Hiiiii,

Happy Friday! My excitement for the weekend is determined by the amount of extra i’s, just so we’re clear!

The thought of napping and binging is giving me life today. 🤷‍♀️

I'm currently watching Love is Blind (which is terrible BTW), so if anybody has thoughts, I would love to hear them!

Now, onto this week’s batch of nightmares.

First, we’ve got someone who girl-bossed too close to the sun and landed a role that requires more science and less small talk. She’s supervising a team of retired engineers who think “admin work” is beneath them while Googling her own job description in secret. Ooof.

Then, we’ve got an HR Director who’s out here running personal errands on the company credit card, not prepping for meetings, and somehow still the CEO’s favorite??? 

So grab your snacks and your nearest makeshift stress ball while we find some answers!

Wanna make my day? Send me all your questions and you just might end up in a future edition!

And, in honor of Halloween, HR horror stories is back for Vol.3!! Submit your stories and see what happens next... 

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ASK AWAY

🧠 bosses & brainiacsCopy anchor linkCopied

✍🏾 Girl bossed too close to the sun and got a job that is way over my head in understanding. How do I navigate when fake it to make it is not enough?

Context: I am working in environmental wellness with a staff of 6. I came from the customer service field. The job advertised knowledge of customer service, but it is basically a vocabulary dump of environmental words like geoengineering instead of emotional intelligence. Staff are all engineers who have been pushed out of science due to age or medical reasons, so they know more than I but aren't driven to do admin work since it's below them. Need help supervising smart, lazy people while also googling my job. have a master's degree in customer relations, so it's not out of my depth; the work just is.

📣 Amy Weihmuller, People Ops Lead @ Atticus:

Oh I’ve been there — when “girl bossing” turns into “googling acronyms mid-meeting.”

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to be the expert in the field to be the expert in getting work done. Lean into what you bring  (communication, structure, people sense)  and let your team bring the technical knowledge.

Don’t fake it; ask questions. Be curious out loud. Recognize and praise your team for what they know, and ask to learn from them when you can. Find an ally who can help you build a baseline understanding (and tell you which acronyms actually matter).

Set clear expectations, define ownership, and focus on outcomes. You don’t need to know every technical detail, you just need to make sure the right people do, and that it all moves forward.

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

✍🏾 We have a director of HR who appears to not be working. They are not preparing for meetings ahead of time, abusing the credit card with personal charges, and employees have started to raise concerns about their interactions with this individual. How do I, their direct report, bring this up to the CEO?

Context: Located in Washington, small company, their performance isn't great, their manager it's a great people manager, and the CEO loves them. The Director is losing the respect of other managers.

📣 Mikki Forbes, COO @ Forbes Consulting, LLC:

That’s a tough spot to be in. If you’re their direct report, I’d start by documenting specific examples tied to job expectations, not just perceptions. 

Focus on facts: missed prep, inappropriate card use, concerns raised by others. Bring it to the CEO framed around risk, culture, and business impact, not personal shortcomings.

You could say something like:

“I want to flag some performance and conduct concerns that are affecting team morale and our ability to operate effectively. I’ve documented a few patterns I think we should review together.”

Make it about the role, not the person. If the CEO is protective, avoid blame and center the conversation on what’s best for the organization.

📣 Bethann DuBois, HR Manager @ Nipro PharmaPackaging Americas:

This is obviously a sensitive situation, especially if they are well-liked by the CEO. The best thing to do is stick to the facts. 

Also, if more than one of you were willing to go together to speak with the CEO, there is strength in numbers. Not preparing for meetings - have examples of how this was detrimental to the meeting, to the morale of the group, etc., if something specific did not get done or was overlooked as a result. 

Abusing the credit card - do you know they are abusing it? Are they possibly reimbursing the company for the personal charges? Who reviews the credit card bills? 

Anyone that has individual concerns about their interaction with this person should take it up with the HR Director's immediate manager if that is not the CEO. But always stick to just the facts - and make sure you have checked your facts first.

📣 Erin Bennett, SHRM-SCP Manager of Talent @ Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute:

1. Stick to facts, not feelings. Focus only on observable behaviors and evidence:

- “The HR Director has missed preparation for the last three department meetings.”

- “There have been multiple personal charges on the company card.”

- “Several employees have raised concerns about inappropriate or uncomfortable interactions.”

- Avoid framing it as “they’re not working..." that’s interpretive. Keep it factual and verifiable.

2. Document everything. Before speaking with the CEO, prepare a short, dated list of specific incidents (missed deliverables, misuse of funds, employee complaints). Documentation protects you and ensures your concerns are taken seriously.

3. Frame your intent... You’re not trying to complain; you’re raising a risk to the organization:

- example: “I wanted to flag some issues that could expose the company to compliance, financial, or culture risks. I’d appreciate your guidance on how to proceed.” This shows professionalism and concern for the company, not personal grievance.

4. Suggest next steps, but don’t overreach. Eg. “Would you like me to compile the documentation and forward it to you or legal for review?” This keeps the CEO in control but demonstrates initiative and responsibility.

5. Maintain confidentiality. Refrain from discussing this widely within the company; it could escalate rumors or backlash.

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

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🚨 ON YOUR RADAR

 🎧 I Hate It Here Podcast: I'm always dropping new episodes with your favorite People Ops leaders! Until we return with a new season of guests, enjoy some of the greatest hits! Check it out on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

📖 What’s harder than building a comp plan? Explaining it! Salary.com knows lots of HR leaders freeze when pay transparency questions hit. Their free Total Comp Crash Course walks you through how to talk about pay with employees: from timing the convo, to showing the math, to making comp reports your best friend! 

❤️ From ‘I Hate it Here’ to ‘I Love it Here’: Your Culture Transformation Roadmap. HR can influence culture change in any organization, and this course teaches you how. Join the Safe Space community to access it!

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📝 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? Your new rule book for managing change. Check it out HERE ⬇️

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FRIDAY FUN

😂 the audacity of some folksCopy anchor linkCopied

What's that saying??? OH YEAH

Your lack of planning does not constitute my emergency!!

I loathe a fire drill, but I'm in HR, so what am I even saying?? 

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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. 🙏