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Hi ya party people,

You survived another week, and you should be proud! 🏆

Sometimes we get so caught up in day-to-day monotony that we forget how much we’ve accomplished, so please give yourself some credit today.

As for me...my bed and I have a very serious reunion planned soon, but before I become gloriously unavailable for the weekend, we need to discuss Q&A!

We have an HR Director suddenly disappearing, with leadership communicating through interpretive silence, and then a team treating workplace gossip like a podcast nobody asked for.

Let’s get into it so I can get horizontal!

And don’t forget to submit questions if you have any, for a chance to be featured! 😊

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Compliance, minus the chaos

ASK AWAY

😬 drama & uncertainty

📣 Lia Seth, Director of People @ Cylinder Health:

Are there any other HR employees still there, or are you the only one? Either way, I imagine losing an HR leader suddenly means there are a lot of moving parts keeping people busy, especially at this point in the year. Rather than asking for work, I've found it's easier to make some assumptions and then ask to be corrected.

Start a list of the things you think are going to be top priority (i.e. did they run payroll? People need to be paid! Is anyone on a leave of absence? Make sure their benefits are still active! Was she managing benefits renewal? Make sure you're still on track for your Open Enrollment timeline!) Was she working with any managers on performance issues? Find that documentation!) and take it to the person who was her boss, whether that's a VP of HR, a Head of Operations, or the CEO. They can either confirm you're on the right track, or tell you what you should focus on instead. It can feel safest to not draw attention to yourself, but showing that your priority is making sure the business continues running smoothly and keeping things compliant is a great way to demonstrate your value.

Anxiety is totally normal at a time like this, but try to see it as an opportunity to stretch your skillset and learn more about operating at the next level up!

📣Anonymous Safe Space User:

That's such an unsettling spot to be in, especially when you're the one left holding the day-to-day and nobody's telling you anything. First thing I'd do is ask directly. Go to whoever's above where your director sat (or HR at the parent company) and just say "hey, I need to know what's being handled and what's now on me so nothing falls through the cracks." Frame it as protecting the business, and it'll land a lot better.

While you're waiting on answers, make a list of anything you know is at risk of slipping (compliance deadlines, open reqs, employee issues) and flag those specifically so leadership sees you're on top of it. And give yourself some grace here, because the anxiety makes total sense, you're operating without information in a role that usually runs on having information. You're allowed to ask "where do things stand" more than once.

Safe Space members can join this discussion here. Not a member yet? Apply to join here.

📣 Donna Griffin, Director of People & Culture @ intelligentsia Coffee :

Here's the advice I give managers who struggle with gossip on their teams:

1. Lead by example and be ruthless in monitoring what you say and do. Don't give the impression it's okay.

2. Re-direct gossip (assertive re-direction) by saying, "Wow, that sounds serious. What did she say when you asked her about it?"

3. My favorite response, with a deadpan face: "Why are you telling me this?"

4. If it's something more serious, "This sounds like it's affecting the (team/dept). It might be best to loop in the (manager). I'll send them a note right now."

5. If it's about another co-worker, "That sounds like a personal matter between you two. Have you spoken to them directly about how you feel?"

6. Don't engage and ask questions because you are literally feeding stray cats!

7. If it keeps happening, talk with the employee directly. Tell them their gossiping is negatively impacting the team and it needs to stop. Refer to values or standards if possible. Let them know you're coaching them today, but if the behavior continues, it will be a disciplinary issue.

With this approach, you're no longer a safe sounding board for rumors and gossip. You've taken a stand, which means people won't continue to come to you with their gossip, nor will they do it in your presence. Because others are often uncomfortable with gossip, they'll begin to mirror your language and behavior, and soon you'll have an environment where gossiping is really not welcome.

📣 Elizabeth Suttles, HR Generalist @ White Labs, Inc:

I completely understand being tired of the drama and feeling like everyone should act like adults. At the same time, this is where leadership has to step in. Morale starts at the top, and the culture of a team is often a reflection of what leadership allows to continue.

