Unconscious bias can lead to discrimination and inequality in our lives and work. Dorcas Barry explains how we can avoid it Decision-making is part of being human. The choices we make, however small, impact our lives and work every day. In this hectic world, we can sometimes struggle to digest all the information coming at us at once. To cope with this, our brain naturally takes mental shortcuts to try to process this information more efficiently, sometimes with negative consequences. Many people are unaware of these shortcuts – also known as unconscious or implicit biases – which can lead us to discriminate against others without even realising it. Recognising and becoming aware of unconscious bias is essential to minimise its negative potential, and to create more inclusive and diverse environments.   Unconscious bias at work In the workplace, unconscious bias can contribute to discrimination and unequal treatment in many forms. It can influence hiring and promotional decisions, opportunities and pay. Examples of different types of unconscious bias that can arise at work include:   Perception bias: Overly simplistic stereotypes of groups of people. “All French people are rude,” for example.  Anchor bias: The first thing you learn about someone influences all subsequent thoughts about them. Affinity bias: Gravitating towards people we perceive as being similar to us.  Conformity bias: When we think and act in ways that are consistent with the people around us.   In a work environment where unconscious bias is prevalent, employees’ mental wellbeing can be negatively impacted. Unconscious bias can even lead to bullying, discrimination or harassment.  Feelings of alienation and the emotions associated with this have also been shown to lower employee productivity, engagement and satisfaction, increasing absenteeism and turnover.   Stereotypes and societal influence Stereotypes and the societal influences that create them play a significant role in unconscious bias. Stereotyping is defined as unconscious bias directed towards a specific social group, often in a negative or disparaging way.  While most people will assume they are not susceptible to biases and stereotypes, we cannot avoid engaging in them. This is down to our cognitive drive to create associations and generalisations.   Stereotypes are deeply ingrained in society and reflect our ability to establish mutually respectful relationships in all areas of life, including at work. Creating the potential to deconstruct preconceived societal models can help more people to flourish at work.   Understanding unconscious bias   Looking at the ways in which our thoughts and behaviours are influenced by unconscious bias requires understanding and awareness of the complex nature of how the brain processes information.   Here are three concepts to help you understand unconscious bias:   These biases operate without our conscious awareness and can often conflict with our conscious beliefs.  They are automatic mental shortcuts that influence the decisions we make and the experiences we have. Unconscious cognitive biases can manifest in many ways – affinity bias, groupthink or the halo effect, for example. There are over 150 different types of cognitive biases.   Improving self-awareness Unconscious bias influences our decision-making. At work, this can arise in hiring practices, social relationships and team interactions.   Here are some techniques you can use to help increase your awareness of your own personal biases.  Accept that everyone has biases and be willing to self-reflect honestly; this is an important first step.   Take the time to learn about different types of bias and those that you recognise in your own decision-making.   Question your assumptions, seek out different perspectives and challenge your thought processes about other people.   Use reminders to change biased-based thoughts and behaviours. This requires constant and deliberate effort, but it is vital for embedding more inclusive behaviours.   Tackling unconscious bias in organisations Employers and managers can also take steps to tackle unconscious bias and foster an inclusive culture by: Promoting diversity and inclusion throughout the organisation;   Increasing the representation of diverse groups;  Encouraging open dialogue about issues relating to unconscious biases; Encouraging empathy; and Auditing processes and procedures to remove any tendencies towards bias.   Promoting inclusivity Addressing unconscious bias at work creates the opportunity to move towards a more diverse and inclusive workplace.  As we all have biases – because of the way our brain works and our different and varying experiences in life – acceptance of this as a normal human trait is the first step to creating change. When we overcome biases by challenging them, we are far more likely to prevent them from affecting our decisions both at home and at work.   By acting and implementing strategies to address unconscious bias among their employees to create a more positive culture, organisations also have the power to foster a culture that is more accepting and inclusive of everyone.   Dorcas Barry is People Science Lead at Inclusio

