Leading Through the Unknown: My HR Journey in the Pandemic’s Liminal Space
When I look back on the early days of COVID-19, one word captures the experience best: liminal.
Liminality means standing in the threshold — caught between what was and what will be, but not fully grounded in either. We often think of it in personal transitions like a new job, a divorce, or a move. But in March 2020, the whole world entered a liminal space together.
For me, as the head of HR, it was unlike anything I had ever experienced.
The Weight of Responsibility in an Unprecedented Time
It started suddenly. One day we were working in bustling offices, and the next, staff were sent home to work remotely. Information about the virus was scarce and often contradictory. Scientists themselves were still learning.
And yet, my job was to make sense of it for others. To answer questions I didn’t fully know the answers to. To keep people safe when the rules seemed to change daily.
I would stay up late piecing together whatever guidance I could find — masks, distancing, sanitizing, shifting policies — trying to put it into a clear, calm message for the team. My goal was to reduce panic, but inside I often felt it myself.
Walking back through the office after those first weeks, the silence was eerie. Empty chairs, empty desks, the absence of laughter and conversation. That physical emptiness mirrored the uncertainty I felt inside.
The responsibility was heavy. And at times, isolating.
I often think now about how powerful it would have been to have a coach in those moments — someone to help me process the weight, sort through uncertainty, and find clarity in the fog. Instead, I carried much of it alone.
What I Learned About Liminal Spaces
At first, there was no sense of growth. Only panic. But slowly, something shifted.
I realized the staff didn’t expect me to have all the answers. What mattered most was presence. Transparency. Doing the best we could with the information available, and adjusting together as new realities emerged.
Over time, as vaccines arrived and we began to imagine a “new normal,” I saw that liminal spaces are more than just frightening transitions. They can also be places of resilience and clarity. Places where we learn how to carry weight we never thought possible.
Why This Matters Beyond the Pandemic
COVID-19 was a global liminal space, but these moments are not limited to pandemics.
A career change.
A layoff or unexpected job loss.
A major life event like marriage, parenting, or loss.
Even subtle shifts, like a team restructuring or moving into leadership for the first time.
All of these can feel disorienting, anxiety-provoking, and uncertain.
The temptation is always to rush through, to get back to the safety of “normal.” But growth comes from learning how to live inside the liminal space — to pause, reflect, and move through it with intention.
Coaching as a Guide Through the Threshold
That’s why coaching matters.
I often wonder how different those early pandemic days would have felt if I’d had a coach alongside me — someone to help me carry the weight, make sense of what I was experiencing, and remind me I didn’t have to figure it all out alone.
Now, as a coach myself, that’s what I offer others. I walk with them through their liminal spaces — whether career transitions, personal turning points, or unexpected upheavals. My role isn’t to hand over answers but to help them find clarity, confidence, and growth in the in-between.
Closing Invitation
If you find yourself in a liminal space right now — unsure of the next step but knowing the old way is gone — you don’t have to navigate it alone.
The pandemic taught me that liminality is both unsettling and transformative. It’s not easy, but it’s where true growth happens.
And sometimes, having a coach by your side makes all the difference.
👉 Want to dive deeper? Book some time with me.