are you bored?
Hi ya party people,
It's FRIYAY. It's a been a min, so I'm bringing that back.
I've been in Park City, Utah (more info to come on Monday) and so far I've survived the altitude, a bloody nose, drier than ever skin, and altitude insomnia. Yes, that's a real thing!!!
I'm ready to dramatically collapse into my bed for the next 48ish hours, but before that, we’ve got some juicy HR questions to dig into!
Today, we’re tackling two big themes:
First up: someone in an entry-level HR role who is ready to grow but stuck inside an organization that treats development like a rumor.
If you’ve ever been invited to a committee that meets exactly once before dissolving into the void? Pull up a chair.
And then we’ve got the AI question…you know, the one haunting all of us on a daily basis.
After all this chatter, have we decided if AI is a con, a pro, or just that messy coworker you don’t trust but still borrow pens from?
So without further ado, let’s discuss!
P.S. Soon, question submissions will all happen in Safe Space! Till then, Send me some here, and you might be featured next Friday! 👀
ASK AWAY
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✍🏾 I’m bored in my entry-level HR role and eager to grow, but every opportunity I’ve explored has stalled or been discouraged — how do I level up when the org isn’t ready for me?
Context: Large regional nonprofit hospital with 3,000+ employees. I started in June 2025 as an HR Service Representative. I’ve been invited to a few committees and brainstorming sessions, but they’ve fizzled out after one meeting. I expressed interest in a new role that aligns with the CHRO’s goals, but the team lead discouraged me from pursuing it due to lack of structure and resources. Feeling stuck and unsure how to move forward.
📣 Alex White, Regional Director, HR @ Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club:
This is such a great (and honest) question, and one a lot of early-career HR professionals face, especially in large, complex organizations like hospitals.
First, you’re not doing anything wrong. Feeling “stuck” in HR early on usually means you’re ready for more long before the org is ready to give it. Growth doesn’t always happen through promotions — sometimes it comes from learning how to navigate systems that move slower than your ambition.
A few thoughts that might help:
1. Start by mastering your current lane.
Become the person everyone turns to because they know you deliver — accurately, calmly, and with heart. When leaders see you as dependable, they start handing you bigger problems to solve.
2. Build visibility outside your direct team.
Since your committees fizzled, create micro-moments of influence instead: volunteer to help with onboarding refreshes, draft process improvements, or lead a mini initiative that aligns with the CHRO’s priorities. Quiet momentum speaks volumes.
3. Seek development — even if you have to create it.
Ask to shadow another HR function for a few hours a month. Take a class in HR analytics, employment law, or AI in HR. Growth doesn’t have to wait for a title.
4. Network inside your walls.
Large hospital systems often have “hidden mentors.” Find those seasoned HR pros who’ve navigated the same bureaucracy — they’ll give you context and advice you won’t find in a handbook.
And most importantly, remember: boredom can be a sign of readiness, not restlessness. You’re sharpening your awareness of what kind of HR professional you want to become — and that clarity will pay off.
If your organization can’t match your pace, keep building the skills and credibility that will make you undeniable when the next opportunity comes — whether it’s there or somewhere else. Good luck!
📣 Tess Staadecker, Associate Vice President, People @ Leap
I completely agree with everything Alex offered; it’s great advice, and captures what a lot of early-career HR folks experience in big, slow-moving orgs. You’re clearly showing initiative and self-awareness, which already puts you ahead of the curve.
The only thing I’d add, and I say this with empathy, is to keep a sense of timing and perspective. You’ve been in your role for about six months, and in most large organizations (especially hospitals), that’s still considered the "getting established" phase. It often takes a full year to learn the rhythms, relationships, and dynamics of an organization.
So yes, keep doing all the great things Alex mentioned: build visibility, master your current lane, look for micro-growth opportunities, and stay curious. But also give yourself some grace and patience. Reframe the narrative: It’s not that you’re stuck, it’s that you’re in the ramp-up period of what could be a long and meaningful career.
In short: keep showing up, keep learning, and remember that consistency over time is what earns you credibility and opens doors.
Safe Space members can join this discussion here. Not a member yet? Apply to join here.
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✍🏾 Based on all this talk about AI, has there been a firm decision on whether it's a con or a pro? What have we come to terms with and why?
Context: Freebee, about 450 employees and transportation industry.
