Build your HR Influence
Next programme: 25–28 January 2027
Four live 90-minute sessions to help HR professionals have more influence, build your confidence and increase your credibility.
Based on Lucy Adams’ book, Influential HR: Why leaders aren’t listening to you and what to do about it.
Got a question? Contact us — we’re here to help.
You’ve got good ideas. How do you get leaders to listen?
You can see what needs to change. You’ve put time and thought into your recommendations. Yet leaders still don’t engage, your latest initiative struggles to get traction, and the same people issues keep landing back with HR.
It’s frustrating. And working harder, producing another policy or explaining the process one more time rarely helps.
This programme explores what makes HR influential in the everyday moments that matter: how you respond to a request, challenge a decision, understand a leader’s priorities and make your ideas useful to them.
In just one week we’ll help you recognise the habits that get in the way, build your confidence and develop approaches that will give you the influence you need to be effective.
What do you get?
- Four live online sessions in one week. Each session is 90 minutes, led by Lucy Adams and Karen Moran, with practical approaches to building your influence.
- Ideas you can use straight away. Tools and approaches for stronger partnerships, better consulting conversations, constructive challenge and people practices that leaders want to use.
- Fresh perspectives on familiar challenges. Take lessons from product design, marketing and human behaviour to rethink how you work with leaders.
- Recordings of every session. If you can’t join live, you can catch up afterwards or revisit the ideas.
- Three months in the Disruptive HR Club. Practical resources, fresh thinking and learning to help you keep developing beyond the programme.
- An exclusive book offer. Purchase a copy of Lucy Adams’ Influential HR at the discounted price of £5.
What we'll cover
25 January 2027, 12:30–14:00 (UK time)
Episode 1: Why aren’t they listening?
Understand what gets in the way of our ability to influence.
Why do capable managers struggle with people leadership? We’ll explore the pressure, fear, competing priorities and lack of confidence that shape their behaviour—and how they experience HR.
We’ll also look at the habits that can undermine our credibility: rescuing, policing, overcomplicating and assuming we know best. You’ll consider how your own confidence and beliefs affect the way you show up, and what you might need to change.
26 January 2027, 12:30–14:00 (UK time)
Episode 2: Stop rescuing. Start partnering
Build a relationship where leaders value your contribution.
When you’re used to sorting things out, changing the relationship can feel uncomfortable. We’ll explore what adult-to-adult looks like in everyday conversations and how to move from fixer to coach and challenger.
You’ll look at how to understand a leader’s pressures, motivations and relationship with HR, set clear expectations and boundaries without becoming unhelpful, and use consulting questions to uncover the real issue behind the request.
27 January 2027, 12:30–14:00 (UK time)
Episode 3: Create HR products that work
Create people practices leaders choose to use.
We’ll explore how to start with leaders’ problems and create approaches that are useful, relevant and easy to fit into their working day. That includes deciding what to standardise and where to offer choice.
Taking lessons from product design and marketing, we’ll look at positioning ideas so they resonate, co-creating with leaders and working with early adopters. We’ll also explore how to turn big initiatives into small changes, nudges and habits.
28 January 2027, 12:30–14:00 (UK time)
Episode 4: Become the person they turn to
Build the confidence, judgement and insight that earn lasting influence.
We’ll explore how to challenge a leader confidently while maintaining trust and help them navigate competing priorities when there is no perfect answer.
You’ll look at how to bring insight that helps leaders make decisions, rather than simply reporting HR activity. We’ll also consider how external perspectives, commercial confidence and an understanding of human behaviour build credibility—and what makes HR valuable as AI takes on more transactional work.
Want to build your HR influence?
Olivia Bennett - Go City
I absolutely LOVED this course and genuinely feel like I’ve grown leaps and bounds as a HRBP as a result.
Julia Hardwell - Arrow International Media
I highly recommend joining Disruptive HR’s Business Partner Programme. Their simple, easy to adopt theory packs a powerful punch – making HR exciting again!
Zoe Trinidad - Bet Victor
This course reminds me that just because we go to work, we don’t have to leave our hearts at home! If you’re looking to bet on people, hire character, develop skill and build a rewarding employee experience, this is the course for you.
Get tickets
Get an automatic discount if you are a Club member
Common questions
Who should attend?
This programme is for HR professionals who want more influence with leaders—whether you’re an an HR leader, an HR Business Partner or part of a specialist team.
It’s particularly relevant if you find yourself repeatedly fixing people issues, struggling to get leaders engaged or finding it hard to challenge with confidence.
What’s the time commitment?
Four 90-minute live online sessions over four consecutive days, Monday 25 to Thursday 28 January 2027. Each session runs from 12.30–2pm UK time.
What’s included in the Disruptive HR Club membership?
You’ll receive three months’ access to practical toolkits, short videos, case studies and learning sessions to help you put the programme’s ideas into practice.
What if I can’t join live?
Every session will be recorded, so you can catch up on anything you miss or revisit the ideas afterwards.
Is the book included?
Programme participants can purchase a copy of Influential HR: Why leaders aren’t listening to you and what to do about it at the discounted price of £5. This is an optional purchase alongside your programme place.
How do I pay?
When booking, you can pay by card or choose to be invoiced. If you’re self-funding, get in touch and we can offer a payment plan.
Got a question?
Get in touch – we’re here to help.
