamber, will be held on Thursday 9th July 2026.

Queries:- Paul on 07973 522772, email [email protected]

01/05/2026

18/03/2026

🚨 The Sharon Situation 🚨

Every organisation has one.

Sharon’s been with the business for 15, 20, 25, even 35 years.

She’s brilliant at her job. Knows everything.

But…
👉She’s resistant to change.
👉She’s blunt.
👉She upsets people.

Everyone tiptoes around her because “that’s just how Sharon is.”

Let’s be honest:
This isn’t a Sharon problem.
It’s a management avoidance problem.

⭐ 1. She’s never had honest feedback
Years of silence = zero opportunity to improve.

⭐ 2. She’s become “untouchable”
Managers don’t challenge her because they rely on her.
But avoiding the issue protects no one, including her.

⭐ 3. Her behaviour affects morale
People feel intimidated, dismissed, or worn down.
The culture quietly absorbs it.

✔️ What needs to happen
HR + the line manager working together to:
- Give clear, respectful, honest feedback
- Understand her perspective
- Set expectations for behaviour
- Offer support
- Stay consistent with follow up

No “bull in a china shop”.
Managers must own the fact they’ve let this slide for years.

It doesn’t have to stay “just how Sharon is”.

People can change, but only if leaders stop avoiding and start leading.

16/03/2026

🚨 Use it or lose it 🚨

Those veg off‑cuts you’d normally bin?
They’re not waste, they’re future growth.

Composting them feels good because you’re reusing, not wasting.
It’s the perfect reminder of how learning works too.

⭐ Waste becomes value
Scraps turn into soil.
Skills turn into strength, if you use them.

⭐ Reuse builds growth
What you put back in becomes what your garden, or your team grows from.

⭐ Use it or lose it is real
Don’t compost? You lose nutrients.
Don’t use your skills? You lose confidence and capability.

🌿 Managers have a HUGE role in this
Just like a gardener creates the right conditions, managers create the environment where people either develop… or quietly deteriorate.

They’re the ones who:
- create space to practise skills
- encourage learning
- support growth
- stop potential going to waste

✔️ Growth isn’t accidental
In soil or in people.

What you nurture today determines what thrives tomorrow. 🌱✨

14/03/2026

🚨 Superstar Syndrome 🚨

You have a top‑performing team member who “just gets things done”. They are your go-to person.

Then suddenly they hand in their notice or go off sick.

👉 What happened?

They got Superstar Syndrome.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth.....sometimes your highest performer is also your biggest business risk.

Here’s how it happens…
⭐ 1. They become the “go‑to” for everything
At first it feels great, finally, someone reliable.
But slowly, they become the only person who knows how key processes work. If they’re off or overloaded your entire operation feels it within hours.

⭐ 2. They start gatekeeping
Not intentionally. Often out of pride or pressure.
But suddenly:
-They stop delegating
-They keep hold of tasks
-They become the centre of every decision
This creates dependency, not scalability.

⭐ 3. They’re overloaded
Because they’re so good, everyone brings everything to them.
The irony?
The person you trust the most…
is the person closest to burnout.
When that happens, deadlines slip or they work all the hours.
Resentment builds.
Morale shifts.

⭐ 5. The business becomes exposed
If one person holds too much:
-knowledge
-responsibility
-customer relationships
-process ownership
…you’re building your business on a single point of failure.

✔️ The fix isn’t to reduce their responsibilities
It’s to give them:
-structure
-clarity
-support
-delegation pathways
-process documentation

High performers aren’t the problem….lack of structure around them is.

Put the right people foundations in place, and your superstar becomes an asset, not a risk.

08/03/2026

⏳ Are meetings your biggest time drain? You’re not alone…

Ever ended a day feeling like you’ve been in meetings all day, picked up six new actions… and haven’t touched your actual to‑do list?

If that sounds familiar, you’re in good company.

