HR Unfiltered - brought to you by SOPEOPLE
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Podcast Overview
<p>We're SOPEOPLE and we bring to you HR, Unfiltered - a podcast getting honest about some of HR/People's really interesting and sometimes challenging topics. Find us at <a href="http://www.sopeople.co.uk">www.sopeople.co.uk</a> and we hope you enjoy listening as we grow our Podcast capabilities and dive into some really interesting discussions, sometimes just the two of us, and sometimes with special guests. </p>
Language
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Publishing Since
11/12/2025
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Recent Episodes
June 29, 2026
E30 - Mmm... psych safety? Mishandlings, misinterpretations and myths
To close out season one, it's just the two of us and we've saved one of the most important topics in people leadership for last. Psychological safety has had a decade of utter hype. Google gave it a TED Talk moment, a lot of HR decks have slides on it and yet most organisations are measuring it wrong, talking about it wrong, and - crucially - doing it wrong. In this episode Dean goes full geek-mode on the evidence while Sue does what she does best: Holds the mirror up to what's actually happening in real organisations right now. What came out of that conversation was something we think every HR leader, people manager, and CEO needs to sit with for a long time. The 3 Ms: the Myths/Misinterpretations, and the Mishandlings - and why the gap between knowing and doing remains one of the most expensive problems in organisational life. We get into the origin story - why a 1999 hospital study and Google's four-year Aristotle Project both point to the same ugly truth about silence in teams. Five common myths - from "it means being nice to each other" to "there's no hard business case" - dismantled with the evidence to back it up. The mishandlings - what organisations do in the name of psychological safety that actively makes things worse: The survey with no follow-up, the training programme that changes nothing, the resilience initiative that blames the individual for a systemic problem, and the CEO whose face in a Q&A killed candour for six months. The three things any manager can do on Monday morning. Referenced in this episode Amy Edmondson - The Fearless Organization (Wiley, 2018) and her foundational 1999 research on psychological safety in medical teams. Google Project Aristotle (2012–2015) - the study of 180 teams that found psychological safety was the single biggest predictor of team effectiveness. Tim Clark - The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety (Berrett-Koehler, 2020). Brené Brown - research on shame, vulnerability, and why people hide mistakes rather than own them. Morrison & Milliken (2000) - organisational silence research: People don't stay quiet because they have nothing to say. Erik de Haan and Craig Johnson - leadership shadow and the long reach of how leaders show up. The Pratfall Effect - and why Joanna Lumley is, apparently, the perfect case study. Previous HR Unfiltered episodes mentioned: Tw@ts with Carolyn Hobdey Conversation with a CEO (Luke McKeever) Confidence with Kirsty The HR Archaeology episode WTF is Commercial HR episode and Last week's episode with Tom. Season 2 lined up and ready to go! Thirty episodes in season 1 all showcasing a LOT of opinions but ZERO wallowing. We came to say the things that don't get said in most companies, and we're far from done yet. Season 2 is coming back bigger, bolder, and with even less patience for HR and leadership mediocrity. Watch this space - and if you've been listening since the beginning, thank you BIG TIME. This progressively unfiltered community is exactly why we're going to keep going. Follow, leave a review, and follow HR Unfiltered on LinkedIn so you don't miss what's coming next. Connect with Dean: LinkedInConnect with Sue: LinkedIn If you need HR advice or intelligent people and culture solutions, check out www.sopeople.co.uk. And don't forget, if you're a leader or people professional looking for experienced psychotherapy and/or coaching, get in touch with Dean.
June 22, 2026
E29 - Balancing drag acts and legal acts (and is Becky a bitch?) - with Tom Henderson-Griffiths
What happens when an FCIPD-qualified HR consultant spends their evenings performing as an award-winning drag queen? In this candid, funny and surprisingly thought-provoking conversation, Tom Henderson-Griffiths (better known on stage as Aunty Ginger) explores the tension between authenticity and professionalism, the realities of bringing your whole self to work, and why HR and leadership still has a long way to go when it comes to genuine inclusion. Along the way, the discussion covers everything from DE&I box-ticking, workplace harassment, grievance investigations and engagement surveys, to drag performance, workplace identity, and a soon-to-be-famous question: if Becky really is a bitch, should HR care? Tom can be contacted on LinkedIn and offers consulting services through EZHR. As always, your thoughts, comments and challenges are welcome on the HR, Unfiltered page. If you're looking for straight-talking, highly progressive and commercial-grade HR/People support (fractional CPO, advisory, transformation, coaching and Executive/HR psychotherapy) feel free to get in touch with SOPEOPLE. We're also available at hiya@sopeople.co.uk.
June 15, 2026
E28 - Humanity, Management and the ERA 2025 - with Dan Smith, People Law
What if the biggest risk posed by the Employment Rights Act isn’t legal at all? In this episode of HR, Unfiltered, Dean and Sue are joined by employment lawyer Dan Smith from People Law to explore a provocative idea: Many of the challenges organisations fear from the Employment Rights Act may actually be management problems in disguise. Drawing on years of tribunal advocacy, employment law practice and leadership development work, Dan argues that legislation doesn’t create poor management, it simply exposes it. The conversation explores why organisations continue to underinvest in management capability despite overwhelming evidence of its commercial value, how HR can reclaim strategic influence by stepping away from operational firefighting, and why the future of workplace performance may depend less on policy and more on relationships. The discussion also tackles the growing tension between intent and impact, the rise of workplace conflict, the increasing legal awareness of employees, and the danger of organisations responding to uncertainty with silence rather than leadership. Most importantly, Dan introduces his framework for building workplace connection through four essential management behaviours: Communication, Courage, Curiosity and Candour. As Dan puts it, when managers communicate well, have the courage to address issues early, remain genuinely curious about people and deliver kind, szpecific truth, connection naturally follows. And connection is what drives healthy workplace relationships. Dan Smith is a Legal Director at People Law and leads Liberate Management Training, helping organisations build management capability, strengthen workplace relationships and reduce people risk. HR, Unfiltered is the podcast where HR, leadership, business and society collide; no scripts, sod-all spin, and brimming with honest conversation about the realities of work, people and performance.
30 total episodes available
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- What is HR Unfiltered - brought to you by SOPEOPLE?
<p>We're SOPEOPLE and we bring to you HR, Unfiltered - a podcast getting honest about some of HR/People's really interesting and sometimes challenging topics. Find us at <a href="http://www.sopeople.co.uk">www.sopeople.co.uk</a> and we hope you enjoy listening as we grow our Podcast capabilities and dive into some really interesting discussions, sometimes just the two of us, and sometimes with special guests. </p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Information about guest appearances is not available.
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