I see a bright future for the way we work, one where people leaders, founders, and HR teams all have the support they need to focus on what really matters: people.

As Co-Founder and CEO of Humaneer, I’m proud to be leading the team reimagining how businesses manage their people operations through AI. Our platform, Mak, helps anyone doing HR handle the heavy lifting of compliance, admin, and process so they can focus on culture, strategy, and impact.

With over 20 years in the people space, building and leading global teams, I know the daily juggle of managing people and running a business. That’s why we built Humaneer: to make people operations faster, smarter, and more human.

I also sit on the UNSW HR Advisory Board, helping shape the future of HR and the next generation of leaders driving change in how we work.

Careen Redman-Matthews

This is Maisie, she turned 100 this week - (15 in human years) 
And we've been best friends since she was 7 weeks old. 

I'll admit it, totally pup crazy over here 🙋‍♀️ But I never used to be, in fact I was scared of dogs as a child, really scared. If I could hear a dog bark walking home from school, I would walk the long way home just so I didn't have to walk past it.

Thats how scared I was. 

Yet, when a housemate of mine was getting her puppy (Hamish) it was love at first sight when I saw this little bundle of joy. 

And overnight... I became a dog person. 

So much so, that in the past 15 years Maisie and I have fostered 6 dogs to get them ready for a forever home (and one foster fail (Rusty) who ended up spending his last few years with us as part of the family 🙌

Dogs are incredible beings, and i think we can learn a lot from them, heres my take on what they do better than some humans: 

🫶 Wake up every morning with excitement for what the day will bring (turning in circles is optional
🫶 Curious about everyone they meet 
🫶 Everyone is a potential friend 
🫶 Find joy in the small things, a leaf, a bird...wait...🐿️
🫶 Make everyone feel seen 
🫶 Food is the BEST thing EVER- never gets wasted 

Be more like Maisie 
Happy Friday 😀

Careen Matthews

CEO & Co-Founder | The platform for the HR work most systems ignore

A few weekends ago I caught my dad heading out for coffee wearing our (vintage logo) company t-shirt humaneer.

He didn’t just get it because he’s my dad. He earned it.

He helped me at an expo last year, lugging screens, banners, boxes and fliers in 40-degree heat with zero complaints. Just getting on with it because it mattered to me and our team.

So seeing him here in Australia, visiting from Scotland for Christmas, choosing to pack that t-shirt in his suitcase, even when their weight limit was already maxed out with the 4000 decaf Tea bags from M&S (IYKYK 😂) it honestly meant the world.

Earbuds in. Smart watch on. (Kindle in hand) - He is absolutely ROCKING IT

There’s something really special about seeing someone who’s been in your corner long before any of this existed, supporting what you’re building in such an understated way.

A small moment that carried a huge amount of weight for me over the break 🫶

Sometimes support shows up loudly. Other times, it shows up in the little moments. 

Happy Friday 🚀

This is my husband and I on our wedding day. When he said his vowes they didn't include being an unofficial co-founder. (Thats the one with no equity and no title) 😜

But he is my rock through it all. The long days. The late nights. Holding the fort when Im travelling. Listening to my moments of doubt and celebrating our moments of momentum at humaneer.

What he brings, more than anything, is grounding.
He comes from a heritage where connection to the land is non-negotiable.
Shoes off. Feet on the earth. Breathe. Get perspective.

And especially as an expats in Australia, with no family here permanently, that grounding matters more than I can properly explain.

When my world starts to narrow to decisions, deadlines, and momentum, he gently pulls it wider again. Reminds me to slow down. To step outside.

To remember there’s a bigger picture beyond the immediate problem in front of me.

Building a company is rarely done in isolation, and as a female founder, I’ve know just how much this journey depends on the village around you. 

 - Friends who check in (and let you stay in their spare room when your travelling 🫶).
- Co Founders who are are driven and committed to the mission (heres looking at you Kimberly Burns Annie Johnson) 🚀
 - Neighbours who show up.
 - Mentors and advisors who offer perspective when you’re too close to see clearly.
 - An incredible community that reminds you you’re not doing this alone.

And at the centre of mine is this human.
Supporting, beleiving. And being there. 

