Tom Emery joins Sue and Dean for a conversation about his book People People: Reach Your Full Potential as a Chief HR Officer, a narrative-led, painfully relatable story of “Joanna”, a CHRO under pressure, and the coaching framework that helps her regain agency, clarity, and impact.
Together they explore why “seat at the table” is outdated, and why the bigger question is what HR leaders do once they’re in the room. Tom shares his own “wake up” moment from exec meetings, why HR must stop separating People/HR from “the business”, and how commercial curiosity and enterprise leadership change the game.
They also unpack the realities of organisational change: Why humans can’t be “refrozen” on demand, why leaders often try to persuade people too quickly, and why the best HR leaders focus on what they can control... Their time, their boundaries, and the quality of key stakeholder relationships.
Practical takeaways include a simple “Monday 9am” reset:
- clarify your purpose
- map your stakeholders, and
- start one honest conversation that shifts a stuck relationship without blame, drama, or theatricals.
Tom also shares what he sees coaching HR leaders most often: An external locus of control (“everyone else is the problem”) and the shift toward agency that creates real influence.
Tom invites feedback, challenge and input to his next book project - get in touch with Tom at www.hex-development.com. And as always, get in touch with Dean and Sue at www.sopeople.co.uk or https://www.linkedin.com/in/deancorbettpxandcoaching/ or https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-o-callaghan-fcipd-22abaa6/
And don't forget to read the post-episode article on SOPEOPLE's LinkedIn page.