If employees are constantly talking about one another, it cannot just be brushed off as drama. Clear expectations need to be set, gossip needs to be redirected when it happens, and the people involved need to be spoken with and held accountable.

Leadership should also take a step back and look at what may be contributing to the behavior. Are employees feeling unheard? Are issues being left unresolved? Is communication inconsistent? Do employees feel like expectations are being applied fairly?

You cannot force people to be positive, but you can create a healthier environment by communicating clearly, addressing issues before they grow, being consistent, recognizing good work, and not allowing negative behavior to become the norm.

Yes, everyone is an adult, but being a manager also means setting the tone and addressing behavior when the team is not meeting expectations. Morale starts with leadership, and the culture becomes what leadership chooses to address or tolerate.

📣 Nikki Riedt, VP, Operations @ Conservation Colorado:

I am going to assume this is work-related drama impacting how people work together. There is often the desire to fix the specific thing that is causing the drama, but I encourage you to look deeper at what is really going on. Drama is usually a sign of something deeper so restoring psychological safety, trust and clarity is often what is needed.

First, you have to name what is happening. You don't have to call out individuals, but you do need to acknowledge with the team the pattern and call for a reset. "I'm seeing tension, side conversations, and frustration across the team. Before we can move forward, we need to reset how we work together.”

Then you will need to re-establish work norms. A work session where you co-create with the team a set of agreements will make expectations for how you are all working together clear and bring people into the process rather it being a directive set by you.

Next, clear up any confusion about authority and decision making. Often drama comes from people stepping on other people's toes and folks feeling underminded. When it is transparent where authority lives and what people's roles are, friction is often reduced.

And finally, address the specific conflicts directly with the people involved. Who does the conflict involve, meet with them individually, and then you probably have to bring the three of you together to resolve it. That conversation has to be handled with care, with you coming from a place of seeking to understand what is happening and helping them figure out what they need going forward to work better together.

Beyond that you'll want people to have outlets for their frustrations, weekly check ins, clear escalation paths, structured feedback channels, etc. And then celebrate wins. Morale improves faster when people see progress. When you see people using the agreements you developed, call that out.

This isn't always easy and folks might resist, but keeping at it and being consistent in your approach is key. Just remember there is light at the end of the tunnel! Good luck.

Safe Space members can join this discussion here. Not a member yet? Apply to join here.

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🚨 ON YOUR RADAR

🎧 Turns out 40% of HR leaders confidently talking AI have no idea what they're doing. I spoke withTheresa Fesinstine to break down the confidence-vs-competence gap and why your AI settings deserve a deeper look. Check it out on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

🙃 HR is expected to master 50 states' worth of laws nobody warned us about, all while doing our actual jobs. On Sep 9th, I'm dragging in a lawyer for this month's HR Therapy, and you’ll get all the compliance clarity you need!

💰Pay Transparency matters (but it's also difficult). That's why I created this course. Join the Safe Space community to access it, plus everything else you need to stay ahead of the curve.

🚨 Is your leadership creating trust, or training people to gossip instead? I sat down with Allison Howell, CEO at Hogan Assessments, to break down everything that happens when leadership goes sideways, as well as myths that Hogan's own data debunks. Give it a listen and let's get your leadership back on track!*

*This one is brought to you by one of my amazing brand partners

📝 RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

Each week I feature a resource I love from the Safe Space library that I believe would be relatable to this week's newsletter topic.

This week, we’re revisiting a role kickoff guide. Check it out HERE ⬇️

FRIDAY FUN

😳 someone send help pls

IT HAS BEEN A WEEK Y'ALL.

I'm dizzy.

That's all for this week! I hope you enjoyed! If you have any thoughts, please let me know. I'm allll ears.

Reminder: Today is FRIDAY. 🙏