The Myth of Stability: Why Learning to Pivot Is the Real HR Superpower

For a long time, stability was the goal for most HR professionals.

Stable roles.
Stable teams.
Stable org charts.
Stable plans.

HR was expected to create order, consistency, and predictability in systems that were already complex. And for a while, that worked. Or at least, it looked like it did.

The hard truth for most HR professionals is that stability is no longer the norm. And pretending it is only makes leadership harder.

The real superpower in today’s workplace is not holding things still. It’s knowing how to pivot without losing trust, clarity, or humanity.

Why Stability Became the Myth We Cling To

Stability feels safe. It promises control. It suggests that if we plan well enough, document enough, and follow the right frameworks, things won’t fall apart.

COME ON! HR knows better!

Policies change overnight.
Leadership shifts.
Business priorities pivot.
Technology disrupts workflows.
People’s lives collide with work in real time.

Stability was never guaranteed. It was just easier to believe in when change moved slower.

Now, HR is expected to respond in real time, often with incomplete information, emotional stakes, and high visibility. The old promise of “once this settles, it’ll be fine” no longer holds.

And that’s not a failure. That’s the reality of modern work.

Pivoting Is Not Chaos, It’s Competence

There’s a misconception that pivoting means being reactive or unprepared.

In reality, I believe that the ability to pivot is a sign of maturity.

It means you can:

• Adjust strategy without losing direction

• Adapt processes without losing fairness

• Support people without overpromising certainty

• Change course without eroding trust

Pivoting is not abandoning the plan. It’s responding to what the plan did not anticipate.

HR professionals do this every day, often without naming it as a skill.

Why HR Is Built for Pivoting

HR sits at the intersection of purpose, people, and process. That position is not accidental. It’s strategic.

You are already pivoting when:

• You redesign programs based on feedback

• You adjust policies to reflect real human needs

• You shift priorities when the business shifts

• You reframe change so people can understand it

This is not instability. This is leadership in motion.

The problem is not the pivot. The problem is expecting HR to pivot without support, without recognition, and without space to learn.

How to Build Pivot Muscles Without Burning Out

When I think of pivoting as a skill, I believe it doesn’t mean living in constant crisis mode.

Pivoting means building flexibility into how you work and lead.

Here’s what that actually looks like:

1. Anchor in Principles, Not Plans

Plans will change. Principles shouldn’t.

When HR is grounded in clear values, decisions feel more consistent even when direction shifts. People don’t need predictability. They need fairness, honesty, and respect.

2. Normalize Adjustment

Stop treating pivots like failures. Treat them like data and signals.

When teams see leaders adjust openly and thoughtfully, they learn that change is something to engage with, not fear.

3. Communicate the Why, Not Just the What

People tolerate change better when they understand the reasoning behind it.

HR plays a critical role in translating decisions into context, not just updates. Clear communication matters.

4. Protect Capacity

Constant pivoting without recovery leads to burnout.

HR leaders need boundaries, rest, and peer support to sustain this work. Being adaptable does not mean being endlessly available.

5. Build Community with Other HR Pros

You are not meant to navigate this alone.

Community creates perspective. Perspective creates resilience. And resilience makes pivoting possible without losing yourself.

If you can’t join an HR community around you, build one. That’s why I love communities like DisruptHR ROC, the National Human Resource Association, and the Association for Talent Development. There is always a group of like-minded people you can join.

The Future Belongs to Adaptive HR

The HR professionals who will thrive are not the ones chasing stability. They are the ones who know how to move with change while staying grounded.

They understand that leadership today is about helping people move forward, even when the path shifts.

Stability may be the myth.
But adaptability is the muscle.
And pivoting is the practice.

That is the real HR superpower.

#BeTheGlue, my friends!