I used to work with a group of business psychologists in London. Some of the companies they work with they can't help but some are starting to live & breath their philosophy. The trick is that it has to spread throughout everyone at the company, not just the managers. Imagine a company with workers in each area with as much committment and belief, energy and enthusiasm, vibrance and life, eagerness to help, eagerness to work together as the founders did at startup. Imagine how much work would get get done with everyone in the company fully hearing each other - fully understanding their team members and the benefits they bring - as well as their weaknesses and figuring out the best way to work together to get the best out of everyone. Imagine each member of staff helping each other turn their weaknesses into strengths and their strengths into beacons of example set to others for how to behave and most importantly perform. :)
This is how I see HR - it's not a department, it's the creation of a culture of teamwork from within the company. It's coaching individuals and listening to their frustrations and helping them see how to overcome them. Helping them see how to overcome them. Most people don't see the simplicity of life. Try for one day holding the eye contact of everyone you talk to for the entire time you talk to them and really see the world. Try it for a month and you'll really see what I mean. HR should be about teaching that passion in your work helps you have passion in other areas of your life. With good HR you should never need disciplinary hearings because the work community is so strong that bad behaviour is simply not accepted by your peers. Don't attack people for mistakes - they should be accepted and dealt with by implementing systems in the process to mitigate or eliminate the chance of the mistakes happening again. If mistakes are made it's your processes fault not your peoples. Remember that process is just there to help, if it's wrong it's wrong - change it, improve it - you're building a company and evolution is natural.
Don't forget that others may not see the world the way you see it yet - help them step back and really see the world around them and their part in it. When people really understand their position in the team it helps them evolve to fit their best position in the team. Root out politics as soon as you see it - it has no place in a healthy team (your company is a team!) but listen to people if they think they would be better suited elsewhere, tell them any thoughts you have on it and anything you've already done and then agree a plan which will ultimately fix your shared concern (the plan doesn't have to be the original plan they thought of). Work and breathe the message that the team result is what matters - departments exist only to ease administration, you are still all part of the same team. With everyone looking each other in the eye, understanding their team mates, understanding where your company's idea is headed productivity should go through the roof.
Relax. Mentally sit back and breathe. Look out at the world around you and really see your team mates. Teach them how to do the same thing.