By Adam Phelan

Nearly ten years ago, I stepped into a large corporate services leadership role with responsibility for teams across HR, finance, payroll and accounts payable, accounts receivable, recruitment etc.

One of the first challenges I inherited was a payroll team that was underperforming and deeply fractured.

There were interpersonal conflicts, allegations of bullying, poor behaviour and low trust across the group. Staff and team leaders were making accusations against one another, morale was low and productivity had begun to suffer.

It was a difficult and highly sensitive situation.

My instinct was to fix the structure quickly by changing reporting lines, resetting expectations and intervening directly. Before I made any major decisions, however, HR advised me to take a different approach and bring in an independent workplace specialist to speak with the team and work through the issues objectively.

At the time, this felt like slowing down when decisive action was needed.

It turned out to be one of the best leadership decisions I have ever made.

Independence changed the conversation

The independent specialist interviewed team members individually and assessed what was really happening beneath the surface. What I received back was not opinion or emotion. It was clarity.

I was given a fact-based view of:

• Where behaviours were breaking down
• What was driving the conflict
• Which issues required formal action, and
• Where support was needed

Most importantly, it removed me as the leader from the emotional centre of the problem.

Instead of navigating competing stories and personal grievances, I was able to make fair and informed decisions based on evidence.

Looking back, this experience reflected what we now call structured case management, moving through intake, assessment, planning and resolution in a disciplined and transparent way.

Why this matters for agencies today

That experience shaped how I now think about managing underperformance in complex organisations.

Performance matters are rarely just about output. They are often tied to behaviour and culture, wellbeing and stress, interpersonal conflict, policy and procedural risk and leadership confidence.

When these matters are handled internally, managers and HR teams can easily become part of the emotional dynamic. Even with the best intentions, maintaining true objectivity is difficult.

This is where independent and structured case management support can make a real difference.

Not because agencies lack capability, but because independence improves the quality of decisions.

Case Management services aligned to the lifecycle

Based on my experience, effective case management needs to follow a clear and consistent lifecycle:

1. Intake and triage
   Capturing matters consistently and assessing urgency, risk and complexity to determine the most appropriate pathway forward.
2. Independent assessment and fact-finding
   Providing objective interviews and evidence review to establish what is occurring and remove emotion and subjectivity from decision-making.
3. Case planning and coordination
   Managing actions, timeframes and stakeholder engagement to ensure matters progress in a structured and transparent way.
4. Resolution and outcome support
   Supporting fair and sustainable outcomes, including performance improvement, behavioural plans and case closure in line with policy and legislation.
5. Reporting and governance support
   Preparing clear documentation, decision records and executive-ready reporting to support transparency, auditability and risk management.
6. Capability uplift and coaching
   Supporting managers and HR teams through coaching, tools and templates so internal capability is strengthened and sustainable over time.

This mirrors what helped stabilise that payroll team all those years ago, now supported by stronger frameworks and specialist expertise.

A leadership reflection

If there is one lesson I took from that experience, it is that sometimes the most effective way to manage underperformance is not to intervene harder, but to intervene smarter.

Independent and structured case management brings calm, clarity and fairness to situations that are often emotionally charged and complex. Handled well, it protects both people and organisations and creates the conditions for genuine improvement rather than simple compliance.

For senior leaders navigating difficult workforce periods, my encouragement is simple:

• Do not carry these challenges alone.
• Do not rely only on instinct when emotions are high.
• Create space for independence, structure and fairness in how performance matters are managed.

The quality of your decisions in difficult moments shapes trust, culture and confidence long after the case itself is closed. Sometimes the strongest leadership choice is to bring in objective support and let evidence, not emotion, guide the way forward.

How Holan supports agencies

At Holan Group, we support APS agencies to manage complex and sensitive performance matters with fairness, structure and confidence.

Our case management services focus on:

• Independent assessment and fact-finding
• Structured case planning and coordination
• Supporting managers through difficult performance conversations
• Strengthening governance, documentation and defensibility
• Building internal capability through coaching and tools

Our approach is grounded in real APS experience and designed to reduce risk, build confidence and resolve matters in a practical and respectful way.

If your agency is navigating challenging workforce issues, now is a good time to seek independent, experienced support.

We are always happy to talk with leaders and teams about making case management work in practice.