Hi ya party people,

Cheers to our favorite day of the week! 🎉

Nothing beats that feeling of knowing you get to sleep in the next day. I know my BFF is missing me right now…and yes, I’m talking about my bed.

📣 BTW: I'm headed to Transform this month and will be out and about not sleeping in. If you want to meet up for coffee or happy hour, hit the link and request a spot!! 

Okay, now the real reason you're here.... this week's Q&A. 

Today, we've got someone who is basically doing a full culture and people experience role without the title or the pay bump, and wants to know how to make the unofficial official before their company's funding round changes everything. 

Then we've got a manager dealing with a direct report who treats feedback like a personal attack every single time, and is trying to figure out how to break through that wall without making things worse. Been there!

Let’s see what the smart folks from the Safe Space community have to say about it!

P.S. Ready to submit a question? Send it in here, and you might be featured next Friday! 👀

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ASK AWAY

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✍🏾 I'm unofficially doing the work of a people experience and culture leader here at my start-up job. Only because I love it and have the most experience of anyone on staff. What can I do to learn the important essentials quick and make a move into this being my full time actually real role?

Context: 100 employees, about to enter our first funding round, logistics industry.

📣 Sandi Creyaufmiller, SVP Culture & Talent @ Marine Bank:

Find a mentor - FAST! It doesn't need to be someone in your industry, just someone who has built and nurtured a company culture. There are many moving parts and potential landmines. I was fortunate to have a fantastic mentor when I started working on a global culture with a tech company. I was able to carry the lessons learned there to my current company.

Additionally, startups are great because they tend to be more collaborative and nimbler. Make sure your executive team agrees with the vision of what the culture should be and shouldn't be. You need their buy-in to be successful.

People experience starts when candidates apply and interview with your company. Look at the processes you have in place throughout the candidate-to-new-hire experience. Once you get them in the door, you will need to focus on how they can be successful in your culture. Most startups don't have a lot of money for employee lunches, swag and gifts, so you need to focus on the most meaningful things a new hire wants.

• They want to know how to be successful in their role.
• They want to understand the reporting structure and how to get things done.
• They want to understand how decisions are made.
• They want to know how to grow with the company and what the vision is for growth.
• They want transparency as to how the company is doing financially.

As your company grows, you can add other perks. By starting with the basics, you are building a solid foundation for a thriving company culture and employee experience.

📣 Sondra Norris, Founder at Strategic Culture Partners:

Love Sandi Creyaufmiller’s ideas.

I would add learning how to talk about the IMPACT of your work in terms of how the business goals and strategy are impacted and improved - instead of relying on “employee satisfaction” numbers. It’s a far jump from “high engagement” numbers to materially affecting business performance - and your credibility will get a big boost when you can connect your efforts to results.

Additionally, the “culture leaders” are the leaders of the company - and you are their whisperer. Learn about the human operating system, power dynamics, organizational behavior, relational intelligence: all of that enables you to work with the leaders so that they learn, over time, and in conjunction with running the business (not separate “culture activities”), how to build trust, reduce trust debt, and gain the organization’s longitudinal trust and commitment.

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

✍🏾 What is the best way to provide honest critical feedback to a direct report that routinely disregards your leadership position? Mainly to get them to see that when they are given direction or correction it is not a personal attack or blame situation. 

Context: large national healthcare corporation- small onsite office (4 employees)

📣 Tyson Simmons, Director of Human Resources @ Hardware Sales Inc.

When a direct report repeatedly pushes back in a way that undercuts your role, you are usually dealing with two things. They may be taking direction personally and hearing blame or disrespect, and they may not be meeting the standard for decision-making and follow-through. Set a calm time to talk and keep it structured, because once emotions run high, it is harder for either of you to stay rational and constructive.