It’s easy to celebrate milestones and wins.
But today I wanted to acknowledge the people who make it possible to keep going.

Grateful doesn’t even begin to cover it. 

Happy Friday 😀

Chuckling as I write this...

I’ve never been someone who “goes for a jog” or "goes for a run". That just… wasn’t me. A few months ago I couldn’t run for the bus never mind a park run. 

And yet, two Saturdays ago, I did. 5km on a Saturday morning... And it was incredible 😁

On my birthday in November last year, I decided to give myself a different kind of present. The gift of health and wellbeing.

So I started where I was (To be fair the bar was pretty low after a massive year at humaneer and juggling #parentlife).

There have been times, when it's been tough to get out and get away from the screen, when the effort has been real. 

But ....I finished... I blinking finished that first park run... 

And that’s the part that’s driving me now... 

I know ...it's only 5km.. but that seemed impossible 2 months ago and it reminded me how much we can change when we take that first little step. 

I’m still very much a beginner. Still building fitness. Still figuring it out.

But already...
I have more confidence. More energy, and I'm super proud of myself. 

So if anything, this post is a reminder that if you want something to change - start small ...but start.

Whether that’s at work, in life, or somewhere in between.

2 months ago I couldn't run. 

Until I did. 

Happy Friday 🎉

Last year, I made some mistakes.
Not the dramatic kind (thank goodness). More little ones that happen when you’re moving fast, making calls with imperfect information without losing momentum along the way. 

Now, with a bit of distance, I can see why. Doing what startups do. Moving quickly (because we have to). Responding to customers. Building while learning and making decisions based on base level data (because that’s what we have). 
Speed wasn’t my issue. Lack of reflection was (and lack of time was the excuse).

In the startup environment we work in, speed isn’t optional for us. Our runway is real. The market keeps moving. Decisions stack up quickly. And most days, everyone is wearing more than one hat (10 hats) IYKYK Kimberly Burns Annie Johnson.

The thing about startups is we don’t just move fast - we change shape constantly. Our priorities shift. Roles evolve. Plans get rewritten, and growth creates new problems before we have had time to understand the last ones. 
Without moments to pause and make sense of it, this speed can feel like: whiplash, rework, constant context-switching, confusion passed off as agility or fatigue disguised as ambition.

And so,  I needed to find a way to perform better, to reflect quickly and make better decisions, fast. 

A framework that supports me. 

So I wrote down 5 questions which have formed a mini framework for me to work fast and better when time is scarce… (Feel free to save this and use them) 

📍 What problem are we actually trying to solve right now?
📍 What have we learned that may change our thinking?
📍 What are we doing out of habit that might not make sense?
📍 What’s the clearest next decision (not the perfect one)?
📍 What is this going to cost us, (time, money and sanity)?

It’s not a long reflection. It’s not workshops or off sites. It’s my brief, intentional internal calibration. 

I learned the hard way last year that speed without reflection doesn’t stay fast. It creates rework and it can slow you later with more mess (and stress).

Already this way of working has cleared my thinking and given me just enough room to reflect quickly when I need to. It's not about hesitation, it`s not about slowing down. It’s what’s going to make the speed sustainable and the decisions better at humaneer 🚀

The HR Events calender (ANZ ) 2026 is LIVE 🚀

Thats right- no more googling "HR events near me" anymore 😂

And this year its gone up a notch, we have included a playbook to "Get the most out of HR events" (virtual and in person) 

The Calendar comes with the following 

✅ Events Calendar
✅ Playbook - Get the most out of HR events
✅ Submit an event link 

Coming soon.... The reviews page- so you can rate events you have been to and see what others thought. 

The link is in the comments, if you know of a HR/HR Adjacent event thats not in there- let me know below in the comments and Ill get it added quick smart. 

Happy Monday 😀

And thanks so much Matt McFarlane for the nudge to get this live - you ROCK 🚀

Kimberly Burns Annie Johnson Andrea Kirby Jason Portelli Cindy Hayer Kathryn Palmer Adam Axon Nick Sayer-Gearen (MBA, MAHRI) Katie McLean Tash Pieterse Christina Carden (she/her) Sharon Banfield Jodi Rosenthal John-Paul Costales Samantha Grabish (nee Williams) Kylie Fuller

Hey HR Friends 👋
A little reminder.... You’re not meant to have all the answers alone.

