Navigating Transitions
Life is full of transitions. Sometimes they are small and expected,
sometimes they are overwhelming and take us by surprise.
It’s not about if
you’ll hit a transition, it’s about when
you will hit it and how you will navigate it.
We are passionate about helping people (and organizations) navigate through the often confusing stages of transition. Here are some of the basics and resources that we typically share and recommend.
The Three Stages of Transition
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Necessary Endings
Not all transitions are bad (moving, marriage, graduations, etc. are wonderful). Yet, all transitions involve change. The way we used to experience the world must shift. Some things must end (jobs, titles, relationships, daily routines, etc.)
For one person, an ending may be an event; for another, it may be a state of mind. The specifics are different for each of us. Endings are experiences of dying. Some are minor bumps along the way, others are ordeals that so challenge our basic sense of who we are that we believe they will be the end of us.
Note: The core ideas from these three stages come from William Bridges.
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The Messy (& Barren) Middle
Like a field laying fallow, or a cold winter, there is a necessary season between our endings and re-birth. It is the messy middle. We’re not where we were and we’re not where we’re going.
This season can be a seemingly unproductive time. But that’s the point. The neutral zone is meant to be a moratorium from the conventional activity of your everyday experience. It’s the space where our soul catches up to our reality. Our tendency is to try to push through the discomfort before the real work is done. -
New Beginnings
Genuine beginnings depend upon inner realignment rather than on external shifts. They are when we are (re)aligned with our deep longings and clear purpose. This is when motivation, enthusiasm, vision, and energy return.
However, it is important to resist the belief that every step forward is the right path and that it will be without resistance. Rather, the new beginnings stage is when we begin to see new opportunities emerge and sense connection with our values and hopes. When hope and oppportunity start to intersect again.
“Mark was a stabilizing force and source of tremendous wisdom as he
gently guided me through a significant season of turmoil and transition.”
-Sr. Global Leader
Organizations and Teams Experience Transition As Well
We wrote a series of articles for the Instigate magazine discussing how to successfully navigate transitions
withing organizations
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A C-Change: Navigating Organizational Transitions
It is reported that nearly 50% of newly transitioned leaders fail within the first eighteen months of a change, costing organizations between eight to twenty-three times the annual salary of the transitioning leader. What are we to do? Are we all doomed to shipwreck, or are there those who have successfully navigated these turbulent tides?
The good news is there are organizations who go from strength to strength; organizations that are able to weather the storm and find safe harbor. Those that do, see 90% of their teams achieving three year performance goals and experiencing lower than average staff turnover.
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Navigating the Transition Zone Without Getting Disqualified
The 4x100 relay race is one of the most exciting events during the summer Olympics; it is also the one most fraught with peril. In 2008, neither the US men’s or women's teams made it to the finals. Both had been considered serious favorites for Gold, but were disqualified due to failed hand-offs. Everything must be precisely choreographed for success.
While perhaps not working within parameters that tight, organizational hand-offs are just as technical. We need to ensure that the incoming leader is set up for success. Ministry operations need to continue to meet the needs of our community without glitches or setbacks. Donors are watching to see how the new team will perform and determine if they should continue to invest. Transitions are high-stakes with a lot of moving parts and areas that can go wrong. The good news is that intentional focus and investment on a holistic transition process can help us achieve outcomes and win.
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How to Keep Teams From Getting Lost in Transition
If there’s a leader in transition, there’s a team in transition. Here’s how to keep the team focused and engaged.
When executive leaders are in transition, their teams are in transition. As the organization’s attention shifts to who is leaving and who is coming, what often goes unnoticed is the team being directly impacted. The leadership team and their staff regularly bear the brunt of the change. Yet, rarely is there an intentional investment into this team to support them through the transition. Instead, there is frequently a ripple effect of confusion and angst that cascades throughout the organization. If not intentionally managed, this discomfort settles into the culture and could impact performance for a long time.
When not managed, there is a significant staff cost in terms of productivity, morale, trust, and performance
Additional Reading
Transitions
by William Bridges
Necessary Endings
by Henry Cloud
Hinge Moments
by D. Michael Lindsay
Life is in the Transitions
by Bruce Feiler
Ripple Services
Let us walk the transition journey with you
Personal Coaching
Have a professional coach guide you through your transition journey while focusing on your identity, purpose, and story
Board Consulting
Have an experienced guide walk you through all the pieces to ensure you honor the past while building towards a strong future
Team Development
Team performance dips significantly in times of transition but it does not have to, we can help move from strength to strength