Before you meet, write down two or three examples using SBI: the situation, the behavior, and the impact. Stick to what was said or done, when it happened, and what the result was. Do a quick facts versus assumptions check so you do not lead with a story about intent. In the conversation, open with a reset: you value them, your goal is alignment and success, and you will focus on specific behaviors and impact. Then share the SBI examples and make a clear request in plain language: when this happens, it creates this impact, and going forward I need you to do this instead.

Make disagreement safe, but set a clear boundary. Tell them you want pushback in the right forum, and once a decision is made you expect commitment and execution. In the moment, clarify the mode by asking, “Are we still exploring options, or are we deciding now?” If they push back in a meeting, use a simple redirect like, “I hear the concern. I am making the call for now.” If emotions rise, pause and come back to it after a short break. Then reinforce improvement quickly by recognizing when they raise concerns appropriately and follow through, so feedback does not feel like the only time they get your attention. If they send hostile follow-ups, respond briefly and factually with the next step and deadline, and if the pattern continues after you have been clear and consistent, name it as a performance issue and move into your normal documentation and HR process.

📣 Lacey Henning, Director of People @ Western Computer:

If possible, I'm curious what starting simple might look like. Can you have a conversation with the person that names the behavior? Some options:

"I want to hit pause on our project work for a second to talk about our feedback loop. Lately, it feels like there's some friction when I provide direction. From your perspective, what does a 'helpful' feedback session look like? I want to make sure I’m delivering my expectations in a way that actually helps you succeed."

"I’ve noticed that when we discuss areas for improvement, the conversation tends to stall or feel like a personal conflict rather than a professional adjustment. My goal is to support your growth, but I feel like my direction isn't landing. Can we talk about how we communicate so these sessions feel like a partnership rather than an attack?"

"I’ve noticed that when I provide correction, it seems to be received as a personal criticism. That’s never my intent—I’m focused on the work and your development. What can we change about our dynamic so that you feel supported even when we’re discussing tough topics?"

📣 Alex White, Regional Director, HR at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

I’d add one layer to this: when someone routinely disregards direction, the issue often isn’t just about the task — it’s about role clarity and authority. At some point, you have to address the pattern directly.

A conversation might sound like:

“When direction is debated or dismissed in the moment, it undermines our ability to function as a team. I welcome questions and dialogue — but once a decision is made, I need alignment and follow-through. Help me understand what’s getting in the way.”

That shifts it from personal to professional. It names behavior without attacking character.

And here’s the hard truth — if someone consistently interprets direction as a personal attack, that’s usually about mindset, not messaging. Your job isn’t to remove all discomfort. It’s to ensure expectations are clear, fair, and consistently applied.

In a small office of four, energy spreads fast. Addressing it early protects the culture.

Be collaborative. Be clear. Be consistent. And don’t confuse kindness with avoidance.

Out of curiosity — has this person ever acknowledged the pattern when it’s been pointed out?

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

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🚨 ON YOUR RADAR

🎧 Morgan T. Stanley has my old job, and I needed to talk to her about it on the record. We went from peers to manager-report to peers again, and now she's sitting in my old seat doing incredible things with it! Check it out on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

💰 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.

🔧 What is gray collar work, and why does it matter in 2026? eSkill explains how modern manufacturing has evolved into a fusion of blue and white-collar skills, where mechanics need computer expertise and factory floors run on digital systems.*

🏀 Hiring in 2026 is giving March Madness energy: unpredictable, chaotic, and one bad decision away from a first-round exit! This month's HR Therapy is for every People and Talent leader who is done running full-court press with no strategy and wondering why the best candidates keep picking someone else.

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

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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, we’re highlighting human connection. Check it out HERE  ⬇️

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FRIDAY FUN

😳 okay how about we don't say that...Copy anchor linkCopied

You ever look at comms someone else has written and just think WHY WOULD YOU EVEN SAY THAT?????

Thankful for CEOs (mine included) who know how to read a room and write some decent comms. Can't say that's everyone's strong suit.

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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. 🙏