People Practice
A core team discipline, not an HR function
From People Before Tech (Bloomsbury, 2021, ISBN 978-1-4729-8545-3).
People Practice is the deliberate, regular practice of attending to team dynamics and psychological safety — not as an HR function but as a core team discipline.
Without People Practice, Human Debt™ accumulates unchecked. Teams stop noticing the trust erosion because no one is looking for it.
What People Practice includes
- Regular check-ins on team health and psychological safety
- Structured space for dissent and honest feedback
- Deliberate attention to team trust and alignment
- Tracking of team emotional signals over time
- Practitioner-led (not HR-led) ownership of team dynamics
Why it is a Team Discipline
Most organisations treat team health as an HR or management responsibility. People Before Tech argues the opposite: the team itself must own the practice of attending to its own dynamics.
People Practice is the operationalisation of Human Work. It is the recurring discipline that prevents Human Debt™ from accumulating.
Related: Speak-Up Culture is the condition People Practice creates. Impression Management is what People Practice prevents. And WoT vs WoW describes the structural patterns People Practice must navigate.