Nadia Uberoi
Head of People
Garner Health
Episode 14
Strategic HR: Master the Operations, Transform the Business
Current chapter: This episode features Previ, the only free tool that helps HR teams boost internal communication
Built By PeopleJanuary 5, 2026 · 12:22
Thesis
“HR's role is evolving from a support function to a strategic business driver, requiring leaders to optimize foundational operations ('run the machine') to create capacity for transformational initiatives ('improve the machine') that are directly aligned with clear business objectives.”
Show notes
Most HR teams are stuck in a trap: they're so consumed by keeping the machine running — recruiting, payroll, performance reviews, compliance — that they never create the capacity to improve it. Nadia Uberoi, Head of People at Garner Health, has a precise framework for escaping that trap — and it starts with a distinction most leaders haven't made explicit.
"Running the machine" is the ecosystem of programs, processes, and policies that have to function every day. It's table stakes. The work that actually drives organizational transformation — what Nadia calls "improving the machine" — only becomes possible when the fundamentals are so efficient and automated that they stop consuming everything. That's not a soft aspiration; it's a structural prerequisite. You can't earn executive support for transformational HR work while the basics are still messy and manual.
Nadia is also sharp on the AI question — and her answer is more useful than most. Don't implement AI because everyone else is. Start with clearly defined business objectives. Ask: what specific problem are we solving? What does success look like? Without that anchor, AI becomes noise. With it, it becomes one of the most powerful tools you have for moving HR from a support function to a strategic business driver.
What you'll learn:
- The "run the machine vs. improve the machine" framework — and how to use it to prioritize your team's time
- Why operational efficiency is the prerequisite for earning executive support for strategic HR work
- How automation in foundational HR processes creates capacity for transformational initiatives
- Why AI in HR should always start with clearly defined business objectives — not technology for its own sake
- What it means for people leaders to think and act like business leaders
- How to align HR transformation back into day-to-day operations so it sticks
Built by People is presented by Previ — the free tool that helps HR teams boost internal communication engagement.
What you'll take away
- 1Recognize HR's transformation from a support function to a strategic business function, leading workforce strategy definition.
- 2Distinguish between 'running the machine' (day-to-day operations) and 'improving the machine' (strategic, transformational work) to prioritize efforts.
- 3Build efficiencies through automation in 'running the machine' to free up resources and earn support for 'improving the machine' initiatives.
- 4Align all 'improve the machine' initiatives, including AI adoption, with clearly defined business objectives rather than implementing for implementation's sake.
- 5People leaders must evolve to think and act as business leaders, integrating HR strategy seamlessly with overall company goals and performance discussions.
What most organizations get wrong
- •The current shift in HR isn't a fundamental change, but rather the 'next stage of a shift that's been happening over the last decade or so' (2:25).
- •Integrating AI shouldn't be about doing it because everyone else is, but by being 'really intentional about what business problem you are trying to solve with AI' (7:48).
In Nadia's words
“It's the HR function transforming from a support function into a strategic business function, which involves all of those things that you just mentioned.”
Highlights the core thesis of HR's evolving strategic importance within an organization.
“running the machine or running the people function is essentially an ecosystem comprised of a vast set of programs, processes, policies that all interrelate, um, in that we all need to run excellently in order to have successful business outcomes.”
Provides a clear definition of 'running the machine' as the foundational operational ecosystem of HR.
“Building yourself out of run-the-machine responsibilities, or not, not fully eliminating them, but minimizing them through things like high-quality automation, is what allows you to earn the support for transformational work without asking for more resources.”
Emphasizes the critical link between operational efficiency, automation, and the capacity for strategic transformation.
“I think it comes down to clearly defined business objectives. So not improving things just for the sake of doing so, but rather ensuring that it aligns with the business strategy.”
Stresses the importance of strategic alignment for 'improve the machine' initiatives, preventing wasted effort.
“It's probably centering around just thinking more like a business leader. I think this is naturally, or maybe not naturally, but intentionally kind of shifting over time where we are not kind of separating out the people function or the G&A function as like a support leader role, but rather treating it like any other business function.”
Articulates the crucial mindset shift for people leaders to integrate fully into broader business leadership.
The problems this episode addresses
- •HR teams struggle to allocate sufficient capacity and mindshare to strategic 'improve the machine' initiatives because 'running the machine' operations (recruiting, payroll, performance management) are constant and resource-intensive.
- •Gaining executive support for transformational HR work is difficult if foundational 'run the machine' processes are not seamless and efficient.
- •Unoptimized HR processes lead to excessive resource expenditure, leaving less structural time and budget for transformational projects.
- •Risk of implementing new technologies like AI for the sake of it, rather than intentionally solving specific business problems, leading to 'noise' instead of value.
- •People leaders often feel stretched thin, struggling to balance daily operational demands with pressure for strategic transformation.
In this episode
This episode features Previ, the only free tool that helps HR teams boost internal communication
Built by People
Nadia Previ leads the people function at Gartner Health
What's the Role of HR in the New World?
Nadia, you talked about running the machine versus improving the machine
HR Strategy: Running the Machine vs Improving the Machine
HR teams struggle to earn support for transformational work if fundamentals aren't seamless
What Makes HR Teams So Hard to Earn Support for Transformational Work
When you think about improving the machine heading into 2026, what kinds of initiatives
Improve the Machine: Business objectives and how to create value
Leadership alignment is critical as HR becomes more intertwined with broader business transformation
Leadership Alignment: The Role of the People Leader
For HR leaders who feel stretched thin, what's one mindset or focus area
What's Your Focus Area for 2026?
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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