Some of the best HR decisions I’ve been part of didn’t come from a framework or a strategy deck. They came from conversations with people who’d been there before.

Quick sense-checks.
Different perspective.
PSometimes a moment of reassurance that you’re seeing the situation clearly.

After many (many) years in HR, I’ve noticed something important.

As HR leaders we rarely struggle with knowing what to do.
What we often look for is confidence in our judgement, especially when the responsibility is real and the implications stretch beyond the moment.

Because we know the HR decisions aren’t in isolation...
They affect people’s livelihoods.
They shape culture.
They influence trust, fairness, and long-term outcomes.

That’s why community matters so much in this profession. Not as a place for noise, hot takes, or performative opinions. Not as a substitute for expertise or experience.

But as a space for us to:

✅ Talk through nuance
✅ Share context that perhaps doesn’t fit neatly into policy
✅ Learn from lived experience, not just theory

When we, as HR leaders can sense-check decisions with peers who truly understand the role, something powerful happens.

Clarity improves.
Confidence grows.
And we can move forward knowing we are not carrying responsibility in isolation.

This kind of support doesn’t dilute judgement. It strengthens it. Its powerful. 

And at a time when HR is being asked to operate with more care, more consideration, and more impact than ever before, that kind of support isn’t a “nice to have”.

It’s foundational.

If you havent already, come check out the humaneer community, we would love to welcome you 🫶

Kimberly Burns Andrea Kirby

If your HR role feels busier than your calendar suggests, this is probably why.

Because so much of the work doesn’t sit neatly in tasks or meetings.
It lives in the thinking.

Checking before a conversation. What context we’re holding, understanding and assessing legislation... “if we do this, what happens next?” 

All of this is constantly running in our heads. 

Then we have a meeting.... and the next part of the work continues.

Notes.
Documentation.
Follow-ups.
Turning a conversation into something clear, fair, and defensible.

For a long time, I thought all of that was just the extra part of the role.
Something we absorb. 

It took me building a solution humaneer to truly address the reality of working as a HR professional to really understand that this is THE work.

Not just what happens in the room (or virtual room), but everything before and after it.

That’s why HR roles can feel mentally full even when calendars are not back to back (though back to back calendars .... thats a post for another day 😜).

If you work in HR, this probably won’t surprise you, but it might explain why the role feels the way it does.

HR doesn’t need "another" strategy deck this year. (Yep I'm saying it)

I say this having spent years in HR leadership roles where the strategy was clear and still the pressure sat with execution.

The real admin heavy work for me always came after meetings:

✅ Writing up decisions properly - ensuring everyone was clear on what was discussed, actions and outcomes. 
✅ Checking compliance twice (thrice in some spicy situations)
✅ Making sure nothing was missed 
✅ Weighing up,  then carrying the risk long after everyone else logged off (yep, most of this work was done after hours) 

We didn’t lack vision as a function, we didn't lack capability . We lacked capacity and execution support.

So strategy quietly became another responsibility in HR  - without the systems to carry it to full capacity.

That’s one of the big reasons sometimes our roles can feel heavy. We get  bogged down in the execution layer.

We doesn’t need more frameworks or slides. We need systems that actually do the admin work.

That’s how strategy stops being aspirational and becomes sustainable.

Do you agree? I'd love to know.... 

Kimberly Burns humaneer

HR isn’t just a role.
It’s a responsibility.

Sometimes I try to explain why I care so deeply about our industry and the people in it.

Because it can be a lot.

Imagine doing a role where your judgement is constantly questioned.
Where people drop into your office, your DMs, your inbox, asking for a “quick chat”. (that 9 out of 10 times is never quick 😉)
Where advice is sought and sometimes ignored until something goes wrong.

Imagine knowing that getting it wrong isn’t just awkward or inconvenient.
It can mean legal action.
Tribunal hearings.
Real consequences that follow people and companies for years.

