Video highlights from last year’s HR Planning Day
By planning now, you’ll have a great year
Would you like to start the new year with a plan? The HR Planning Day is a great opportunity to do just that.
Join me on 27th November 2025 in Barnes, SW London
Take some time away from your desk to focus on the goals and tasks that will direct you in 2026. It’s about ‘slowing down to speed up’, thinking about what you and your organisation need – and want – and creating the plans to make that happen.
As a qualified career and executive coach who specialises in working with HR and People professionals, I understand the reality of life in an HR role – the ongoing clash of reactive and proactive work while managing daily admin and conflict.
So often, these everyday demands of the HR role become all-consuming, leaving your own career development unmanaged and unfulfilled.
A day to pause, reflect, and plan ahead: As an HR professional, I found the day incredibly valuable, so much so that I plan to attend annually. It gave me the space to step back from the day-to-day and refocus on what truly matters for the year ahead. The planner has been a game-changer in keeping me aligned and accountable ever since. I’d highly recommend this experience to any HR colleague not just for personal clarity, but for the strategic benefit it brings to your business.
Leila Blackman-Morris, Head of HRI understand the challenges HR professionals face
The HR Planning Day is designed to provide the tools and strategies you need to overcome these obstacles and thrive.
I’m Fay Wallis, a fully qualified career and executive coach with a background firmly rooted in HR (you can find out more about me below).
Since launching The Essential HR Planner in 2020, I’ve continued to develop it further, providing new exercises and resources every year to further support your career. With feedback from my coaching clients and previous planner purchasers, it’s been created with you and for you.
With any planner, though, it’s essential you take the time upfront to set your goals and make a plan to achieve them. It’s not enough to buy the planner; you need to take the time to plan – and I can help with that.
This is the day to take the space you need to reflect, prioritise and plan effectively, explore what you want from the year and map out how you’ll achieve it.
Fay’s HR Planning Day was a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with fellow professionals. As an independent consultant the input from fellow HR professionals is harder to secure and to be able to have guided as well as ad hoc conversations was really valuable. It very helpfully provided the prompt to stop and think about my own development – and as part of the pre-work to have sought some specific feedback from clients. It was energising to listen to the talks that Fay had organised. The commitment to look to the future and establish some objectives allowed for focus. And all of this done in a relaxed environment, easy to get to and we were very well fed and watered too! I would encourage taking the time out for some self-reflection and planning ahead, especially with the great Planner Fay has created as a bonus.
Kate Kelk, HR ConsultantYour Future is Exciting – Let’s Plan It
Envision
Get ready to put your hardback Essential HR Planner to work (it’s included with your ticket). Dive into exercises designed to help you shape your career and work goals for the year ahead. You’ll have the chance to refine and polish objectives you’ve been considering, as well as uncover exciting new possibilities you might not have explored on your own. Through guided reflection, you’ll explore what you want to achieve, how you’d like to grow, and the impact you aim to make – mapping out an actionable plan for your coming year in HR.
Align
Transform your goals into a practical roadmap for your year ahead, whatever your specific HR role. The planner helps you harmonise your daily responsibilities with your career aspirations, ensuring nothing gets overlooked. By spreading your work throughout the year, you’ll create a balanced, achievable plan that keeps you motivated without feeling overwhelmed. It’s about making progress without burning out.
Thrive
Step into a warm, welcoming environment where you’ll feel truly supported. The day’s activities and your Essential HR Planner work together to create a positive, enriching experience. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with fellow HR professionals in a relaxed setting, sharing insights and experiences. This event isn’t just about planning—it’s about nurturing your professional growth in a supportive atmosphere, providing you with practical tips and resources to help you flourish in your HR career.
A motivating planning day: I found the day extremely useful from many perspectives. It was very inspiring with some fantastic discussions and exciting speakers, not least of all our host for the day Fay Wallis who has the ability to motivate and inspire at the same time with a gentle calmness, that makes you feel that anything is possible. Having the space to think about the year ahead and sharing ideas with others was so helpful. It was a fantastic day that I am looking forward to again. The location and all the logistics for the day were spot on. I find the HR planner is an essential in my day-to-day work.
Judy Fowler, Head of HR & FacilitiesGuest Speaker
Dr Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey
From Good Intentions to Real Inclusion Impact
Dr Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey is known for his practical, evidence-based approach to inclusion. He’s supported organisations ranging from small teams to well-known brands like John Lewis and Aviva, helping them turn well-intended aims into action that genuinely makes a difference. He also hosts The Element of Inclusion, a hugely popular show ranked in the top 1 percent of podcasts worldwide.
In From Good Intentions to Real Inclusion Impact, Jonathan will guide you through a straightforward way to make your inclusion work feel more focused and easier to get others behind. Instead of keeping things broad or aspirational, you’ll learn how to choose one challenge that really matters and use evidence to build a clear case for action. The session is designed to boost your confidence and help you feel equipped to bring people with you.
A brilliant day to pause, gain perspective, and plan for the future: The HR Planning Day was a wonderful opportunity to connect with talented HR professionals who are doing incredible work. It also offered dedicated time to reflect on the past year and prepare for the year ahead. The planner has been especially valuable in helping me structure and organise my projects and tasks in a clear and manageable way.
Angela Owusu Chambers, Operations Manager
Frequently Asked Questions
A lovely planning day!: Fay’s HR planning day was a lovely day to take time to reset, review and think about the year ahead. All of the speakers were incredible and the day was meticulously planned, from the activities to the gifts she gave us all. It was really beneficial to have time away from our busy working lives, dedicated to planning.
Rhiannon Smith, People Coordinator
Meet Your Planning Day Facilitator
Hello, I’m Fay Wallis – a career and executive coach specialising in and passionate about supporting HR and People professionals to thrive in their careers. I’m also the host of HR Coffee Time, a podcast (which I’m still amazed to say is ranked in the top 2% globally).
I’d be thrilled to welcome you to the planning day. Join me for a day of insight, growth, and practical goal-setting. Together, let’s make 2026 the best year of your HR career yet.
Have a question about the planning day?
If you have a question about the workshop that isn’t answered in the FAQs section above, please get in touch through the contact form (by pressing the button below) and Fay will be happy to come back to you. Remember, there’s no such thing as a silly question! If you have a question, it’s likely that someone else does too. By asking it, Fay will not only be able to answer you; she’ll be able to update the FAQs to help everyone else too.