"Change is inevitable. Safety is a choice." Charlotte Adams on leading HR through uncertainty
"Change is inevitable. Safety is a choice." Charlotte Adams on leading HR through uncertainty
Change is a constant in today’s organisations. And while businesses adapt their strategies, it’s the people inside the company who often feel the impact first. According to Charlotte Adams, VP of People at Bonitasoft, this is where HR must step in and lead. “People can handle change. What they can’t handle is feeling left in the dark,” she explains in this interview at the HR Summit of Fortino Capital.
For HR professional Charlotte Adams, guiding a company through transformation starts with one essential principle: bring psychological safety and clarity. In this interview, she shares how empathy, transparency, and leadership alignment help create stability in motion.
Be radically open
"Change brings stress and uncertainty. That’s why I focus on building psychological safety. People have to feel safe to express concerns without fear of judgement," she explains. According to Adams, that begins with being radically open. "Transparency and communication are everything. Explain why change is needed today. And what happens if we don’t change. People need to understand the context to feel secure."
Clear, consistent leadership communication
Charlotte Adams believes in “setting the stage”: being honest about how the organisation arrived at this point, and what will be done going forward. That kind of openness builds trust. “Stability may not be a realistic goal in fast-moving times. But we can create a stable experience through clear, consistent leadership communication.”
Understand the emotional impact of change
Leadership behaviour plays a crucial role in guiding teams through change.“Empathy is key. Leaders must understand the emotional impact of change and create space for dialogue. Even if we can’t act on every concern, people need to feel heard.”
One way to foster that connection has been the introduction of monthly all-hands meetings. “Each month, our CEO shares the top priorities and how every team contributes. It may sound repetitive, but that consistency helps build clarity and alignment.”
Her advice to fellow HR professionals? “Think of HR as a product. Don’t impose – co-create. Listen, test, adjust. Real impact comes when HR works in partnership with the business, not in isolation.”