And imagine carrying the awareness that what you advise could directly affect someone’s livelihood, wellbeing, and sense of worth.

That doesn’t switch off at the end of the day.

So when I talk about supporting HR better, it’s because I understand what comes with this profession.
Not because the role needs sympathy, but because it carries responsibility most people never see.

And supporting this industry, and the people in it, is a responsibility we take seriously and with the utmost respect humaneer

If HR feels heavy already, it’s not because you’re failing.

It’s because the system you’re working in was never designed to support the reality of modern HR.

More complexity.
More legal and people risk.
More expectation to be strategic.

With the same tools.
The same capacity.
The same admin-heavy execution sitting with you.

So if January already feels like you’re carrying too much, that’s not your motivation, it’s not a resilience gap. It’s an execution problem.

HR leaders aren’t struggling because we lack capability.
They’re struggling because too much critical work still relies on manual follow-up, memory, and work happening after hours.

There is a better way to work, one where execution is supported and not silently absorbed by HR.

And no, you don’t need to “try harder” to get there.

If you’re curious how HR leaders are reclaiming capacity, comment "LESS ADMIN" if you want the short execution load check I’ve been sharing privately with our HR friends. 🙌

humaneer

As a new week begins, there’s something I’m very clear on after 20 years in the People Space... capability has never been the issue.

I’ve worked alongside HR professionals who are thoughtful, principled, technically superb and deeply committed to doing the right thing, (often in tough situations where there is no perfect answer).

What has changed is the level of responsibility the role now carries.

More complexity, more expectation, more legislation and more nuance in how decisions affect people, culture, and the business.

For a long time, we've adapted quietly. Thinking ahead and connecting dots others couldn’t see all while holding context, judgement, and care. Often working out of hours to ensure this.

What gives me real optimism now is that this no longer has to be the norm....

We finally have better ways to support how HR actually works, not just documenting decisions, but supporting judgement, execution, and follow-through in concise ways that reflects the importance of the decisions and actions we take. 

And this matters.

Because when HR is properly supported (especially at the execution layer), it doesn’t just make the work feel more sustainable, it increases our capacity and our impact. 

And I'm here for it!

This is the version of HR I’m deeply invested in helping build.

Who's with me? 😀

humaneer

Most people think the HR work happens in the meeting.
It doesn't.

Certainly alot of work happens in meetings, but a HUGE proportion of the work we do happens around them.

Before a meeting there are: 
✅ The checks.
✅ The context.
✅ The history.
✅ The legislation.
✅The thinking through of how this could land (and what happens if it doesn’t) and preparing for scenarios.

None of this shows on the calendar invite. But it’s essential.

Then there’s the meeting itself.
✅ The conversation.
✅ The reading of the room. Noticing tone changes, slight shifts
✅ The split-second judgement calls you make as things unfold.

And once the meeting ends, the work continues.
✅ Notes.
✅ Documentation created
✅ Decisions that need to be captured properly.
✅ Follow-up that has to be clear, fair, (and sometimes defensible).
✅ Turning what was said/decided/discussed into action.

For a long time, I thought all of the work outside the meetings was just “part of the job” - something we did in the background.

It took me years to really see that this IS one of the biggest parts of our job.

Not just the conversation, but everything that surrounds it.

That’s why I care so much about how HR is supported across the whole arc (shameless plug for humaneer 😜) - before, during, and after.  Not just in the moment everyone sees.

Because when that work is properly supported, everything feels steadier, clearer and more sustainable.

What do you think, do you agree?

The meeting ends. The work doesn’t.

One thing I didn’t really appreciate early on in my HR career was just how much of the work happens after the conversation.

Everyone leaves the room and moves on to the next thing.
And HR keeps thinking.

Replaying what was said, wondering how it landed, working out how to turn intent into words that are fair, clear, and considered.

Because no matter how much we prepare for meetings, the variable is always people.

Things can get messy.
Feelings can get hurt.
Egos can get bruised.

Not because anyone meant harm, but because work is human, and people bring emotion, history, and context into the room with them (and thats what makes us human).

For a long time, I just thought (or accepted) that was part of the job. Something you did quietly, unseen, that just happened.

