In this Training Journal article, Penny Haslam argues that workplace confidence is far more than a personal issue. It affects who speaks up, shares ideas, puts themselves forward and progresses — with consequences for inclusion, wellbeing, engagement and organisational performance.

Drawing on Penny’s experience as an executive coach and award-winning motivational speaker specialising in communication and confidence at work, the article explains why confidence should be viewed as a skill rather than a fixed personality trait. It explores how self-doubt can leave capable colleagues holding back, particularly during periods of change, uncertainty and rising pressure at work.

Penny makes the case for organisations to develop confidence deliberately through training, supportive managers and everyday conversations. She shares practical ways people leaders can identify where confidence affects progression, give colleagues opportunities to practise it and create a shared language that makes self-doubt easier to discuss.

Humour can be one of the quickest ways to connect with people at work. It can warm up a room, make a message more memorable and help colleagues see the person behind the job title. But used badly, it can distract, exclude or leave somebody else carrying the joke.

In this Fast Company article, Bit Famous MD Penny Haslam explores how leaders and professionals can use humour effectively, without making themselves — or anyone else — the punchline.

The article begins with a finance director addressing hundreds of employees. Nervous about being on stage, he recalls playing Kenickie in a school production of Grease and promises to sing “Greased Lightnin’” if anyone falls asleep during the annual figures. The remark gives the audience an unexpected glimpse of the person behind the spreadsheet and makes them more willing to listen.

Penny’s argument is simple: good workplace humour should help the room, rather than ask the room to admire the person making the joke. It can ease tension, bring people together and make difficult or dry subjects easier to engage with. But it should never come at another person’s expense.

She sets out six practical ways to get it right. These include avoiding ‘punching down’, keeping humour inclusive and rooted in situations everyone can recognise, and using self-deprecation without repeatedly undermining your own capability or credibility.

Penny also encourages people to notice what others already find amusing about them. You do not need to become the office comedian. A dry observation, a well-timed phrase or a naturally expressive reaction may be more than enough. The key is to use the kind of humour that feels natural and helps people feel included.

There is one firm rule, though: never use humour in an email. Without a smile, tone of voice or immediate response from the other person, even a carefully judged joke can easily appear sharp, confusing or simply fall flat.

The article is a reminder that humour is another form of communication. Used with awareness of yourself, your audience and the moment, it can help people feel more connected, more open and more ready to listen.

In this FT Adviser article, Bit Famous MD Penny Haslam examines the growing challenge posed by AI search and persuasive but unqualified ‘FinTok’ voices.

The article draws on Bit Famous’s work with advisers at The Private Office, where clients increasingly arrived with investment ideas picked up from TikTok and Instagram. While such content can look polished and authoritative, it rarely carries the qualifications, regulation or personal understanding clients need when making important financial decisions.

Penny explains why AI is also making it harder for advisers to be found: more generic financial questions are answered in search without people clicking through to an adviser’s website.

She sets out how advisers can respond by making their own expertise more visible and human. Working with The Private Office, Bit Famous trained qualified advisers to create short, smartphone videos that share useful insight, explain the firm’s approach and help potential clients meet the people behind the advice.

Article summary – HR Grapevine – From No. 10 to your office: managing the anxiety of a new leader

A new leader arriving at the top of an organisation can create excitement, but it can also trigger uncertainty, anxiety and speculation. Employees quickly begin looking for clues about what will change, which priorities will matter and what the appointment could mean for them.

In this HR Grapevine article, contributors explore how HR can help organisations manage a leadership handover without allowing uncertainty to damage trust, morale or performance.

Using a change at Number 10 as its starting point, the article draws a parallel between political transitions and the leadership changes taking place in workplaces every week. A handover may involve one person at the top, but its impact quickly travels throughout the organisation.

Bit Famous MD Penny Haslam focuses on the people often left carrying the greatest burden: middle managers.

She describes managers as the organisation’s emotional buffer. During periods of upheaval, they are expected to reassure employees, answer difficult questions and keep work moving, while also managing pressure and expectations from above.

Without the right support, this can leave managers exposed to stress and burnout.

Penny argues that HR should use the period before a new leader arrives to check in with managers, bring them together to share concerns and strengthen their communication skills before important messages begin moving through the organisation.

She also warns against expecting managers to act as corporate mouthpieces. They need the freedom to communicate in their own voice, acknowledge when information is incomplete and respond honestly to the concerns of their teams.

As Penny points out, asking managers to communicate before they understand the message is like sending ministers out to face the media when they have only just received the memo. It is unlikely to end well.

The article is a reminder that incoming leaders may set the direction, but managers create much of the day-to-day stability, clarity and confidence employees need during a period of change.

Read the full article featuring Penny Haslam, Bit Famous, in HR Grapevine.

Here’s a fuller version with more of the article’s argument and practical value:

A new leader may arrive with a clear brief, plenty of energy and an ambitious vision for the future. But if they step into an organisation shaped by change, conflict, disappointment or low trust, charging ahead too quickly can do more harm than good.

In this HR Magazine article, Bit Famous MD Penny Haslam explores the critical role HR can play in helping leaders earn trust from the moment they arrive. Her argument is simple: before a leader can take people forward, they need to understand what those people have already been through.

That means briefing them on more than the structure, strategy and performance figures. HR can help them read the emotional weather of the organisation, recognise where trust has been damaged and understand which issues need acknowledging before people will be ready to listen.

Penny sets out five practical ways HR can support a leader through those first vital weeks. These include helping them understand the mood of the workforce, shaping messages that speak to both the heart and the mind, preparing them to handle difficult questions without hiding behind corporate language, and equipping managers to continue the conversation across the business.

She also makes the case for genuine visibility. Trust is not built through a single launch speech, staged photo opportunity or carefully scripted town hall. It grows through repeated, everyday moments: site visits, team meetings, corridor conversations, video calls and honest answers to awkward questions.

The article is a reminder that leadership communication is not simply about saying the right thing. It is about listening properly, understanding context and showing people that their experiences have been recognised.

For HR, this creates a valuable opportunity. By helping new leaders communicate clearly, appear consistently and respond credibly, people professionals can give them a far better chance of building trust, stabilising the organisation and taking people with them.