Interlaced Advisory

Interlaced Advisory 👩🏼‍💻HR Support for Small- Medium Businesses
❤️ Your Business Partner and People Strategist
đź“ŤRiverland, South Australia

Since hearing this quote a few weeks ago I have fallen in love with it. We all run. In business, in family, in friendshi...
18/05/2026

Since hearing this quote a few weeks ago I have fallen in love with it.

We all run.
In business, in family, in friendships, in personal lives.
But we never actually manage to avoid what we are trying to, it will catch us up eventually.

It is tempting in small business to hire quickly and skip the formality that you usually see in a more corporate space b...
11/05/2026

It is tempting in small business to hire quickly and skip the formality that you usually see in a more corporate space but truthfully, following a strategic process and having space and order is great practice for so many reasons.

A few simple steps can give you piece of mind:
• Reference checks
• Qualification verification
• Working With Children Checks (where relevant)
• Police checks for appropriate roles
• Clear onboarding and policies
• Documented recruitment processes

Not every role or business requires every check but every business should have a process.

Monitoring and maintaining workplace certifications, especially in a professional environment is absolutely something we can help with - reach out!

www.interlacedadvisory.com.au

So blessed to be part of such an amazing community 🫶🏻
04/05/2026

So blessed to be part of such an amazing community 🫶🏻

Simply.Good leaders know their team. And, if their team is too big to know individually, they know them collectively. Th...
25/03/2026

Simply.
Good leaders know their team.
And, if their team is too big to know individually, they know them collectively. They know what they are capable of, they know where their limits are.

Most businesses are working with very manageable sized teams though, and when they are that size, there is absolutely no reason for not making sure you are ontop of their achievements.
And this needs to be more than just when project deliverables have been achieved, we are talking about personal goals, personal milestones.

And I can hear you "but we are here to work, not fluff around with that kind of stuff".
But, really, if you want your team to dedicate all of their efforts into your business, you need to prove to them that you are as committed to them.
Nothing says "I don't care" like not knowing when their birthdays, not asking what they did on the weekend, not knowing what their career goals are in the next 5 years or worse, what role they even perform in your organisation (and please, for goodness sake make sure you know their names!!! I could tell you some horror stories!)

Recognition doesn't have to be a huge deal. Sometimes its morning tea, sometimes its an awards evening and sometimes it's just a quick "hey, I saw what you did there, awesome job".

Recognition in a team environment is very multifaceted and ultimately the right recipe for your business is very individual to your organisation, but its something we can work out together!

This is going to be a really tough one to write about. Because this isn't a micro-moment. This is a small accepted way o...
17/03/2026

This is going to be a really tough one to write about.
Because this isn't a micro-moment.
This is a small accepted way of being that infiltrates the team culture day in and day out.

As business owners, we learn very quickly that we need to become accustomed to dealing with the unexpected, at any point, throughout the day. Because business is chaotic at times. But that being said, effective leadership is about being the calm in the storm.

What you cannot do, is allow the concept of "chaos" to become the norm in your business. Because when that is the standard you allow it becomes nearly impossible to impose standards around the quality of work output.
Suddenly deadlines are optional and communication is allowed to be inconsistent and within an instant you have lost all capacity to demand accountability from the team.

This is now full blown dysfunction hidden behind your joke of "business is just chaos".

The chaos will always exist but your discipline as a leader is what will dictate what is tolerated.
If this is your standard, your team will rise, or fall to meet it.

Do you know what the word attrition means? Someone described it the other day as "death by a thousand cuts". Technically...
11/03/2026

Do you know what the word attrition means?

Someone described it the other day as "death by a thousand cuts".

Technically defined as: "the process of reducing something's strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure."
Thanks Google Dictionary

If there was one leadership sin that many people leaders commit thinking it is the least harmful, its this one.

"oh, yeah, I did see that" - referring to an email someone sent a week ago.
"yeah, I missed your call the other day and didn't call you back"
"If we deal with that problem now it will open a whole can of worms"
OR
My personal favourite....


No apology, no returned phone call, no acknowledgement of seeing a message or email. It may as well have not existed.

Now there is absolutely times in your leadership where you need to use one of these lines. Realistically, probably multiple times. But, if most of your conversations are starting with one of these, its time we have a look at what is really going on.

Because the attrition your staff feel when you default to constant unavailability will quickly erode any respect or psychological safety that they have in you.

They learn that you are:
- not reachable when they need you
- unavailable for their challenges
- out of reach to understand their struggles
- caught up in your own to-do list where they are not a priority.

But I can hear you now, "I am always busy".
Yes, you are, I know this.
But if there is one thing you need to protect it is your staff.

