Living things – relationships, teams, groups, organizations, communities – evolve in cycles. Norms and values get established in the beginning. Trust matures from that foundation. The resulting connection creates a platform for growth. The team adapts to the change it has created. The next cycle begins with refreshed norms, deeper trust, more innovative expansion, and another recalibration.
Consider the triggers of a reboot.
- Leadership change
- Merger/acquisition
- Accomplished goal
- Relocation
- Promotion/demotion
- Innovation opportunity
- Business growth
- Workforce reduction
- Retirement
Each of these events ends one season and begins another. The end of each cycle signals the team to mourn what’s been lost, take stock in what’s been gained, and embrace the new circumstances. Like a night’s sleep or a winter’s dormancy, the transition to the next phase requires energy to be restored to the system before it can be invested in a fresh stage of growth.
Teachers and professional athletes always seem to return from their breaks in an optimistic state of mind. They’ve processed the lessons from the previous season and are excited for new possibilities. Most importantly, they’ve embraced the gift of beginning anew.
