Beyond Cakes and Compliance : How high is the HR-Bar?

Recently, I received some 360 feedback that stopped me in my tracks: "Be mindful of parallel conversations—they feed the grapevine." It hit me hard because while I thought I was building consensus through individual chats, here was a perspective that I was actually creating confusion. A perfect metaphor for my HR life—navigating the delicate balance between intention and impact.

Here’s a reality check - in the trenches of organizational reality, my days are often filled with contradictions. Leaders who champion change initiatives but look the other way when asked to modify their own behaviours. Teams that unanimously approve new 'ways of working' in meetings, only to revert to old habits when implementation happens. Stakeholders expecting exceptional talent acquisition without looking beyond 'right experiences' as a filter. These aren't hypothetical scenarios….? They are also not only my lived experiences. All of us in HR would probably have faced this some time or the other.

Every morning, I walk into an office knowing that I need to create a semblance of certainty in all the uncertainty. The weight is tangible—this responsibility of holding organizational culture together with what sometimes feels like little more than determination and duct tape. In a single day, I might facilitate a difficult conversations between team members, translate org strategy into hiring plans, and think through ways for influencing stakeholders—all before responding to a "quick question" over an email - that requires hours of careful consideration.

The stereotype persists: HR is just about hiring and firing, about policies and about managing monthly birthday celebrations. (And yes, I've been asked if I could "just quickly" organize a farewell party while simultaneously managing a complex restructuring. Because clearly, my cake-to-consultation ratio should be 50:50.)

But those of us living in this reality know different. We're organizational therapists, org strategists, conflict mediators, change agents, and ethical compasses—often all before lunch.

What's most frustrating? We in HR often perpetuate these stereotypes ourselves. We nod along when our function is reduced to "employee happiness," we accept supporting roles when we should be driving strategic conversations, we shy away from the hard truth-telling that organizations desperately need. We play to the choir instead of challenging the very narratives that diminish our impact.

Perhaps our greatest strength isn't in our ability to plan perfectly, but in our capacity to adapt relentlessly. Maybe what makes HR professionals exceptional isn't having all the answers, but asking better questions when faced with the unknown.

As I reflect on this journey:

• What would our organizations look like if HR professionals (including me) operated with the courage of their convictions rather than the comfort of compliance?
• How might we shift from being interpreters of organizational reality to architects of organizational possibility?
• When we look back on our careers, will we be proud of the systems we maintained or the systems we dared to reinvent?

I don't have solutions to offer today. Just solidarity in the beautiful chaos that is HR. And a challenge to all of us HR folks to step up, speak the truth, and reclaim the strategic mantle that belongs to our profession.