The Hidden Cost of “Rub Some Dirt On it”

I played A LOT of soccer growing up. 

Between the ages of 8 and 17, I got used to getting bruised and scraped up. Whistle blows, coach jogs over, gives a quick look, and then, “You’ll be fine. Rub some dirt on it”. Nobody meant harm. That was just the culture of the time; no concussion protocols, a couple of band-aids, and waved back into the game. Pain was played through. Mental and physical toughness were just part of the playbook. 

I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Maybe it's because resiliency is still being praised despite the harm. Or because we still treat endurance like it's the same thing as strategy. Or maybe it's just because baseball season is starting.

Same Playbook, Different Field

Work has its own version of that playbook. 

Everything on the surface looked fine. Great product, strong customer base, growing revenue, and excellent people. But underneath, it’s band-aids and waving things off. 

The manager who has been stretched too thin for over a year, the culture conversation continuously getting pushed for something more “urgent”, and the HR department of one expected to do everything well. None of it is malicious; move fast, stay scrappy, be resilient, we'll fix it later. 

Rub some dirt on it.

The Numbers Don’t Flinch

A recent report from Heidrick and Struggles (seems like a pun but isn’t) surveyed nearly 600 Chief People Officers and found that only 22% of CEOs and board members say their people function is operating at the level the business actually needs. 

Twenty-two percent is a pain that needs more than a band-aid. 

When I first meet a new client, they usually do not have a Chief People Officer. They have someone doing their best with limited resources, whack-a-mole priorities, and expectations that change every quarter. Play through it. This isn't a "big company" problem. The pattern happens at every stage. 

Waved back into the game. 

The cost of rubbing dirt on a people function isn't a line item. It doesn't show up clearly on a P&L. It shows up in other ways: surprise attrition, the six months to replace someone because the bench was empty, culture drift, the slow erosion that happens when people stop trusting that things will get better. It shows up in the hours spent managing what should have been prevented. In growth that stalls quietly because the people infrastructure can't keep up. In the leadership team's frustration when execution keeps breaking down and nobody can figure out why. 

The playbook doesn't feel like a crisis until it becomes one.

The Stakes Are Different Now

Rub some dirt on it worked on a youth sports field because the stakes were low. The stakes in business are a whole other level. The question isn't about running a different playbook; it’s whether the people function is keeping pace with where a company wants to go. 

Building toward something requires a people function built for the next version of the company, not the scraped knees, band-aid version from a couple years ago. The version that supports what the company is going to become. 

How to Treat the Injury

I'm not suggesting an immediate and complete overhaul. We’re treating an injury, not causing more. Start by asking the questions that keep getting avoided. 

Is our comp structure equitable and competitive? Do managers have what they need to lead their teams? Is the person running HR set up to succeed, or set up to survive? What are the signs we’ve been waving off?

A well-resourced people function removes drag and creates competitive advantage; people functions aren’t overhead. They are what makes growth sustainable. 

That's where HRnB comes in. Whether it's strategic partnership, HR upskilling, or executive coaching, engagements are flexible and customized to where the company is now and where it wants to go. The right partnership, scoped and priced for the moment. No massive budget required. No full-time hire necessary.

The playbook served its purpose but the field has changed. Coaches have good intentions. But some injuries don't heal on their own. The good news is, treating them doesn’t have to be complicated.