Before there was The People Navigator®

Most people problems weren't caused today.
 That's probably why this work matters so much to me.

I was 7 years old, thumping my fists on Dad’s big desk, sitting in his huge, tall-backed chair in his home office (our dining room).

In reality, I was an incredibly shy child. But in that moment, I was copying what I had seen on TV. With a stern expression, I barked orders to my imaginary employees. I knew then I wanted my own business—I just didn't know what it would be.

Back then, I thought being a 'boss' meant making noise.

Thankfully, my understanding has evolved. (Although, looking at some businesses today, not everyone else’s has!)

The Kitchen Table Reality

Before there was The People Navigator® there was a family business.

My Dad built Doherty Pension & Investment Consultancy from our home, with Mum beside him every step of the way.

 I grew up watching what it took.  

The hard graft.  

The risk.  

The responsibility.  

And the decisions nobody talks about.

Because when you're part of a family business, a hiring decision doesn't stay at work.
 It follows you home.  

A difficult employee isn't just a workplace issue.  
It's the stress you carry into the evening.  
The conversation that takes over Sunday dinner.  
The thing sitting in the corner of your mind when everyone else has gone to bed.

The thing I noticed

The biggest problems rarely arrived all at once.  They build.  Quietly.  

Through things that didn't quite sit right.  
Things that were explained away.  
Things people hoped would improve.  
Things left too long.  

Looking back, that's what I kept seeing. Not bad people decisions made in a moment. Problems that had been tolerated for months.

Back then, I couldn't have told you that.  I just knew the ripple effects were real.

Why I do this work

My career started in Financial Services, not HR. That matters.

Because I learned early that if the people don't work, the numbers don't work either.

Eventually, I realised I wanted to take everything I'd learned and bring it back to the people I understood best:  owners, founders and leaders carrying more than most people realise.

The conversation I'll never have

 If I'm honest, there are times I wish time travel existed.  

I'd love to go back and sit beside Dad with the experience, perspective and backbone I have today.  

Not because he wasn't capable.  
Because none of us should have to carry people problems on our own.  

But I can't do that, he's happily retired.  
So I help other leaders instead.

What that means today

 Today I help leaders spot the things that don't quite sit right.  

The behaviour that keeps getting excused.  
The patterns that keep repeating.  
The PMTs (Predatory, Manipulative, Toxic people) who leave damage behind them.  
The conversations everyone knows need to happen.  
The decisions that have been circling for months.  

Because most people problems weren't caused today.  
But they do get harder the longer they're left.  
And I don't believe leaders should be carrying that alone.

A final thought

This isn't about HR.
It never was.

It's about what you're willing to deal with.
Because what gets tolerated today becomes tomorrow's problem.

Who do you have in your corner?