Strategic HR Support That Won’t Make You Wince

Strategic HR support should never make you wince, but too often, it does.

Recently over supper with friends, I told someone I work in leadership and strategic HR support — and they physically winced. I didn’t take it personally. In fact, I understood that reaction, and it is exactly why I’ve built my consulting practice the way I have.

The truth is, many entrepreneurs and leaders don’t associate HR with strategy, growth, or support. They think of policies, red tape, and hard conversations that stall momentum rather than move things forward. But strategic HR support, done right, can be one of your strongest levers for building a high-performing team and a thriving business.

A Surprising Exchange That Sparked This Post

So I gently challenged him to check out my website and see how I do things differently. A few days later, he sent me something he’d written: an article of hard-won insights titled Lessons Learned / Advice to an Entrepreneur.

As I read through his reflections, I found myself nodding the whole way through. His lessons weren’t just smart; they were rooted in real experience, and they lined up beautifully with the kind of practical, people-first HR I believe in.

It turns out, this new acquaintance wasn’t just casually insightful. He was Dr. Scott D. Tanner, a respected Canadian scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur known for developing the CyTOF mass spectrometer, a groundbreaking tool used in cancer and stem cell research. He founded DVS Sciences and has spent his career building, innovating, and leading with purpose. (You can read more about his impressive background here.)

But what stood out most to me wasn’t his credentials. It was his clarity about leadership, decision-making, and building a team that actually works. His reflections weren’t theoretical; they were the kind of lessons you only learn by doing the hard things and staying in the game.

Here are five of Scott’s insights that especially resonated with reflections on how they connect to the kind of HR support I believe in.

1. “Prioritize employees > customers > investors.”

This one got me right in the core. Scott flips the usual order of business priorities, and I couldn’t agree more. Too often, HR is seen as a necessary evil instead of a strategic advantage or is positioned as the department that “handles the people stuff” instead of one that drives performance, trust, and culture.

Employees do better work when leaders support them and are clear on what they expect. In my experience, it’s the only way that actually works. Unfortunately, most models are not written that way, but it drives customer satisfaction and, in turn, investor confidence. That leads to happy customers. And that leads to happy investors.

This thinking challenges the traditional view of HR as a compliance function. It reframes HR as a strategic enabler of performance and culture and one that focuses first on the people doing the work, rather than just the metrics they produce. Because if your team’s not okay, your results won’t be either.

2. “Every team member should be given a voice and deserves to be heard.”

Leaders need to build a culture where people are encouraged to speak up if they want innovation and engagement.

You don’t hire people just to have them do what you say. Hire them to think, contribute, and innovate. But that only happens if the culture supports it.

In my consulting work, I help organizations create the kind of structure and culture where contributions are encouraged and power struggles are dismantled. That might involve reworking roles, setting up regular check-ins, or training leaders to listen more effectively. Whether it’s a performance issue or a culture clash, strategic HR support can uncover the real issue and help leaders make clear, respectful decisions that benefit the whole team. It means identifying those patterns early and creating space for healthier dynamics.

Scott wrote, “Every team member should be given a voice and deserves to be heard: otherwise, you do not need them. Discourage the development of fiefdoms and empires: these do not serve the greater good of the organization. And to be honest, if they develop, you will have to dismantle them at greater cost than if you had prevented them.“

Very true.

3. “Bring in the talent that you need.”

This one hit home because it’s exactly why I do what I do. Scott said, “Do what you’re good at, and bring in expertise when needed.” That’s not weakness; it’s wisdom.

It’s also the reason many of my clients bring me in. Most of the organizations I work with don’t have a full-time HR department. They’ve grown to a point where the people side of the business is starting to get complex, and they need someone who can step in with clarity and experience. I help businesses tackle the people side of growth without the overhead of a full-time hire. I come in on a fractional or project basis to provide exactly what’s needed, whether that’s help with a difficult employee issue, support during a merger, or delivering leadership training that actually connects to the reality of the business.

Entrepreneurs often wear multiple hats and sometimes HR ends up on the side of their plate whether they like it or not. I help leaders get back to focusing on what they do best, while making sure their people practices don’t hold them back. From job descriptions to onboarding, performance reviews to conflict resolution, I step in to build what’s missing and support the leaders who need it.

4. “Do what you say you’ll do, by the time you say you’ll do it.”

This may be one of Scott’s shortest points, but it’s one of the most powerful. It’s not just a leadership principle. It’s such a simple rule, and it’s the foundation of trust.

For founders, that means being reliable to employees, clients, and investors. For HR and leadership consultants like me, it means showing up for clients with clarity, follow-through, and integrity.

HR should never be a black box. One of the most consistent pieces of feedback I get from clients is they want things to be practical, clear, and easy to follow. That’s no accident. I believe HR should be a tool for momentum, not confusion.

5. “You’ll be on a roller coaster. Wait a few weeks.”

I laughed out loud reading this one because I’ve heard variations of it from so many leaders. Every business owner or leader knows the feeling. The high of a great hire or a successful project. The low of a difficult conversation or a setback you didn’t see coming.

Scott’s reminder to wait a few weeks is more than good advice; it’s perspective. Things change. And when you’ve got the right support, it’s easier to stay steady during the dips.

Teams often bring me in mid-roller-coaster for a:

• merger

• burnout crisis

• messy people issue that’s blocking progress

My job isn’t to make the roller coaster go away. It’s to help you ride it with a bit more confidence and control. My role is to help leaders breathe, prioritize, and take strategic action, without getting bogged down.

Strategic HR support can be a partner in solving problems, strengthening culture, and creating focus.

Reading Scott’s reflections reminded me that great leadership, like great science, is grounded in clarity, curiosity, and responsiveness. His experience reinforced what I believe strategic HR support can be: a partner in solving problems, strengthening culture, and creating focus.

It also reminded me how much damage “bad HR” has done to the profession’s reputation.

When HR is viewed as a barrier, it’s because somewhere along the line, it stopped being about people and started being about process.

I’ve chosen to do it differently. My work isn’t about pushing paper or enforcing rules. It’s about building workplaces where trust, clarity, and strategy are at the core and where leaders don’t have to choose between people and performance.

So yes, I work in HR.

But not the kind that makes you wince.