It wasn’t until much later and once I stepped into building humaneer that I realised how much judgement, care, and responsibility sits in the moments after the meeting is over.

That thinking isn’t extra. It’s not overthinking. It’s the work.

What makes me genuinely optimistic now is that we finally have better ways to support ourselves in HR for those moments. Not just pre meeting or in the meeting itself, but afterwards, when decisions are being shaped and our confidence really matters.

That’s where things become clearer. And that’s where expertise and impact shows up.

I'd love to ask my HR friends - do you agree... so much of our work starts after the meeting?

Stepping out and being brave today by sharing this article I wrote in December.  Writing has never been a strength of mine, and delving into it at the end of the year to write articles has been a "journey"... and one that I am thoroughly enjoying now.
Don't forget the humans is a little corner of the web for curiosity, rubber ducking on paper and making sense of the world of work - I'd love to know what you think....

How does organisational culture hold up when so much knowledge now lives in systems, not people? This is something I’ve been thinking about alot recen

Open article: If systems hold knowledge and humans hold culture. What happens if one starts replacing the other? by Careen Matthews • 5 min read

If systems hold knowledge and humans hold culture. What happens if one starts replacing the other?

House of Talent is BACK 🕺🏼

A night of People people and great house music- where it's all about connection not content. 

We absolutely love teaming up with Viren Thakrar and Andrea Kirby for this event again in Melbourne. 

If you love music and meeting people this event is for you.

🗓️ Thursday 26th Feb
⏰ 5.30-9.30pm 
📌 Secret Melbourne CBD cocktail bar (details released to ticket holders before the event) 


Early bird tickets are live - details down below in the comments 👇🏼

Kimberly Burns Annie Johnson Jodi Rosenthal Tamara Di Veroli Tammie McDonald Ivan 'Harry' Harrison Matt Vido Adam Axon Bridget Thakrar GAICD humaneer 

can't wait to see you on the dancefloor ...

🟠 I work with leaders and HR Directors in mid-sized, growing organisations who need senior HR judgment without building a large, permanent HR setup.

Typically, these are global or international organisations navigating growth, complexity, or change, where the people agenda has become business-critical.

I’m the founder of LevelUp HR and a senior HR consultant and executive sparring partner with 20 years of international experience across investment banking, technology, digital businesses, and maritime.

I’ve worked in:
•  complex global organisations (Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital, HP, Cognizant, Norges Bank Investment Management) 
• founder-led and owner-influenced businesses
• scale-ups and mid-sized organisations
• large HR functions and standalone CHRO / HR-of-one roles

That mix means I understand both enterprise-level expectations and the real constraints leaders and HR teams operate within.

When clients typically reach out.

(You might recognise some of this)

HR is busy and reactive, and you need a more strategic grip.

Growth, restructuring, M&A, or leadership change is putting pressure on culture and delivery.

Trust, engagement, or collaboration has taken a hit.

You’re hiring, but worried about capability, fit, and retention.

You need to reduce costs or restructure, and want to do it properly — without unnecessary risk.

You’ve stepped into a senior role and want an experienced, calm sparring partner.

How I help:

 I provide senior HR consulting and executive sparring to help leaders and HR Directors;

 → move from operational firefighting to strategic people leadership.

 → design organisations, culture, and HR priorities that actually deliver.

 → make difficult people decisions with clarity, integrity, and care.

 → strengthen leadership teams and execution in complex, regulated, or fast-moving environments.

My work is pragmatic, human, and commercially grounded.

Impact, excellence, compassion and collaboration guide how I work — especially when the work is complex.

If you’re looking for experienced HR leadership support without adding permanent senior headcount, I'm happy to talk.

📩 connect@level-upglobal.com

Rachel Wilson Rugelsjøen

82% of CEOs say culture is a priority.

Very few run businesses that behave like it.

Culture isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s your brand on the inside.

It’s how work gets done, how decisions are made, and how results are delivered.

🚩 If you’re seeing silos, disengagement, or stalled innovation, it’s your culture that is costing you.

Culture isn’t what you say — it’s what you encourage, accept, and tolerate.

