This year marks ten years since I walked into my first startup and realised everything I'd learned about HR in big companies didn't really apply.
Founders were building something from scratch and in their own image. The usual playbooks felt off. The people challenges were messier, more emotional, and much more urgent.
I've been *obsessed* ever since.
Now I partner with startup founders to build teams that are high performing and happy. Most startups I've seen fail will say it's market conditions or business model. But honestly? It's usually because of people dynamics.
That's exactly why I do this work. The people stuff doesn't need to be so hard, I promise 🤍
#startups #founders #startupculture #fractionalpeople #orgpsych
Hiring is the easy part.
It's everything else - comp frameworks, performance expectations, manager development, keeping culture intact - that founders tell me keeps them up at night.
I get to work with some brilliant founders, and a few of them have shared what working together has been like. Swipe through if you're curious 🙃
If I'm working with a founder and their team, I am working on their pay strategy.
Salary isn't a intrinsic motivator but unclear pay is one of the fastest ways to break trust in a team. It means different things to different people, and if the logic isn't clear, people tell themselves their own story.
You don't need a complicated comp framework to fix that, you just need some principles.
Swipe to see some tips on how to approach it.
#startups #payphilosophy #orgpsych #fractionalhr
I didn't expect this to be one of the most helpful things I've done for myself this year.
Thursdays are for Bliksem (my husband's biltong company) = technically more work.
But also
⚡where I experiment with things I overthink in my own business (ie posting to socials 👀)
⚡where I get to be creative without it needing to be "strategic"
⚡where I am reminded I *love* building things from the ground up
⚡where the end product is tangible (+ v tasty)
I use the quitting quadrant framework in my coaching (swipe to see) and I love that it guides you to see that you don't always need to take things away to make life more balanced...
Sometimes you need to add something different.
That's what this has been for me. Also, four weeks into opening a Saturday shop, and we're already building a wonderful little community, which I didn't see coming but really love.
Anyway, if it looks like I have just added more to an already full plate...I have, and it's joyful 🙃
#startups #smallbusiness #lekker
Founders having favourites is a *thing*
It's not actually a character flaw, it's a cognitive default.
The research calls it Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory, and it explains why every leader unconsciously creates an inner and outer circle in their team.
The problem is that your out group notices. And when they do, motivation, trust and team cohesion take the hit.
The good news is that awareness is the first step, and the relationships aren't fixed.
#leadership #startupculture #orgpsychology #peoplemanagement
The view most people get when they jump on a call with me.
You have no idea how long it took me to decide on the exact shade of pink for my study. My hogan (personality profile) says aesthetics is one of my core drivers, so really this was inevitable.
It changes with the seasons + whatever "tat" I've picked up recently (pls, let me show you my favourite bits of tat!!)
I have actually *just* added a ginormous fish vase to this mantelpiece and I am bloody obsessed 🐟
I absolutely love storytelling in any form. In recent years, I’ve become slightly obsessed with narrative sensemaking - how we construct meaning from the stories we tell about our lives.
This framework (Bosley et al., 2009) is one of my favourites for mapping career narratives.
It outlines five roles people play in shaping your career: adviser, informant, witness, gatekeeper, intermediary.
I use this in coaching with founders and senior leaders, and it’s usually a very eye opening exercise.
It also makes me think about the career shaping roles I've played for others. These roles aren't neutral. Witnesses shape self belief. Gatekeepers control access. You carry weight whether you realise it or not.
It’s worth thinking about who shaped you, and who you’re shaping.
And whether you could be a little more intentional, and a little more generous, in the roles you play (especially if you’re in a position of power)
#organisationalpsychology #careernarratives #leadershipdevelopment #peopleandculture #startups