Meetings are one of the most expensive (and often underestimated) drains on business productivity. They pull in lots of people, take up lots of hours, and when not well‑managed, they quickly turn into:
- People hearing things that aren’t relevant to them
- Endless action points with no ownership
- Conversations drifting off‑track
- Actions rolling from meeting to meeting with no real progress

Before you know it, the whole day has gone and so has your productivity.

As someone who supports leaders and teams through HR, here are some simple, high‑impact ways to take back control of your time:

1️⃣ Check that you actually need to be there
It’s okay to ask, “What do you need from me in this meeting?”
Protecting your time is not being difficult — it’s being effective.

2️⃣ Insist (respectfully) on a clear agenda
And just as importantly: ensure the meeting chair sticks to it.
No agenda → no clarity → no efficiency.

3️⃣ Make actions meaningful
Every action should have:
A clear owner
A deadline
A purpose
“the doer” shouldn’t inherit everything by default.

4️⃣ Don’t let actions drift
At the next meeting, close off previous actions instead of pushing them forward without a good reason.

5️⃣ Use polite but firm language to keep things on track
Phrases like:
➡️ “Shall we take this offline?”
➡️ “Can we pick this up separately?”
These are lifesavers when conversations start to spiral.

6️⃣ Show the real cost of wasted meetings
One of the most effective things I ever did for a CEO was calculate the cost of a single meeting based on manager hourly rates.

Add a stopwatch for fun — it keeps it light‑hearted but proves a very real point!

Do meetings drain your time, energy and focus?

Let’s share approaches that help us work smarter, not just sit in more rooms for longer.

27/02/2026

🚨 The Accidental Manager 🚨

You have a top‑performing team member who is smashing every target… so you promote them to the Manager to retain them.

Then suddenly:
Their team starts missing targets
You receive feedback that lateness and sickness aren’t being addressed
You hear the team feels micromanaged and watched constantly

👉 What happened?

They’ve become an accidental manager.

They’re a high performer technically, but managing people is a completely different skillset and yet we often assume people just “know” how to manage. They don’t.

Where things go wrong…
If managers in your organisation:
*avoid giving “bad news”, or
*redirect every tough conversation with “speak to HR”

…you don’t have a people issue, you have a management capability issue.

What HR isn’t
❌ HR is not there to deliver the difficult conversation for the manager
❌ HR is not there to undermine the manager
❌ HR is not the place employees should run to for a different answer

What HR is
✅ A coach to help managers navigate the conversation
✅ A guide on the best approach for their team and the outcome needed
✅ A support function — not a replacement for management accountability

Most of the time, HR will confirm the manager’s decision and signpost the employee back, while supporting the process, not overruling it.

23/02/2026

I was much colder than expected on the school run today…❄️

After the gorgeous weather at the weekend and getting out and about with the family, I saw it was going to be 13/14 degrees this week. So I confidently ditched the winter coat and brought out the spring wardrobe 😊

Fast-forward to me standing at the school gates absolutely dithering and nesh (aka cold!), as we say in Derbyshire!

By the time I got to the office, the air con went on… and so did the kettle.

And it got me thinking about how surprisingly contentious temperature in an office can be. It can quickly spiral into full-blown AIR CON WARS:

Some colleagues too hot… some too cold… no one entirely happy.

Here are some tips I’ve shared with managers over the years that really help keep the peace:

🌡️ You can’t please everyone – set a temperature based on the majority, not one person.
🧣 Be flexible with dress code – allow layers or relax the corporate wear when needed.
🌀 Have fans, heaters or blankets available – small comforts go a long way.
🔄 Let people switch desks – sometimes being near a window or vent makes all the difference.
💙 Be mindful of health conditions – menopause, thyroid issues, and other conditions impact temperature regulation. Be kind, supportive and consider reasonable adjustments.
🗣️ Make sure all voices are heard – don’t let strong personalities dominate and leave others silently uncomfortable.

Ultimately, this is for managers to manage, not HR to own.

HR is there to advise, guide and support – but managers set the tone and the temperature (literally!).

18/02/2026

Happy ERA day 🥳 18th February….the start of the employment changes for the next two years. Even had my hair done for the occasion 🤣