High-performing teams don’t happen by accident. They thrive in cultures that promote:
✔️ Adaptability
✔️ Strategic thinking
✔️ Experimentation
✔️ Leaders with emotional intelligence
✔️ Constructive challenge to the status quo

These are the kind of teams that have me jumping out of bed in the morning, even when it’s freezing, dark, and the beautiful snow has already turned to slush!

Culture starts at the top. Leadership defines it, but everyone’s behaviour shapes it. 

Results really do follow from there.

Swipe through to see how culture impacts your bottom line and what to do to level up. 👇

Helping HR teams, leaders and business owners align people, culture and strategy to deliver results. Taking HR to the next level. Strategy | Culture | Performance

How To Strengthen Your Culture?

Strong cultures don’t disappear overnight.

They fade quietly, through small shifts no one means to make.

I’ve seen it happen in fast-growing companies, post-merger teams, even long-established giants.

One quarter, everything feels sharp and connected.

Decisions are fast. Conversations are honest and there’s a shared sense of purpose.

Then change arrives. Sometimes it’s a new strategy, leadership or org structure. 

Sometimes just a new project or set of targets.

It’s not that anything dramatic happens but it feels… different.

And slowly, the energy shifts.

People still perform, but it’s more mechanical.

The spark that made the team great dulls around the edges.

It doesn’t happen intentionally.

It’s what happens when focus drifts from how value is created to how it’s reported.

But I’ve worked with some of the best leaders who understand the signs and notice this early.

They protect what makes their culture distinct while scaling what drives performance.

That’s the work I love most, partnering with leadership teams to keep their teams and culture strong when everything else out there is shifting. 

2026 is shaping up fast! Culture design is finally moving up the agenda, and I’m excited by the work already lined up.

Have a Level Up weekend, wherever you are!

It’s “Blue Monday” apparently. 

So if today feels heavy for anyone: please know that you don’t need superpowers.

Leadership is still the same job; bringing out the best in others.

Happy Monday. 

Wishing you a Level Up week! 🧡

Many of the organisations I have worked in celebrate confident leaders. The kind who take decisive action, own the room, and inspire trust. 

Confidence signals clarity and competence, which people naturally seek in their leaders.

Yet real innovation and growth requires curiosity; asking questions, challenging assumptions, and admitting uncertainty. 

Curiosity demands humility, which can sometimes seem at odds with confidence.

So I often see a tension, a difficult balance to get right:

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀, "𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀." 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀, "𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆?"

Leaders who overemphasize confidence risk appearing closed-minded, arrogant, or unapproachable. 

Those who lean too heavily into curiosity may seem indecisive or uncertain.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆

The best leaders (and most successful organisations) cultivate confident curiosity.

Confident curiosity means:

•	Asking bold questions while trusting yourself to handle the answers.
•	Owning your expertise but staying open to being challenged.
•	Admitting when you don't know, while committing to finding out.

It's the leader who says, "This is my perspective but what are we missing?" or "Here's my decision, and I'd love to hear your thoughts."

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

If organizations want to build a true learning culture, curiosity needs to be viewed as a form of confidence.

Leaders need to model this by welcoming feedback, valuing dissent (some call it healthy-conflict) and making it safe to acknowledge uncertainty.

At the same time, they must show their teams that confidence isn't about certainty, it's about being grounded enough to explore, question, and evolve.

That’s how leaders, teams, and organisations - level up. 😉

Curious how confident curiosity could shift your leadership team?

Let’s talk. LevelUp HR Up HR helps leaders put this into practice every day.

Performance review season can feel a little cold.

Leaders prepare carefully.

They use the right templates.

They choose language that won’t create unnecessary friction.

And often, they leave the room having said very little that changes anything.

This isn’t because leaders don’t care.

It’s because they’re trying to be reasonable and fair

trying not to rock the boat.

But reasonable conversations don’t improve performance.

One of the mistakes we make is treating performance as a summary of the past, rather than a force that shapes what lies ahead. 

We ask questions like:
󠁯- Did you meet expectations?
󠁯- What went well/ badly?
󠁯- How would you rate this year?

They’re safe questions.
They’re also weak ones.

