It’s almost 2026 but rather than another prediction post or retrospective listicle, I decided to offer a reckoning and call out two HR fictions we need to eliminate in 2026.
Are these “lies we tell ourselves” malicious? Not really. But they are exhausting and, frankly, I’m too tired to keep pretending. These aren’t just bad stories or unsustainable habits – they’re sacred cows we’ve been protecting for far too long.
And it’s time to let them go.
Strategic HR Theatre
Let’s start with the big one.
For decades, HR has been on a quest. We rebranded ourselves as “People and Culture, ” weaponized the phrase “strategic business partner,” and built dashboards and frameworks and acronyms no one outside HR remembers five minutes after we finish talking. And yet, despite all that effort, most people still view HR as the department that handles benefits enrollment and scolds people when they burn popcorn in the microwave.
I’m not saying HR can’t be strategic. Many HR professionals genuinely are. But strategic to whom? When HR pros talk about being strategic, they usually mean aligning people practices with business goals, anticipating workforce needs, and influencing organizational direction. That’s real work. Important work.
But most executives and business owners don’t think of HR that way, most managers don’t experience HR in that way, and most employees? They just want to know if their PTO request got approved.
The term “strategic HR” has turned into a way to signal seriousness and justify our existence. Everyone knows what we’re trying to do … but no one’s buying it. If HR wants to be strategic, it needs to stop announcing it and start demonstrating it.
That means showing up with clarity, challenging bad decisions, fighting against unethical behavior and injustice in the workplace, and translating people insights into actions and activities that move the needle. Strategy isn’t a title you claim. It’s credibility you earn.
The Metrics Mirage
If there’s one thing corporate HR Departments love more than meetings, it’s metrics. We measure everything: engagement scores, productivity rates, time-to-fill, retention percentages, eNPS, goal completion, you name it. If it can be quantified, you can bet someone’s tracking it in a dashboard.
And look – data matters. Measuring things can reveal patterns, highlight problems, and help you make smarter decisions. But somewhere along the way, we started believing that the act of measuring something was the most important thing. Like if we just tracked it hard enough, the problem would solve itself.
But measuring employee engagement doesn’t make people more engaged. Tracking turnover doesn’t stop people from leaving. Monitoring productivity doesn’t address why people are burned out. These metrics can inform action, but they’re not a substitute for it. Too often, we mistake the scoreboard for the game.
And worse, we sometimes measure things simply because we can – not because the data will lead to anything meaningful. How many companies run annual engagement surveys, get the same lukewarm results every year, and then… do nothing? The measurement becomes HR theatre; a way to prove we’re paying attention without actually doing a damn thing.
In 2026, let’s stop pretending that metrics are magic. Let’s measure what matters – absolutely! – but let’s also be honest about whether we’re using the data or just hoarding it to justify our existence.
The 2026 Reckoning
So, as you can see, these aren’t predictions. They’re not even aspirations.
They’re simply the workplace stores we’ve been reading, re-reading and quoting over and over and over.
But I’m tired of pretending these two things belong on their respective pedestals. In 2026 I intend to champion clarity and honesty and encourage all of us to have the courage to say good-bye to some of these “sacred cows.”