A compulsory strike-off can have profound implications for a company and its directors. Ruairí Cosgrove explains how to avoid it Involuntary strike-offs are set to begin again in Ireland following a hiatus due to the pandemic. Up to 10,000 companies are at risk of being struck off the register for failure to file their annual returns and financial statements.  In 2020, the Irish Companies Registration Office (CRO) acted to ease the burden on companies struggling under pandemic pressures.  The CRO introduced extended filing deadlines, for example, along with a suspension of involuntary strike-offs for companies that had repeatedly failed to file their annual returns.  This gave companies an opportunity to bring their filing up to date in compliance with the Companies Act 2014. The Registrar has now indicated a return to usual practice.  While your company may have benefitted from the supportive measures put in place by the CRO during the pandemic, it’s crucial to understand that normal service is resuming, or your business may be at risk.   If your company is not fully compliant with the Companies Act 2014 in terms of certain obligations, it could be struck off. My advice is to review the reasons for strike-offs, listed below, and follow our action plan to make sure your business is either safeguarded or wound up properly.  Grounds for involuntary strike-off  If you want your company to stay in business, make sure you are not breaching any of the relevant rules. The CRO can strike a company off the register for any of the following reasons.  The company has failed to file an annual return – even if only for one year.  The company has failed to file Form 11F with Revenue.  The Registrar has reasonable cause to believe a company doesn’t have an EEA-resident director, a bond in place or a continuous economic link with the State.   The company is being wound up and the Registrar has reasonable cause to believe no liquidator has been appointed.   The Registrar has reasonable cause to believe the company’s affairs are fully wound up and the liquidator has not made the required returns for a period of six consecutive months.  No one is recorded in the CRO as acting as a current director of the company.  Consequences of involuntary strike-off A company being struck off is not a minor matter and can have prolonged implications for company directors. In fact, when a company is struck off involuntarily, it faces dire consequences.   It ceases to exist. Its protection of limited liability is lost. Its assets become the property of the State.  Directors of a company that has been involuntarily struck off can face disqualification. The Corporate Enforcement Authority can make an application to the High Court issuing an order to disqualify one or all the directors from acting as a director or being involved in the management of a company.  The length of disqualification would be a matter for the court to decide. So what are the steps your company should take now to ensure it is not struck off?  Avoiding involuntary strike-off If your annual return is late, avoid involuntary strike-off by taking immediate action to bring your annual return and financial statements filings up to date with the CRO. Handle disposals by the book. If your company has ceased trading, dispose of it through a voluntary strike-off or members’ voluntary liquidation. A director has a legal duty to dispose of a company properly – not doing so is a statutory offence.  Ruairí Cosgrove is a Director at PwC Ireland

Rochelle Beluso-Tadique talks to Accountancy Ireland about her experiences as the parent of an autistic child, and her hopes and expectations for the future  Rochelle Beluso-Tadique is an Auditor and Associate Director with KPMG Ireland. Originally from the Philippines, she moved to Dublin in 2008 and has worked with KPMG since then.  Rochelle and her husband Sherwin Anthony Tadique welcomed their elder daughter Kate in 2012 and, Khloe, her younger sister, was born one-and-a-half years later. Khloe was diagnosed with autism aged three-and-a-half.  Here, Rochelle tells Accountancy Ireland about her experiences as the parent of an autistic child, and about how she would like to see the world of work change to better support the needs of people who have autism and other forms of neurodivergence. Tell us about your daughter Khloe; when she was born and your journey to learning that she has autism. Khloe was born in November 2013. She had a routine check with a Public Health Nurse who found that she was not meeting her milestones both developmentally and behaviourally.  The Public Health Nurse recommended that Khloe be assessed but it was a long journey from that point on because of HSE waiting lists. Khloe was about three-and-a-half when she was finally diagnosed.  I struggled a bit when the diagnosis first came. I was aware of autism but there is a big difference between being aware of autism and having a child who is autistic.  There is a lot to learn. Autism has a very wide spectrum. Some people with autism can manage very well with social communication and interaction. Khloe is non-verbal. She doesn’t talk.  What have you learned about autism and how Khloe experiences and interacts with the world around her? Khloe experiences sensory overload. She doesn’t like strangers or closed spaces and noise upsets her. She is wearing headphones now, which help to eliminate noise and make life easier for her. Because she is non-verbal, she uses an iPad as her communication tool. This helps her to tell us what she wants to eat, when she wants to play, when she wants to wash. It really helps her to communicate her needs. How has your experience with your daughter influenced the way you see the world of work? Fully functioning autistic people tend to have very good attention to detail. They can be very good with numbers and working in fields like data analytics.  