A far more useful question is this:

Did your work change the speed or direction of the team?

Performance isn’t about perfection.
It’s about momentum.

Some work creates clarity.
Other work creates friction.

Some decisions increase trust and pace.
Others quietly slow the system down.

Good performance conversations get to the heart of those patterns.

They also answer a question people are always thinking to themselves:

do you actually see me?

They don’t feel like judgement.
They feel like alignment.

Two people sitting down to look at the same reality and agreeing on what actually happened, not just individually, but together, across the whole system.

This is the part many leaders avoid, especially when they’re tired, too busy or under pressure.

It’s easier just to soften the message.

Preserve harmony.

Especially when uncertainty in the world outside the organisation seeps into daily work.

Easier to assume that regular check-in meetings will cover what isn’t being said.

They don’t.

The opposite of annual reviews isn’t continuous feedback.

No one wants feedback all the time.

It’s shared reality.

Its being seen.

Shared reality requires precision.

It requires context.

And it requires recognising that performance is never isolated, it always affects other people, and it happens within a context.

Leadership isn’t remembered for what was measured.

The metrics matter, but they’re not what stays with people.

What stays is how it felt to work in that system, that team.

How clear things were.
How decisions were made.
How you were spoken to.

Whether effort was recognised or simply taken for granted.

That’s why performance conversations matter.

But NOT as a process. As a moment that matters. As one of the few moments leaders have to shape reality rather than avoid it.

And at the end of the day, clarity is one of the most practical forms of leadership there is.

Photo: Me in Røros, where I am headed today. Packed and ready for a chilly -28 degrees on Sunday!

If you're a leader, chances are you want to be the kind of leader your team actually want to follow, the one they look forward to working with.

And most leaders genuinely are doing their very best.

It’s just that the job has never been tougher.

Expectations are higher.

The pace is faster.

The spotlight never turns off.

And many leaders didn’t get where they are by design.

They landed in the role by accident, by default, or because they were brilliant at something else.

That’s where the real challenge begins.

Because great leaders aren’t born. They’re shaped through experience, coaching, and a good few scars along the way.

And the cost of getting it wrong?

I’ve seen plenty of that up close. I’ve led teams large and small and learnt through my own mistakes and experience too. 

Which is why I know how much support matters.

Once strong teams can disengage.

Your best people can leave.

Opportunities can slip away.

Bad leadership doesn’t just frustrate people.

It’s expensive.

And the research is clear: fewer people, especially younger generations want leadership roles at all.

They’ve watched stress play out at home. They’ve seen burnout up close. And they’re opting out.

Which makes developing the leaders you already have even more critical.

In fact, the most effective leadership development happens while the work is in flight. Waiting for space between delivery is usually waiting forever.

But the good news is: when leadership gets the focus it deserves, the ripple effects are powerful.

Trust grows.

Decisions sharpen.

Collaboration becomes easier.

And performance follows.

👉 Swipe through the carousel to see how a leadership reset can shift a team in just 90 days.

Poor leadership costs you more than you think

I’ve coached leaders stepping into global roles.

Professionals shifting industries.

Teams rebuilding after setbacks.

And there is a common thread I see.

Confidence, not competence is what holds most people back.

I’ve seen brilliant people second-guess themselves out of promotions.

I’ve listened to countless candidates undersell themselves at interview.

I’ve watched skilled leaders hesitate, not because they lacked ability,

but because they didn’t trust themselves (yet).

We assume confident people are fearless.

They’re not.

They’ve just learned how to work with that fear.

Confidence isn’t a personality trait.

It’s a practice.

It’s built through small choices, when you decide to back yourself, even with some doubt.

Not flashy or arrogant. Just steady.

It’s the quiet kind of trust that says, “I can do this… or I’ll figure it out along the way.”

And that change of perspective makes all the difference.

💡 The carousel breaks down how to build real confidence, step by step. No fluff but what works in practice.

♻️ Someone in your network needs this today. Please feel free to share!

How to build real confidence?

Your best work rarely happens alone.

It happens when your strengths meet someone else’s.

In every organization I’ve worked with, “Teamwork” has been a core value.

