#57 JooBee's newsletter (SE)

TL;DR

🚀 3 Levers for a more strategic 2026: HR’s end-of-year reset

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3 Levers for a more strategic 2026: HR’s end-of-year reset

Q4 in start-ups isn’t “busy.” It’s brutal. 

You’re closing performance cycles, running calibrations, mapping 2026 strategy and fielding last-minute “one quick thing” requests… all while you’re still trying to wrap up this year 😵‍💫.

If you’re feeling stretched between finishing strong and starting smart, you’re not alone. 

So this final edition of the year is your space to reset, refocus and rebuild — so you don’t just drag 2025’s chaos into 2026.

Here are 3 levers to help you wrap smart and step into 2026 ready to lead strategically 👇

1️⃣ Refocus for impact: From HR busywork to business leverage

2026 is the year to stop working ‘harder’ and start building smarter — systems that multiply impact instead of adding workload.

If you’ve spent the year fighting for more headcount (or fighting not to lose it), shift the question from “Who else do I need?” to “What could run better?”

Here are 3 reads to spark that shift:

🧭 Alignment check: Are your people ready for the year ahead?
Before you sprint ahead, get clarity on what your business actually needs to achieve in 2026.

🚫 You don’t need more headcount — you need a better system
Why scaling a start-up is less about hiring, and more about designing leverage.

🛑 HR, stop bracing for layoffs — start driving revenue
Reposition HR as a growth engine, not a cost centre.

2️⃣ Rebuild HR’s influence: Your value, impact and being indispensable

Founders don’t need more HR projects. They need HR voices that shape business direction.

Here are 3 reads to help you rebuild influence from the inside out:

😩 Fed up with HR being misunderstood? Build the brand that changes it (pt 1 & pt 2)
If we don’t own our brand, we’ll keep living in our own shadow.

😖 HR leaders, if we don’t want to be seen as admin, stop acting like one
Break the unconscious habits keeping us stuck in the admin lane.

🙅 Founder not buying what you’re selling? Here’s why
Shift from convincing to aligning — and start driving buy-in.

3️⃣ Redefine performance: Align people decisions to business outcomes

Every December, performance season lands like an unwanted sequel 😬. But it’s also our best opportunity to anchor the business for 2026 — if we treat it as a strategy tool, not an admin task.

Here are 3 reads to help you rethink performance:

😬 Performance ≠ promotion (mixing them screws everyone)
Separate the past (how someone performed) from the future (what they’re ready for).

👓 Read this before measuring AI adoption in performance reviews
Avoid old performance review mistakes. Learn what actually matters when evaluating performance.

🍽️ Stop treating EOY conversations like an all-you-can-eat buffet
Focus conversations on what matters most: recognition, growth and retention of top talent.

Before planning ahead, look back with pride

If you’re reading this with a coffee in one hand and a strategy doc in the other – pause for a second.

You’ve navigated another year of shifting priorities, tighter budgets and rising expectations.

• You’ve kept your team focused.

• You’ve stabilised the chaos.

• You’ve built systems where there used to be ‘gut feel’.

So before you rush into planning the next big thing…take a breath.
Recognise what you’ve built, what you’ve learned and how far you’ve come 🥂

Then, reset your focus and step into 2026 with conviction.
You’re not supporting the business. You’re building it.

Here’s to ending the year with clarity – and starting the next with leverage 🔥🎉

Scaling your start-up?

Let’s make sure your leadership, people and org are ready. Here are 3 ways I can help:

🔗 LinkedIn | 🌎 JooBee’s blog | 🤝 Work with me