Listen "#182 Su Patel – Human Resources"
Episode Synopsis
Human Resources with Su Patel
Su Patel worked in Human Resources for Tesco for 27 years. Redundancy, marriage ending becoming a single mum and then moving home in quick succession created massive challenges. She's at the other side now, with her daughter doing well, a published author and international speaker.
Su Patel puts the human into Human Resources.
Are you working on your business as well as working in your business? Su was attending a mastermind just after the recording.
What's the best thing about being in a Mastermind?
http://thenext100days.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Su-Patel-Mastermind.mp4
There are 10 people in a business mastermind that Su attends. She also attends a HR specific group too.
Su Patel - the Background
At Tesco for over 27 years, Su took voluntary redundancy in 2016. She considered getting another HR job with another retail company. Her mindset wasn't right. It impacted her self-confidence.
Her friend advised her to set up her own business.
How did she feel at the time? In February 2016, she separated from her husband of 10 years, March was made redundant and April had to leave her family home. She was in a low place. Family, secure job and own home to single parent, no job and renting. This all changed. For Su, it was the awesome people around her that got her through.
Networks
She was surrounding herself with really capable people in network groups. She lived in Leigh on Sea (apparently one of the happiest places in the UK).
Her daughter's school offered her the opportunity to create her first client. She did the first month free. After the first month, they gave Su her first contract.
Sue went from sobbing on her sofa and now she has an amazing business and is a published author. This lead to being invited to a HR convention in the Maldives. Her keynote was about her book.
Putting Human into HR
Click the image to Amazon. Released November 2018 - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Putting-Human-Back-Into-professional/dp/1781333300
Her experience is that many business owners think of HRs as policy people, rule book, the furthest from human. Su argues that HRs should do the right thing for people rather than just following policies.
Look at who is in front of you right now. Deal with that person.
Su thinks smaller companies can be more flexible than larger companies.
One of the positive side-benefits of being an author, is Su found herself surrounded by public speakers. Guess what happened to her! She became a public speaker. You become an average of the people you hang around with.
The Book
Su went to an event with Andy Harrington. He said something very profound...
"...One of the riches places in the world is the graveyard. Because, people die with their gifts inside them.
Without them sharing their message. Don't be one of them...."
Andy Harrington
Andy posed the question...What can you be great at?
Su's answer was I can help people be great in HR. She started to think of the ways in which she can help others be great at HR.
http://thenext100days.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Su-Patel-Great-at-HR.mp4
Su advises there are 5 areas in HR to find a balance with.
Has the book attracted more clients for Su? As she says, 100%! On the back of releasing her book, she has been invited to speak in Barcelona and the Maldives.
The 5 P's of HR
The book is a how-to book. It shares the pitfalls of Human Resources and the mistakes we make. With 5 balanced solutions to put all that right.
PARTNERSHIP
- at the core of every thing in HR. It's all about relationships. The solution to partnership Su fashions into an acronym, TEAM.
T = tune into the organisation. What does the business do? Who are they? Oftentimes, HRs don't know what the business does.
E = engaging emotional intelligence. Be self aware who you are. Walk the floor. Create good news in your organisation.
A = associates, a team around you who can help you.
Su Patel worked in Human Resources for Tesco for 27 years. Redundancy, marriage ending becoming a single mum and then moving home in quick succession created massive challenges. She's at the other side now, with her daughter doing well, a published author and international speaker.
Su Patel puts the human into Human Resources.
Are you working on your business as well as working in your business? Su was attending a mastermind just after the recording.
What's the best thing about being in a Mastermind?
http://thenext100days.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Su-Patel-Mastermind.mp4
There are 10 people in a business mastermind that Su attends. She also attends a HR specific group too.
Su Patel - the Background
At Tesco for over 27 years, Su took voluntary redundancy in 2016. She considered getting another HR job with another retail company. Her mindset wasn't right. It impacted her self-confidence.
Her friend advised her to set up her own business.
How did she feel at the time? In February 2016, she separated from her husband of 10 years, March was made redundant and April had to leave her family home. She was in a low place. Family, secure job and own home to single parent, no job and renting. This all changed. For Su, it was the awesome people around her that got her through.
Networks
She was surrounding herself with really capable people in network groups. She lived in Leigh on Sea (apparently one of the happiest places in the UK).
Her daughter's school offered her the opportunity to create her first client. She did the first month free. After the first month, they gave Su her first contract.
Sue went from sobbing on her sofa and now she has an amazing business and is a published author. This lead to being invited to a HR convention in the Maldives. Her keynote was about her book.
Putting Human into HR
Click the image to Amazon. Released November 2018 - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Putting-Human-Back-Into-professional/dp/1781333300
Her experience is that many business owners think of HRs as policy people, rule book, the furthest from human. Su argues that HRs should do the right thing for people rather than just following policies.
Look at who is in front of you right now. Deal with that person.
Su thinks smaller companies can be more flexible than larger companies.
One of the positive side-benefits of being an author, is Su found herself surrounded by public speakers. Guess what happened to her! She became a public speaker. You become an average of the people you hang around with.
The Book
Su went to an event with Andy Harrington. He said something very profound...
"...One of the riches places in the world is the graveyard. Because, people die with their gifts inside them.
Without them sharing their message. Don't be one of them...."
Andy Harrington
Andy posed the question...What can you be great at?
Su's answer was I can help people be great in HR. She started to think of the ways in which she can help others be great at HR.
http://thenext100days.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Su-Patel-Great-at-HR.mp4
Su advises there are 5 areas in HR to find a balance with.
Has the book attracted more clients for Su? As she says, 100%! On the back of releasing her book, she has been invited to speak in Barcelona and the Maldives.
The 5 P's of HR
The book is a how-to book. It shares the pitfalls of Human Resources and the mistakes we make. With 5 balanced solutions to put all that right.
PARTNERSHIP
- at the core of every thing in HR. It's all about relationships. The solution to partnership Su fashions into an acronym, TEAM.
T = tune into the organisation. What does the business do? Who are they? Oftentimes, HRs don't know what the business does.
E = engaging emotional intelligence. Be self aware who you are. Walk the floor. Create good news in your organisation.
A = associates, a team around you who can help you.
More episodes of the podcast The Next 100 Days Podcast
#499 Dan Norcross - Maximise Property Income
31/10/2025
#498 - Etinosa Agbonlahor - Pricing
24/10/2025
#497 - Craig Murphy - Website Design
17/10/2025
#496 - Ann McNeill - Think and Grow Rich
10/10/2025
#495 - Callum Gracie - SEO & AI
03/10/2025
#494 - Bilal Jogi - Royal Nawaab Pyramid
26/09/2025
#493 - Jamie Darkin - Growing a Business
19/09/2025
#492 - Chip Higgins - Bizzics
12/09/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.