📣 Rebecca, Taylor, Co-Founder/CCO @ SkillCycle:
I think AI is generally a pro - it’s all about how it’s used and implemented. Pushing for an “AI-forward culture” without educating people on both the benefits and the pitfalls is a recipe for disaster. Companies need to be clear about where AI automation actually improves workflows or makes work easier. Rolling out unregulated tools with no training or change management will only lead to chaos and risk.
I like to think of AI like cars. Cars themselves aren’t inherently good or bad - but you have to learn how to drive them. Driving takes practice, patience, and an understanding of the rules of the road. You don’t need to know how an engine works to get where you’re going, but you do need to know how to operate safely and responsibly. AI is no different.
📣 Nalini Mani, Organization Transformation Advisor:
I like the car analogy. And you make a valid point. Here’s my take .. something I’ve been noodling over in terms of corp cultures and transformative leadership in the AI race.
AI is a powerful tool…but it’s not a culture. Not yet. And certainly not without guardrails.
We need to stop treating AI adoption like a race to efficiency and start treating it like a responsibility to people. Yes, automation can optimize workflows, but it can also bulldoze the human ecosystems that make organizations resilient: mentorship, emotional intelligence, creative friction, and trust. These aren’t inefficiencies…they’re the soul of sustainable innovation.
Rolling out AI without a parallel investment in human capability is like handing out cars without building roads, traffic systems, or driver education. You don’t just get chaos, you get casualties.
AI should augment human potential, not replace it. That means companies must be intentional: Where does AI truly help? Where does it harm? And how do we ensure that the human side…empathy, ethics, and lived experience…remains central?
Efficiency is not the endgame. Humanity is.
📣 Christine McCallum-Randalls, Director of People @ Test Double:
+1 to the points Rebecca Taylor and Nalini Mani discussed. To speak specifically to things I've come to terms with...
I've come to terms with both the negative environmental impact of AI and handling the inevitable misuse or misunderstanding of it.
Data centers suck a lot of power. My hope for the environment is that we continue to find ways to make more data centers more efficient and environmentally friendly. Some companies are trying to use renewable energy to power them. In the meantime pros include AI being used to transform the efficiency and eco-friendliness of complex systems like power grids and can be used to help improve climate and waste solutions.
Regarding misuse and misunderstanding of AI, I've already seen it. An employee recently disagreed with me, sending me his Chat-GPT conversation as supporting evidence for his argument. I pushed back with three issues. 1. his Chat-GPT prompt was written in a way that was biased toward his perspective. 2. I'm not reading through a Chat-GPT conversation to decipher the point someone is trying to make. 3. Chat-GPT was wrong.
Not only are we going to need to understand and use AI, we are going to need to mitigate situations in which employees misuse it. I expect this will often take form in the bad legal and policy advice AI will present to employees.
Safe Space members can join this discussion here. Not a member yet? Apply to join here.
🚨 ON YOUR RADAR
🎧 If you think the world outside work has nothing to do with your culture, oh honey…it absolutely does. Dave Garcia and I break down how immigration, inflation, and global chaos are hitting your employees right now and why your leadership style matters more than ever. Check it out on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
🕵️♀️ If you’ve ever sat through a tech demo and thought, “There’s no way this works like that in real life,” this HR Therapy is absolutely for you! On Nov 19th, we’re getting explicit about what HR actually needs versus what your tools conveniently gloss over
😩 Everyone’s checked out at work, but why? eSkill's new article breaks down the skill, will, and time gaps behind today’s disengaged workforce and what HR can do to fix it. These gaps cost way more than you think!
💰 Pay Transparency matters (but it's also difficult). That's why I created this course. Join the Safe Space community to access it, plus everything else you need to stay ahead of the curve.
📝 RESOURCE OF THE WEEK
Each week I feature a resource I love from the Safe Space library that I believe would be relatable to this week's newsletter topic.
This week, we’ll look at how to bring human connection back. Check it out HERE ⬇️
FRIDAY FUN
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Sometimes this happens so much I think I'm a psychic!!
My goal for 2026 is to *not* end up in this situation very often.
We'll see how it goes. Until then, maybe I should be an Etsy witch for CEOs??
New side hustle unlocked.
That's all for this week! I hope you enjoyed! If you have any thoughts, please let me know. I'm allll ears.
Reminder: Today is FRIDAY. 🙏
