Guest Conversations and Highlights

Podcast Episode 16: Conversation with an Interim HR Director – Steve Graham

18th August 2019

502 views

3 min read

‘It’s about building trust and letting them do the right thing. ‘

If you’re curious as to what an Interim HR Director does, then this latest episode of the HR Uprising Podcast is for you!

This Episode: Conversations with an Interim HR Director – Steve Graham

Lucinda interviews Steve Graham, the Interim HR Deputy Director for Hertfordshire Partnership University Foundation Trust, about his career and experience working in HR within the NHS. They talk about building authentic relationships within a team, changing organisational cultures, dealing with diversity and much more. Also, discover what you should do and improve in your skillset if you want to move up in an HR role.

Key Takeaways

Steve’s tip if you want to move up in a role within your organisation is to focus on building your credibility and your relationships as quickly as possible. It becomes easier to get promoted when the executives see your determination and potential.
Be authentic. Have the confidence to speak your mind, especially if you know the company will benefit from it; but also have the guts to admit when you’re wrong.
Steve is grateful that his experience in different organisations helped him develop his leadership and resourcefulness skills.
Meeting and having authentic conversations is the key to getting the best solutions for challenges inside HR. It’s the team who have the best ideas. Engage with them and understand them. Supporting your team can also help build authentic relationships quickly.
As an introvert, Steve didn’t Immediately see himself fitting in the role of an Interim HR Director role. So, if you’re like him and think like this, don’t be put off by the responsibilities. You can always make an impact on the organisation.
What skills do you need to display to be taken seriously and to progress your aspiration? Have an understanding of the politics and interdependencies in the organisation. You have to be the ‘glue’, the person that connects the team together. It’s easier to share your expertise if you know where it is needed.

Best Moments

“You can’t get things wrong and just get away with it.”
“Be direct and supportive.”
“Anyone can bring anything in any organisation.”

Valuable Resources

https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/
www.secamb.nhs.uk/
https://www.clch.nhs.uk/
You can access additional free HR Resources via the Actus Software website link below. Lucinda Carney is the founder and CEO of Actus Software: https://actus.co.uk/free-performance-management-resources/
Other HR Uprising Podcast Episodes: https://hruprisin g.com/hr-podcasts/

About The Guest

Steve Graham is the Interim Deputy Director of Workforce and OD at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, a mental health and learning disability trust for Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk, and North Essex.

He also worked for South-East Coast Ambulance Service and Central London Community Healthcare in HR Interim roles.

Steve Graham’s LinkedIn

About The Host

Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.

“When we look up we rise up”