Steve Ritter

Change is coming. Always and forever. We don’t know what it will be. We never do, even though we often predict the future with some accuracy. Sometimes the change matches up with what we expect. Many times, it doesn’t. There’s a twist or a turn that is sparked by part of the equation that was in our blind spot or outside of our control. Either way, we have to cope.

The normal, healthy desire to try something new happens at predictable life stages. The most obvious are at the beginning and end of the career path when we’re either exploring or re-prioritizing. The threshold of midlife, however, isn’t driven by exploration or a shift in priorities. It’s more fueled by growth.

We tend to stumble over the same obstacles over and over again. Each stumble has its own features but is likely to follow a pattern unique to us. Maybe it’s the consequences of being chronically late or perhaps the impact of being obsessively on time. Maybe it’s the result of craving order when times are chaotic or perhaps what follows when your pile of clutter grows out of control. Whatever your private theme happens to be, the realization that it repeats offers you an opportunity for growth.

In an ideal world, succession is planful. You take the time to anticipate the next stage of growth and design a strategy that meets the needs of that group. Not everything goes according to plan, so you wisely build in contingencies and prepare to pivot on short notice. However it plays out, it is understood that transitions are triggered by endings.

Whenever a relationship or a team navigates a transition, an opportunity to reset direction opens up. Unfortunately, the depletion that occurs while coping with the change leaves most of us blinded to the benefit. We’re too busy licking our wounds. But if we had a crystal ball, it would foretell the future and remind us that strength arises from adversity. More importantly, it would remind us that there is always a fleeting window of time to reshape our circumstances to our liking.

As much as we’d like to hit the ‘pause’ button every once in a while, change is always in play. You can plan a transition or wait for a change to happen to you. You can steer the direction or react to shifts in the ecosystem. These days, long-term strategic planning becomes obsolete before the ink is dry. More and more, teams are opting for short-cycle methods of keeping pace with the evolution of their industry. Consider this three-step process for managing constant change.

Midnight and noon both occur at 12:00. One is dark and the other is light. The Team Clock model sees the 12:00 moment as a liminal transition. When a relationship, team, or organization successfully navigates a period of change, they get to move from a state of depletion to a burst of energy. So, why is it so hard to break through? Why are so many teams willing to endure the pain of feeling stuck when the freedom of new circumstances offers relief? Often, the answer is fear.

Everything cycles. Depending on where your team is in the cycle, you might be reestablishing your foundation, building trust, preparing to innovate, or navigating change. What matters is where you are in the cycle. Reestablishing foundation requires clarity of goals. Building trust requires psychological safety. Innovation requires risk taking. Navigating change requires resilience. Wherever you are in the cycle, you’re always in the process of renewal.

It turns out that ‘retirement’ is not a moment for some of us. My 47-year career will enter its 48th year as I anticipate my 70th birthday and my first Social Security check. As these milestones occur, I’m nowhere near finishing anything professionally. In fact, I’m just getting started on a few new creative projects.

It’s graduation season. Families and friends are celebrating preschoolers, grade schoolers, middle schoolers, high schoolers, and higher-ed schoolers as they cross the threshold of transition. Growth is measured and change is anticipated. Snapshots get taken and savored.

Knowing what to do is easy. Executing is hard. Insight activates different competencies than action. The analysis phase of problem solving is fun. Brainstorm alternatives. Weigh pros and cons. Eventually, though, you have to act on an option. Here’s where things get dicey. Taking action means being responsible for the consequences of that decision. Most often, this stage requires a tolerance for change.

For most of us, learning happens every day. Most often, lessons arise from experiences rather than formal teacher-student alliances. Focused attention to the environment always illuminates or validates. When we build a connection with our surroundings, new pathways to growth open up. The same is true for formal pedagogy. It is the connection between student and teacher that becomes the ecosystem for exploration and discovery.

During turbulence, the flight attendant’s role is to portray calm. Even if they are freaking out, their job is to stay poised under stress. Airline passengers watch them carefully because, if they appear concerned, it’s time to pull down the O2 masks. With great power comes great responsibility (Voltaire 1784/Spiderman 2002). Whether asserted 240 or 22 years ago, the message is the same: If you are in a position of leadership, grow up.

Parents, teachers, mentors, and consultants live life on the fragile surface of a pedestal. It’s only a matter of time before they become human in the eyes of their children, students, followers, and clients. In the beginning of the relationship, their wisdom seems out of reach. Eventually, the gap narrows.