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Are you prepared for your next chapter?
About 20 years ago I was brought on as a consultant by the president of a moderate-sized manufacturing business. His name was Roger, and he wanted me to help him with his retirement plans. Before Roger set his exact retirement date he wanted to be sure that his son and the rest of his team could implement a smooth transition.
I asked Roger what he wanted help with. He replied, “I take a few weeks off every year to stay at my cabin up north. When I return to work, everything is in a crisis mode. As I am scrambling to get things back in control again, I begin to question the benefit of ever going away again. What I want is to come back to my plant with confidence that all will be in order. I want my return to be a pleasant experience that I look forward to.”
With that picture clearly in mind we got to work on building into the team all the skills and discipline needed to make the self-reliant team Roger was looking for. As you might guess, these areas included skills in emotional intelligence and clear communication wrapped in a blanket of trust and accountability.
About three years after we began, Roger and I were talking about the effectiveness of the training. He had just come back after a several week stay at his cabin and returned to a working environment that was relaxed and in control. No one came to Roger with a crisis. I was happy to hear this, but then I noticed Roger’s facial expression. He looked a little down. I asked him if something was wrong.
He said, “I know this is what I wanted, but I don’t feel as much a part of the group, and I am not as important.” We all love to feel important, don’t we? Roger lost some of that. I asked, “So even though this is what you wanted, you are going through a “grieving process?”
“Yes!” he said, “You hit the nail the head!”
What Roger and I both learned: If you want something that involves a change, consider what you are leaving behind, and let your mind prepare.