Not your vendors. Not your competitors. Not your business buddy. Your staff.
Pick up the phone - answer the email.

While you are busy doing the rest of your role, they are the ones pushing the business forward, serving customers, doing the work, moving stock, solving problems.
All this effects your profit margin and as soon as you leave them stuck with problems they can't solve, challenges they cannot overcome or issues they can't fix, you won't just see it in productivity or the bottom line, you will also see it in your workplace culture.

I know it is overwhelming, but remember that when you prioritise them, they will prioritise you.

I feel like this is one we have all personally been through at some point. The old "do as I say, not as I do". But when,...
10/03/2026

I feel like this is one we have all personally been through at some point.
The old "do as I say, not as I do".

But when, as leaders, we bring that attitude into the workplace it unfortunately doesn't abide by its own rule and it very much sets a tone of "rules only apply when I say they apply".

That standard is very damaging to workplace culture.

When staff see the inconsistency between what you expect and what you actually do, it starts to degrade the trust between your team and you.
People stop taking policies seriously. The standards start to drop and accountability is almost impossible to enforce.

Good leadership isn't just about making rules but by modeling them too.
Living the rules first and ensuring that you own up when you haven't done this well.

The EXCEPTION.
As a leader, if you can see that a policy or procedure is getting in the way of your staff doing their jobs effectively... raise it, remove it, simplify it.
Your role is to work to ensure your staff can do their roles in the most efficient and satisfactory way as possible.
If they are having a hard time with something, give them a hand!

It doesn’t matter what type of business you run, by now you’ve probably heard about the geo-political events unfolding o...
03/03/2026

It doesn’t matter what type of business you run, by now you’ve probably heard about the geo-political events unfolding over the last few days.

And if you’re like most business owners, one of your first thoughts was likely: What does this mean for my business?

That’s completely normal and good on you for being prepared!

But it’s also worth remembering that while we’re thinking about supply chains, pricing, and flow-on impacts… our staff are absorbing the same news, over and over again.

Many are already feeling the pressure of cost of living increases. Add to that the constant stream of graphic videos, commentary and anxiety fuelled headlines every time we open social media, and it’s no surprise that people can start to feel the toll.

This kind of repeated exposure keeps the nervous system switched on. And this can be a subliminal compounding of stress for some people.

Take a moment to think about your team and their families. Consider the mental load they might be carrying right now, particularly if their culture, heritage or personal history connects them more closely to what’s happening.

Now is the time to lead with steadiness.
Allow space for conversations and acknowledge that it’s okay to feel unsettled.

And don’t underestimate the power of a simple, genuine:
“Are you going okay?”

Even if someone says they’re fine, it doesn’t mean the constant exposure isn’t quietly impacting them. Checking in matters and this is your team.

March is the start of a new series I’m calling “March Matters”.The focus is on the micro-moments of leadership.The small...
01/03/2026

March is the start of a new series I’m calling “March Matters”.

The focus is on the micro-moments of leadership.
The small choices leaders make which seem insignificant at the time but erode trust and destabilise the foundations of an organisation.

Micro-moments are tiny gestures or singular interactions.
Decisions and actions that on their own mean very little but, in the grander context, have a big impact when repeated or left unrectified.

Here's an example:

It’s Monday morning. A major project is due tomorrow.
Your phone rings and a crucial team member calls to let you know their child is sick and they can’t make it in today.

Normally you’re understanding. But right now you’re under a lot of pressure from management above you and the deadline is now unreachable.

Instead of accepting the situation and responding with empathy, you react with frustration and sarcastically comment about the project now going down the toilet.
You finish the call with “thanks a bunch for letting me know, enjoy your day” but you both know neither of you will.

That was a micromoment of error.

You’re human. But it wasn’t the best response.

There are two micromoments here.

The first is your reaction. It lacked empathy, and realistically, you don’t know how hard it was for your team member to make that call they knew the project was due and were probably plagued with guilt choosing what they did.

The second is what you do next.

If you don’t acknowledge the misstep, the damage is actually worsened.
Left unchecked, it begins to unravel culture. Your staff start believing you value deadlines over what’s happening in their lives.

So how can you rectify this?

A quick text:
“I stuffed up. I shouldn’t have put that stress onto you. I should have acknowledged your situation. I’m sorry, Monday morning worries. Let me know if I can support you.”

That’s it.

Micro-mistake erased.

Whether it’s the topic of HR or leadership my methodology is always the same. The support needs to be authentic to you. ...
15/02/2026

Whether it’s the topic of HR or leadership my methodology is always the same. The support needs to be authentic to you. To work within your skill set, yet push you slightly to the edge of your comfort zone.

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PO BOX 805
Loxton, SA
5333

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+61435779051

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