The Strategic HR Sprint

A FREE 5-DAY SPRINT TO BUILD YOUR STRATEGIC SKILLS & CONFIDENCE

If you’ve ever thought…

“I know I need to be more strategic… but I’m not quite sure what that actually means, or what it looks like in practice,”

this sprint is for you.

Being “more strategic” is one of the most common expectations in HR.

The trouble is, it’s rarely explained clearly.

And when you’re busy juggling meetings, projects, recruitment, employee relations issues and everything else on your to-do list, it can be difficult to know where to start.

That’s why I’ve created this free 5-day sprint.

In just 10-15 minutes a day, you’ll discover what being strategic actually means, apply it to your own role, and learn simple ways to make a bigger impact through your work.

The Strategic HR Sprint is available all year round. Sign up whenever you’re ready and Day 1 will arrive in your inbox straight away. You’ll then receive one new email each day for the following four days.

Fay Wallis Headshot

What you’ll get each day

In just 10 – 15 minutes a day, you’ll learn how to think more strategically, focus on what matters most, and make a bigger impact through your work. Each day in your inbox, you’ll receive:

  • 🎧 A short audio (perfect for a walk or commute)
  • 🎥 A video version (if you prefer to watch)
  • 📝 A simple worksheet to guide your thinking
  • 🤖 An optional practical AI prompt on four of the five days, to help you deepen your thinking, uncover useful insights and develop your ideas further

Everything is designed to be practical, concise, and easy to apply.

During the sprint, you’ll learn how to:

  • Understand what being strategic actually means in practice

  • Look beyond HR and better understand the wider context your organisation operates in

  • Focus your efforts where they’ll have the greatest impact

  • Think more strategically about workplace challenges

  • Create more time for strategic thinking and action

What we’ll cover

Day 1: Build your strategic confidence

We start by tackling the most common block – self-doubt. You’ll explore what being strategic actually looks like and discover you’re probably already doing more of it than you realise.

Day 2: Understand your organisation’s world

Strategic HR professionals don’t just know their own organisation – they understand the wider landscape it operates in. You’ll use a powerful AI prompt to build a sector briefing that most HR professionals have never had time to create.

Day 3: Find what matters most

Strategic people don’t try to solve everything. Today you’ll identify one challenge in your own work and explore the most important question: not “how do I fix it?” but “why does it matter?”

Day 4: Get to the root cause

It’s easy to jump straight to solutions. Strategic HR professionals take time to understand what’s really causing a problem first. You’ll learn a simple technique to uncover root causes and identify the HR and People levers that could make the biggest difference.

Day 5: Create space for strategic work

Even if you know what to do, it can be difficult to find the time to do it. On the final day, you’ll identify practical ways to create more time for strategic thinking and action, so you can put everything you’ve learned into practice long after the sprint has finished.

How the sprint works

You can start The Strategic HR Sprint whenever you’re ready.

Once you sign up, Day 1 will be delivered straight to your inbox. You’ll then receive one new email each day for the following four days.

Each email will contain the day’s audio and video episode, worksheet and any additional resources you need.

I recommend completing the days in order because each activity builds on the one before it. But you do not have to complete everything in five consecutive days. Your emails and resources will be there whenever you’re ready to return to them.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can start whenever you’re ready. The sprint is available throughout the year, so there is no need to wait for a particular date or the beginning of a new cohort.

Completing the sprint over five consecutive days can be a great way to build momentum, but you can work through it at a pace that suits you. You may prefer to complete one activity each week instead.

The most important thing is to complete all five days and work through them in order, as each activity builds on the one before it.

I recommend putting a regular, protected 15-minute slot in your calendar to watch the video or listen to the audio and complete the activity.

Around 10 – 15 minutes a day – I’ve designed it to be as bite-sized and easy for you to implement as possible. (I know how busy you are!)

Absolutely! It can be really helpful to work through the sprint alongside colleagues or friends, as it gives you the opportunity to bounce ideas around, share your wins and encourage each other to keep going.

You could complete one activity each day, set aside time once a week, or choose another rhythm that works for you. Feel free to invite others to sign up and work through all five days alongside you.

You’ll be able to reply to the sprint emails if you have a question or need help with one of the activities.

If you have a question about the sprint that hasn’t been answered on this page, please feel free to contact me through the contact page of my website, and I’ll be happy to help!

a photo of Fay standing next to a plaque that lists all the people on the 'HR Most Influential Practitioner List'. She is wearing a pink short sleeved dress, has shoulder length brown hair, is pointing at her name on the list and smiling at the camera.

Hi, I’m Fay Wallis

Earlier in my HR career, I remember wondering what people actually meant when they talked about “being strategic”. It felt like everyone expected it, but nobody ever explained what it looked like in practice.

Over time, I learned that strategic HR isn’t about having all the answers or writing impressive strategy documents. It’s about understanding what matters most, thinking beyond the day-to-day, and helping shape a better future for your organisation.

Today, I’m a career and executive coach specialising in supporting HR and People professionals. I’m also the host of HR Coffee Time – a podcast, which has been downloaded more than 225,000 times and ranked in the top 2% of podcasts globally, and the creator of The Essential HR Planner, which has helped thousands of HR professionals plan their year with greater clarity and focus.

In 2026, I was incredibly honoured to be named the #10 Most Influential HR Practitioner in HR magazine’s ‘HR Most Influential’ list.

I’ve created this sprint to share the practical approach I wish someone had shared with me. My hope is that by the end of the five days, you’ll have a much clearer understanding of what being strategic really means – and feel confident putting it into practice in your own role.