BOWWBLOG #32: The Unseen Weight: Who Holds Up the People Who Hold Up Our Organizations?
A sanctuary for HR professionals and the urgent need to “care for our carers”
WHAT: The Burden of Being in the Middle
For over 40 years as an HR professional and consultant, I've lived in the space between leadership's vision and employees' reality. It is a privilege to work at the heart of human systems, but I must confess: this work can be profoundly exhausting.
HR has long carried the weight of unflattering stereotypes—the "fun police," the "paper pushers," the "corporate spies." While perceptions are slowly changing, the core reality remains: HR professionals are often caught in the middle, mediating complex human dynamics while navigating their own humanity.
In a permacrisis world, this role has become a herculean task. The question is, how do we make it sustainable? Who replenishes the well for those tasked with pouring into everyone else?
This question led us in The TLC Solution to create HR4HR: A Sanctuary for HR Professionals. And the immediate, heartfelt response from a diverse group of 12 practitioners confirmed a deep, unmet need.
SO WHAT: The Shared Struggles in the Sanctuary
When this "motley crew" gathered—from Boomers to Gen Z, from multinational corporations to family businesses—their check-in revealed a powerful pattern. Their challenges were not isolated complaints, but systemic symptoms:
· The Mediation Dilemma: Feeling trapped between delivering tough leadership decisions and maintaining employee trust and morale.
· The Culture-Shaping Burden: Struggling to rebuild integrity and design a workplace that appeals to a new generation, often with limited influence.
· The Personal Crossroads: Questioning, "Is HR still my calling?" while newer practitioners seek validation and a path to make a real impact.
Their lives are consumed by work, family, and a search for balance. The most poignant revelation was the shared sense of isolation. Each thought their struggle was unique, only to discover they were all navigating the same turbulent waters, just in different boats.
NOW WHAT: From Isolation to Integration
The first and most powerful step is to break the silence. We discovered that our greatest challenges are not unique; they are patterns we all face. Healing begins when we realize we are not alone.
A Call to Action for Every HR Professional:
1. Find Your Sanctuary
Identify one trusted colleague, a mentor, or a peer group. Better yet, join the TLC HR4HR Community! Let us co-create a confidential space where you can be first a person, a human being, not just a professional. Your first duty of care is to yourself.
2. Name the Pattern, Not Just the Problem
Instead of saying "I'm stuck," ask: "What is the pattern here? How does this challenge show up in other organizations?" This shifts you from a victim of chaos to an observer of systems.
3. Practice "Tiny Replenishments"
Your resilience is a renewable resource. Schedule five minutes of silence between meetings. Take a walk without your phone. These are not luxuries; they are non-negotiable fuel for a demanding role.
We are building this community because the new face of HR must be supported, resilient, and connected. We cannot pour from an empty cup. By caring for our caregivers, we don't just save individuals—we transform the heart of our organizations.
A question for you in the comments:
As an HR professional or people leader, what is one small, sustainable way you replenish your own energy?
Let’s build a list of ideas and support one another.
We do invite you to be formal members in our TLC Community and explore which of our “7 Pillars of wHEW” (Wholistic Health and Wellbeing) you’d like to do a deeper dive on!
Be a member here: https://www.thetlcsolution.com/registration-page
-Susan Grace Rivera
Posted on: November 16, 2025