The challenge right now is that it can be difficult to get these people into the workforce, despite their strengths, because most companies do not have strategies for supporting and managing neurodivergent employees. It can even be challenging to get internships for people who are neurodivergent. Do you think employers are well prepared to work with people who have autism and other neurodiverse conditions? This is a complex area. If you look at the hiring process alone, someone who is autistic may have different ways of communicating that are not facilitated in the recruitment process.  They may not engage in eye contact, for example. They may speak very loudly and excitedly. Ideally, companies should have managers and other people involved in the hiring process who have been trained to interview neurodivergent people. Supporting people who are neurodivergent at work isn’t just about hiring. Employers also need to think about how these people experience work day-to-day and how best they can support them.  If you have someone who is neurodivergent in your organisation, you must be aware of their needs, including intolerance to noise in some instances.   You could allow this person to wear headphones, for example, or give them access to a room where they can get away from noise. There is a lot to think about, but it is manageable with the right approach. My advice is that employers link up with organisations that are working with and serving the neurodivergent population.  These organisations can help companies develop strategies to manage the specific areas they need to address. Based on your own experience and knowledge, what do employers need to know and understand about people who are autistic so they can offer them the right support? A lot of companies have policies on diversity and inclusion in areas like ethnicity and physical disability, but the majority do not address neurodiversity. Every one of us has our own unique traits, characteristics and preferences, but we need to pay special attention to employees who have neurodiverse conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia. This process must be collaborative and prioritise talking to these employees, listening to them, and using their feedback to decide on the approach that works for them. How would you like the world of work to be when your daughter Khloe grows up? I used to worry a lot about Khloe’s future but less so now. At the moment she is non-verbal and I don’t know if she will be able to read or write because her literacy skills have not been assessed.  There is a long way to go for Khloe so we will just have to wait and see what happens. How would you like to see the wider world change to better meet the needs of neurodivergent people? There will always be challenges but I want people who are neurodivergent to be given the same opportunities as neurotypical people.  Ideally, companies should have neurodiversity policies and strategies in place, not just to support, but also attract neurodiverse employees.  Neurodivergent people have a lot to offer. They have unique talents. They think outside-the-box and they can bring something unique and beneficial to the companies that employ them.  On a wider scale, there is now better awareness of neurodiversity because of media coverage in newspapers, magazines, radio and TV shows. In Ireland, I can already see companies like Starbucks employing people who are neurodivergent. Hopefully in the future, more companies will integrate more neurodiversity into their workforce. It’s a very long journey, however, and right now we need a lot more support from government and health organisations and from society in general to be able to really move forward. How is your employer supporting you as the parent of an autistic child? I was very grateful that I was given the flexibility to work my own hours specifically at the early stages of Khloe’s diagnosis when I needed to attend therapy sessions with her, usually for two to three hours per week over six to eight weeks each time. This was offered in addition to my existing leave entitlements, such as parental leave, carer’s leave, etc. KPMG has also introduced wellbeing initiatives, hosting sessions to help parents deal with the challenges we face.  In the latest session I attended, they mentioned that they planned to introduce sessions specifically for parents of neurodivergent children. This will be very helpful for me, I think, and it is very welcome. Are there any books you have read that have been particularly helpful or organisations you lean on for advice and information? One of the best books I have read is The Reason I Jump. It was written by Naoki Higashida, a non-verbal autistic boy who was 13 at the time. Reading about Naoki’s experiences really helped me to understand Khloe’s experiences because she is also non-verbal. I am currently reading Not What I Expected by Rita Eichenstein, who is a Paediatric Neuropsychologist based in the US. This book is about helping people like me to navigate our lives as parents of children who are neurodivergent. In terms of organisations, AsIAm (asiam.ie) has been very helpful for me because it provides up-to-date information and a forum for connecting with other parents and people in the autistic community.