It’s recognised as essential to achieving results because very few people deliver exceptional outcomes entirely in isolation.

And yet… real collaboration still eludes many teams.

Not because people don’t care 

but because it requires intention, clarity, and trust.

Org charts, incentives, time zones, tools 

these structural realities shape how we work.

And sometimes, they get in the way.

Work is becoming more interdependent and more distributed at the same time which means outcomes increasingly depend on how well we coordinate across boundaries we don’t control.

So here’s a practical starting point. It’s my collaboration code for how real teams succeed together.

7 principles that help teams build trust, move faster, and achieve better results:

1. Default to transparency 
If you know something that could help others , share it.

2. Assume positive intent
Most people aren’t blocking progress. They’re just busy.

3. Invite others in early
Cross-functional work shouldn’t be an afterthought, it should happen from day one.

4. Get curious, not territorial
Ask: “How can we solve this together?” instead of “Who owns this?”

5. Celebrate collective wins
Recognition should reflect how the work actually got done together.

6. Remove invisible barriers
Time zones, titles, tools and find ways to close the gap.

7. Model it at the top
If leaders don’t collaborate, teams won’t either.

Collaboration isn’t a soft skill.

It’s a system of working together that taps into collective talent. 

It’s where the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

Which one does your team need most right now — 1–7? Share the number below 👇

An infographic titled How Real Teams Collaborate listing seven principles: default to transparency, assume positive intent, invite others in early, get curious, celebrate collective wins, remove invisible barriers, and model it at the top. Each point includes a short explanation and an orange icon to encourage better leadership and cross-functional teamwork.

Last week I wrote about why organisations operating in Norway are increasingly tested on how people-related issues are handled, not just on outcomes.

This carousel highlights where that scrutiny is now playing out in practice in 2026, and where many organisations are exposed without realising it.

This isn’t about new law.

It’s about:

1. Higher expectations of leadership practice.

2. Clearer scrutiny of process and documentation.

3. Less tolerance for informal handling when issues are challenged.

→ Pay transparency.
→ Probation and performance.
→ Psychosocial work environment.
→ Leadership behaviour.
→ Systems and traceability.

Individually, none of this is new.

Taken together, it changes the standard organisations are held to.

In employment law, cases are rarely lost because an outcome was unreasonable but because the process couldn’t be defended.

How work is organised and led matters as much as the decisions you make.

************************

👉At LevelUp HR, we help organisations operating in Norway and internationally —translate employment law, leadership expectations and regulatory requirements into how work is actually organised and led.

Our work sits at the intersection of employment law, leadership capability and culture architecture. We support leaders and HR teams to build people practices that are fair, proportionate and defensible, while creating the conditions for people and organisations to thrive in practice, not just comply on paper.

Norway Employment Law 2026 

We’re investing heavily in AI tools.

But I’m not convinced we’re investing enough in the humans using them.

If humans now need to be very good at being human because AI will expose poor leadership, then technology alone won’t get us there.

AI is accelerating everything.

Decisions. Pace. Pressure. Expectations.

And yet, many leaders are being asked to operate in more complexity than ever with less support for the human side of the role.

Navigating ambiguity.

Working through disagreement.

Leading tired teams through constant change.

That doesn’t come from tools.

It comes from emotional intelligence, judgement, and relational skill.

It comes from leadership development that’s actually relevant.

From high-performance team work.

From coaching.

From bespoke learning that meets people where they are.

Not tick-box programs.

Not generic sheep-dip training from the big brand logo’s.

As Salesforce CEO, Marc Benioff said recently, AI should elevate humanity, not diminish it.

But that only happens if organisations understand AND invest in the human capability required to use AI well.

Especially at the layer of management that’s quietly carrying the most strain right now.

If we want AI to elevate humanity, we have to elevate our leaders first.

AI will expose how you lead

Kicking off Saturday Survey 2026!

Culture is often talked about as a priority but pressure has a way of revealing what really matters.

Very curious what your experience is here. 👇🏻

When results are under pressure, what usually wins?

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taplio

The Battle

Careen Redman-Matthews

Rachel Wilson Rugelsjøen

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Careen Redman-Matthews's LinkedIn Performance

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