There is a story from a children’s hospital in the U.S. that speaks volumes. Doctors were concerned: children’s recovery was slow, and their emotional well-being was low.
The team asked a deeper question…not just about medicine, but about experience: “How can we make children feel better about being in the hospital?”
Then came a simple but brilliant idea.
The hospital dressed its window cleaners as superheroes
Spiderman,
Batman,
CaptainAmerica.
The kids lit up with joy.
They laughed, looked forward to the visits, and recovery rates improved measurably.
What changed?
A strategic, human decision was made, based on observed behaviour.
Not guesswork, but insight.
Today, HR leaders are navigating a similarly complex world:
Subjectivity in performance evaluations and promotions
Ambiguity about what truly drives engagement
Uncertainty in workforce planning and capability building
In such conditions, instinct alone isn’t enough.
HR must step into a new role…one of strategic influence.
And that means learning to ‘connect data to decisions’, especially when it comes to people.