Lorna Conn, CEO of Cpl, talks to Accountancy Ireland about her career, unconscious bias, and how women can support each other to advance together I have always wanted to be an accountant, so I studied hard at University College Dublin for my BComm, did the ‘milk round’ and was fortunate to get offers from all the ‘Big Five’, as they were known at the time.  I joined Deloitte, which sponsored my accountancy master’s degree, also at University College Dublin, and where I trained to become a qualified Chartered Accountant.  I stayed with Deloitte until I was an Audit Manager and gained experience I don’t think I would have if I hadn’t trained as a Chartered Accountant.  I travelled to the US for three months on CRH’s SOX (Sarbanes–Oxley) readiness programme and relocated to Australia on secondment to Deloitte Darwin. I also worked with some really great clients, including Kerry Group plc and Microsoft.  The Chartered Accountant skillset is incredibly transferable, and I believe career progression opportunities are limitless with this qualification. Many CEOs of large multinationals have started their careers as Chartered Accountants, and I think the new era of accounting is much more strategic in outlook.  Financial literacy is a remarkably marketable skill around the world.  Now, I am 43 years old. Married to Geoff with three children – Ollie (11), Lucy (9) and Louis (6) – and I’m CEO of Cpl – a talent solutions organisation with 14,000-plus staff operating in 13 countries with 47 offices worldwide.  I am a Senior Managing Executive Officer of our parent company, Outsourcing Inc (OSI), and a member of OSI’s Group Executive Committee. Finally, I am a Non-Executive Director of Bord na Móna plc. Life is fairly busy and I am lucky to have a great support network around me, including my husband. As someone once said to me – equality starts at home.  Geoff works full-time too, but we share the load 50:50 – and this includes the mental load of raising children. School WhatsApp groups, sports activities, their emotional well-being, etc. fall equally on both our shoulders. We are also privileged to have two sets of healthy grandparents who mind the children one day a week each. Mutual respect and equal opportunity Many women assume the role of working mum and caregiver all on their own but to their detriment. Not only do we need support from our partners, but we must insist on that support when it’s not forthcoming. This is the same in our profession as it is at home. As the stats show, accountancy is a popular profession for women – 43 percent of the members of Chartered Accountants Ireland are female, and the new student intake is 47 percent female.  While I have seen great representation at graduate level, however, this tends to wane on the climb to partnership. Our workplace structures were created in an era when women stayed in the home. These structures need to fundamentally change to accommodate a growing and hugely valuable female workforce. I have experienced conscious and unconscious bias – lazy assumptions that my ambition to succeed was somehow tempered by having a family.  To the best of my knowledge, I have never been adversely impacted in my career because I’m a woman, and I’ve only ever considered my gender as a positive attribute. Women bring different skills and perspectives to the workplace, and the right mix of men and women at the top table can be very impactful for an organisation.  I think men and women are hugely effective when they work together in an equitable working environment – one of mutual respect and equal opportunity. In my view, equity is top-down – see it at the top, and you will feel it throughout the organisation.  That said, I continue to be impressed by accountancy firms that promote women to partner mid-pregnancy and mid-maternity leave. It is a smart approach to retaining top talent, and I would like to see the trend of female representation in top finance roles continue. Empathy, compassion and communication While expertise and strategic acumen remain crucial in business, the need for empathy, compassion, the ability to communicate openly and transparently and to make decisions has taken centre stage, in my opinion. These are traits equally required of women and men to succeed today. Leaders who can understand and connect with their teams on a human level are not just desirable but crucial.  Empathy allows leaders to comprehend the unique concerns and aspirations of their employees, fostering a sense of belonging and loyalty. Compassion enables them to provide support during difficult times, building trust and camaraderie.  Moreover, open and transparent communication cultivates an environment of trust where employees feel valued and informed, empowering them to contribute their best.  The need for these skills has become pronounced in an era of social media and in a generation that wants to feel empowered, not controlled.  For many women, these skills come naturally, and that is the ace card we bring to the table.  I have developed these skills over time by seeing them as a strength and not a weakness. I also choose companies that align with my personal values. These are the environments where I know I can thrive. Women and career progression With the advent of gender quotas, ESG best practices, and an increasing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, I think this is our time to advance in the workplace.  Businesses need more strong women at the helm. With better family-friendly structures (hybrid working, affordable childcare, etc.), we have a good shot at attracting, advancing and retaining women in the workforce.  If there are issues with advancement in your workplace, I have found the best tactic, assuming you’ve exhausted all avenues, is to move on. There are lots of great companies out there, and you are the navigator of your own career.  You are not entitled to career progression. It’s your responsibility to create opportunities and pursue them elsewhere if you have reached your cap with your current employer.  It might be nerve-wracking to move on from what’s comfortable and familiar, but I have always looked at my career as a 40-year horizon – plenty of time to take risks and explore new opportunities. And women should be taking advantage of their networks. Mentoring and networking enables women to broaden their circle of advocates.  People who will publicly endorse and support you can be a very valuable asset to have. I think women, in particular, need to advocate for each other more – at all levels across an organisation.  I’ve certainly been helped along the way, and it has been hugely impactful for me during my own career advancement.  Authenticity is key. Being unapologetically ‘you’ is incredibly empowering.  The old stuffy image of an accountant is long gone. There is widespread recognition now that accountancy skills are enduring, and they will serve you in every facet  of life.  If you’re starting off in the profession, absorb every bit of knowledge you can from your colleagues as you progress through your accountancy qualification. This will be the foundation for a successful career in private practice or in industry – the options are literally limitless. Interview by Liz Riley

