Working with your People Lead

How am I matched with a People Lead?

See Matching people to People Leads.

Your People Lead's responsibilities

Your People Lead (PL) is there to support and guide you. See the list of People Lead responsibilities.

Safe space

Your People Lead wants what's best for you. They are in a position to have a real impact on your time at Infinity Works and will do their best to help you achieve success.

They will work with you to create a relationship that is a safe space where you can be yourself and share what is on your mind. Your People Lead will not pass on what you discuss with them unnecessarily but will share only essential information with their own People Lead and support group to ensure they can support you well. Let them know if there are things you would like them to keep between you. Things that you share in confidence will be kept confidential unless there is a safety concern.

Your relationship with your People Lead exists as part of your personal network both inside and outside of work. Your People Lead plays an important role, but you will share different things with different people, and some things you will only share with those closest to you, even if your relationship with your People Lead is working well.

Flat-feeling organisation with scalable people support

Infinity Works has always been a flat-feeling organisation where anyone can speak to anyone else about anything.

Your People Lead is a great first point of contact for advice on getting things done. But in most cases, they will support you in doing things yourself rather than acting on your behalf or proxying requests. The aim is certainly not for this to introduce hurdles or a bureaucratic hierarchy — quite the opposite: your People Lead can help you target your requests so you get a direct answer promptly.

If things aren't working as you'd like

If your relationship with your People Lead isn't where you'd like it to be, start by discussing it with them, if you are comfortable doing so. If you don't feel able to do this, you can get support from their People Lead who will be happy to help resolve the issue, which could include moving to a different People Lead. If you'd rather have an informal chat about something tricky, you can get in touch with any People Lead you feel comfortable raising it with — or with one of the Mental Health Champions, if that is more appropriate.

Mental health

Each year in the UK, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem at any one time. It can be beneficial to make your People Lead aware of any mental health circumstances, but for specific support and guidance, we have Mental Health Champions and first aiders.

Our Mental Health Champions are a great first step to talking to someone informally about mental health. Whether you need a chat about your mental health, someone to sit and have a cup of tea with on a rough day, or a way to ask for available resources or signposting for others, the Mental Health Champions are here to support you. They will always listen non-judgmentally and confidentially.

You can message any of the Mental Health Champions directly.

We also have certified Mental Health First Aiders.

Your responsibilities

You will get the most out of your relationship with your People Lead if you put some effort in.

Actively engage with your People Lead through regular catch-ups and by keeping them informed so they can support you. The frequency of the catch-ups should be agreed upon between you, but monthly is a good default. You have a joint responsibility to arrange these sessions and ensure they happen. Either party should approach the People Lead's own PL for support if they encounter issues with this — see If things aren't working as you'd like.

Prepare for sessions with your People Lead by thinking about what you want to get out of them.

Actively seek feedback from colleagues and work with your People Lead to reflect on, and respond constructively to, the feedback you get.

Take the lead in identifying development goals and take concrete steps to enact them, seeking support and guidance from your People Lead throughout.

Play an active role in regular Meeting of Three Minds, sharing your honest feedback and listening openly to feedback offered by others.