I Read the 2026 Gartner Report So You Don't Have To
They say "Routinize Change." I say "Stop spamming my managers." Here is the translation.
It is prediction season.
This is the time of year when analyst firms release massive, glossy PDFs full of stock photos of people pointing at whiteboards. They use words like “Synergy,” “Paradigm,” and “Hyper-Automation.”
I read the Gartner Top Priorities for HR Leaders in 2026 report this morning. It is smart. It is well-researched.
But if you are a practitioner actually trying to configure a business process in Workday, it reads like science fiction.
In the Department of First Things First, my job is translation. I take the “Analyst Speak” from 30,000 feet and land it on the runway of your actual job.
Here is what Gartner thinks you should do in 2026, and what that actually means for your tech portfolio.
The Department Translation Guide
Gartner Says: “Harness AI to Revolutionize HR”
Translation: They want you to build an “HR Innovation Command Center.” (Yes, really).
The Fix: Before you build a “Command Center,” audit your Knowledge Base. If your policy docs are outdated, your shiny new AI will just hallucinate wrong answers faster. Fix the content, then buy the bot.
Gartner Says: “Shape Work in the Human-Machine Era”
Translation: You need a “Now-Next” Talent Strategy because you’ll have more bots and contractors than FTEs soon.
The Fix: Fix your Contingent Worker business process. If it takes 4 weeks to onboard a contractor, you aren’t ready for the “Human-Machine Era”; you’re barely ready for 2015.
Gartner Says: “Mobilize Leaders for Growth”
Translation: Leaders need to “Routinize Change” because everyone is burned out from “inspiring” it.
The Fix: Implement a “One In, One Out” rule. You cannot launch a new recognition platform until you decommission the old one. Stop adding noise to the manager dashboard.
Gartner Says: “Address Culture Atrophy”
Translation: Nobody feels connected because we turned every interaction into a ticket.
The Fix: Count the clicks. If it takes 14 clicks to give a peer “Kudos” in your system, nobody is going to do it. Simplify the UI.
The Deep Dive: “Routinizing” Change
The most interesting phrase in the 2026 report is “Routinize Change.”
Gartner argues that we need to stop treating Change Management as a special event (with balloons and launch parties) and start treating it like a muscle we use every day.
I actually agree with this. But I would frame it differently.
We need to stop “Selling” the change and start “Designing” it.
If you have to send 50 emails to convince managers to use a new tool, the tool is the problem. You don’t need a Change Management campaign for Netflix. You don’t need a User Guide for Spotify. You just use it because it works.
If you want to “routinize change” in 2026, stop hiring Change Champions to cheerlead for bad software. Hire UX Designers to fix the screens so the change feels invisible.
The Kitchen Table Reality
I tried to apply Gartner’s concept of “Routinizing Change” to my 11-year-old, Justin.
Justin hates the “Change” of going from School Mode to Homework Mode. It is a daily battle of friction, resistance, and negotiation.
The Analyst Approach: I tried to “Inspire” the change. I gave a speech about the value of education. I offered incentives (Free 3D printing PLA filament). Result: Failure. High resistance.
The “Routinizing” Approach:
I changed the environment.
The Trigger: When he walks in the door, the iPad goes in a physical basket (The “One In, One Out” rule).
The Default: The homework snacks are already on the table.
The Routine: He doesn’t have to decide to start homework. The environment makes it the only logical next step.
He didn’t notice the change management. He just ate the snacks and did the math.
The Takeaway
Read the report if you want to sound smart in a board meeting.
(You can find it here: Gartner Top Priorities 2026).
But if you want to actually survive 2026, don’t worry about “Command Centers.”
Just fix the Contingent Worker process, clean your Knowledge Base, and put the iPad in the basket.
— Mike
Director HR Tech | Chief Translation Officer
P.S. Gartner did not mention “3D Printer Nozzle Clogs” as a top priority for 2026, which I feel is a significant oversight in their methodology.