Permanent TSB’s Norma Conway tells Accountancy Ireland why neurodiversity must be part of every organisation’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy Employers who embrace neurodiversity stand to benefit from new ideas and fresh thinking that can boost the bottom line. So says Norma Conway, Diversity and Inclusion, Wellbeing and Engagement Manager with Permanent TSB. As Conway sees it, the neurodivergent community is currently a largely untapped resource for employers in Ireland, many of whom are unaware and unprepared for the strengths and capabilities this cohort can bring to the talent pool. “The benefits of neurodiversity are undeniable. Companies with neurodiversity programmes already in place report improved retention rates, reduced turnover and increased productivity and innovation,” Conways says. In “Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage”, an article published in The Harvard Review in 2017, for example, authors Robert D Austin and Gary P Pisanom reported that neurodiverse teams were 30 percent more productive than their neurotypical counterparts. Similarly, a still oft-quoted survey commissioned back in 2003 for the BBC series Mind of a Millionaire found that 40 percent of the UK’s self-made millionaires were dyslexic. Neurodiversity: what it means So, what is neurodiversity? The term was coined in the late nineties by Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist, to recognise that everyone’s brain develops in a unique way.  Harvard Health defines neurodiversity as, “the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one ‘right’ way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits”. While Singer primarily views neurodiversity as a social justice movement, research and education in the area is also increasingly used by clinicians to understand numerous conditions, according to Harvard Health. These conditions range from autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. The upside for business For Conway, the benefits of these different ways of thinking are obvious for employers.  “Neurodivergent people bring a ‘business upside’ literally because they think differently,” she says. “In general, people with dyslexia are better at visual thinking and they are more creative. They have an approach to looking at data and problem-solving that I wouldn’t see myself.  “People with ADHD bring creativity, energy and passion. That’s built into the mindset of how they think and how they approach problems.” For employers, this can mean valuable access to better problem-solving capabilities and a more effective approach to strategising. “In most workplaces, we are generally trying to solve problems, improve things or find solutions, so having someone in the room who thinks differently automatically brings a new approach,” Conway says. “If you’re trying to brainstorm ideas and you bring someone into the mix who thinks differently, is more creative and asks questions nobody else is asking, the power in that is phenomenal.” Understanding and embracing neurodiversity in workplaces, schools and communities can also improve inclusivity for everyone, Conway adds.  “Every human is unique, with a unique combination of abilities and needs. Creating an environment that is helpful to neurodivergent people and that recognises everyone’s individual strengths and talents embraces this idea,” she says.  While she sees growing awareness of neurodiversity in society generally, Conway says the majority of employers continue to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to recruiting, managing and supporting their employees.  “We have students in Ireland now receiving supports and accommodations throughout school and college, but they reach the workplace and hit immediate barriers as these supports and accommodations don’t exist in most companies,” she says. There is a “huge opportunity” here for employers to access a talent market that is thus far largely untapped, says Conway. The Same Chance Toolkit: A Step by Step Guide to Becoming an Autism Friendly Employer, published earlier this year by AsIAm, Ireland’s national autism charity, revealed that 85 percent of autistic individuals are either unemployed or underemployed.  “This is an opportunity for companies, not only to fill roles, but also to contribute to social justice and employment equity,” says Conway. The Permanent TSB experience As a large organisation employing 3,000 people nationwide, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) first became a key strategic priority for Permanent TSB back in 2017. Neurodiversity has been part of this strategy from day one and continues to evolve in line with developments in the wider world. “The focus on neurodiversity has changed in more recent years and there is an awareness that we need to do more, which has been captured as part of our latest DE&I Strategy for 2023 to 2025,” Conway says. “We now understand the complexities of neurodiversity, how neurodivergent colleagues are impacted by the work environment and the multiple potential business advantages to having diversity of thought in teams.” Ability is one of the main areas of focus in Permanent TSB’s DE&I strategy. “In May, we announced the establishment of our Ability Employee Resource Group (ERG) encompassing both physical ability and neurodiversity. We wanted to hear from colleagues and get their input as we plan to increase awareness and supports,” Conway says. “We’ve worked with the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID) for a number of years and more recently we started working with Specialisterne (specialisterne.ie) and AsIAm (asiam.ie) to help understand what a positive experience should look like for candidates and colleagues when hiring neurodiverse talent.  “We have taken their advice on how we can improve our existing processes, onboarding and training and they have also helped us to understand accommodations that may be needed.”  AsIAm is currently working with Permanent TSB’s Digital and Direct Office teams on a sensory review of the banks’ premises and facilitating training for managers.  “It’s important that managers have a core understanding of the realities of neurodiversity and have the strategies needed to respond and take action,” Conway explains.  “Our first Ability ERG workshop will be facilitated in October by the Irish Centre for Diversity and, from there, we will have a clear plan of action based on our colleagues’ feedback and their needs.” Best practice advice for employers Based on her own experience with Permanent TSB, Conway’s advice for other employers is that supporting the needs of employees who are neurodivergent starts right at the beginning of the employment relationship – the recruitment stage. “Standard recruitment practices can be a barrier. Aptitude tests or complex job descriptions and formal interview processes can be challenging – so working with external experts who can advise on any adjustments needed has been a big help for our team,” she says.  Accommodations should be considered relative to the built environment, communications and sensory supports.  “Simple adjustments, such as the lightbulbs we use, or having a decompression room available away from the open-plan office space if needed, can make a difference,” Conway says. “We’re also in the process of rolling out Microsoft 365 and a team of neurodiverse colleagues and allies have worked with IT to ensure that all accessibility features are switched on for all colleagues.  “To complement this, we aim to introduce a support toolkit to include, for example, noise-cancelling headphones and screen readers colleagues can order online.”    Also key to supporting employees who are neurodivergent is buy-in and input right from the top of the organisation. “The support of our own leadership at Permanent TSB has been very important for us,” Conway explains. “It’s great to try to start initiatives and broaden communications and training but without their support – and a willingness to be visible in their support – it would be very challenging.” Start today: first steps  So, what are the first steps employers can take now to begin implementing a workforce strategy that encompasses neurodiversity? “First, listen to the experts,” Conway says. “There are many organisations out there that understand the complexities and supports needed that can guide you – they have the answers so ask for advice as you map out a plan.”  Second, listen to your employees. “Most people now have a personal interest in making the workplace more neurodiverse inclusive, whether it’s from their own perspective, a family member’s or a friend’s,” Conway says.  “Listening to these employees, encouraging them to share their stories and helping them shape your strategy will build trust that is invaluable.”    Ultimately, implementing a workforce strategy that accommodates neurodiversity benefits everyone, Conway says: “It has a knock-on effect on how we interact with each other, our openness with each other, and comfort in sharing information. It is well worth the effort.” Written by Tess Tattersall and Elaine O’Regan  

Julia Rowan answers your management, leadership and team development questions I work in HR and recently helped a partner recruit a manager to lead a team of six people. The team had been without a manager for about a year and there are issues which need tackling. We wrote a very specific job description which highlighted the people management aspect of the role and focused on this a lot at the interview. The new manager has not stepped up to the people management aspect of the role; they say that they don’t have the time as there is too much work. The partner has asked me to intervene – but the new manager is very defensive.  Managing people is wonderful. It is also tough, and it can be much easier for managers at all levels to focus on the work than on the people.  In many organisations, there is a lot of aspirational talk about people/culture that does not translate into the lived experience of employees. So, sometimes people ‘talk the talk’ to get a role and then step back when faced with a challenge.. I love that you paid so much attention to the job description and interview – you laid a solid foundation for future conversations.  When the new manager came on board, did the partner sit down with them and draw a red thread between the interview and the role, explaining why they were given the role? This type of conversation builds on the foundation and provides real clarity about desired behaviours. It is not too late to do this, and probably very important that it happens. The partner has asked you to intervene – is this due to lack of time, misperception of HR’s role or avoidance of the issue? Certainly, you can help, but this is a great opportunity for the partner to role model how to step into leadership and deal with a tough issue.  I think your first call is to explore how the partner is supporting their new manager. Do they have regular one-on-one meetings? If so, are they all ‘business’, or are they talking about the people issues too? If the partner cannot offer support, at the very least they need to let the new manager know that you are acting on their behalf and they need to stay involved. You and/or the partner may need to have a few meetings with the new manager to explore what is happening, build trust around the issue and ensure that they are bought in.  You will need to ‘listen like crazy’ without explaining or advising so that you can get to the heart of the matter.  Ask them what support they need to tackle the situation. Make sure they are connected to other people managers across the organisation who may be able to support them. Let us not forget that there are legacy issues at play here, and perhaps the ‘ask’ of the new manager is too big. A well-run team session could help the team to disentangle issues and move on. But these issues can run deep, and professional help may be needed. Julia Rowan is Principal Consultant at Performance Matters Ltd, a leadership and team development consultancy. To send a question to Julia, email julia@performancematters.ie