Blog

Dreams are Free

After switching jobs just a few short months ago, I was fortunate to become part of my first women’s Mastermind group.  If you aren’t familiar with Mastermind groups, there are lots of varieties out there but basically, it’s a peer-to-peer mentoring group where members offer support, feedback, ideas and advice to help one another address and resolve personal and/or professional challenges.  Some groups gather informally, but most are a bit more structured to offer strategic support and specific resources to each member of the group as they manage major life and work decisions that impact their professional lives.  I was invited to join a group that had already been meeting regularly for a few years and was looking to add new members.  At first, I was hesitant to join, wondering if I’d be accepted into this group whose members already knew each other so well and if I really had the time and energy to attend monthly in-person sessions and offer meaningful support to people I didn’t even know.  I mean, I was already feeling overwhelmed and less than adequate at providing enough connection and support to my family, friends and colleagues whom I know and love!

Fast forward to COVID-19 and this new-found group of amazing women (all masterminds in their own right!) has given me a lifeline in an otherwise sleepless, over-worked, anxiety-filled world!  Our monthly meetings are now held virtually and due to the nature of a crisis, we’ve all bonded rather quickly even though we aren’t actually meeting in person for the foreseeable future.  Every meeting brings me new insights and a truly authentic sense of support knowing that this circle of women has my back as I confront learning how to home-school my children in a home office setting, take care of my older parents from afar, and still juggle a ton of new workplace challenges.

In our last session, the group members were discussing our jobs and whether it was better to stay focused on keeping our businesses afloat by limiting spending, taking care of current clients and just getting through the day or if it was more helpful to expand beyond the current crisis and start thinking bigger about our next new project idea, how to grow our business or how to take our work to the next level.  First instinct might be to hunker down, narrow focus and just stay the course.  And, that’s not a bad idea.  In fact, lots of advice out there right now will tell you to control what you can and not worry about what you can’t because many of us are in basic survival mode at this point.  So, it’s not a bad idea…but is it the best idea right now?

Survival mode is certainly where I’ve been parked for these past several weeks – just trying to get through each day and hope that things return to “normal” soon.  But one of the fabulous women in my Mastermind group said something that really changed my perspective in our session that day.  She was imagining what she might do if we weren’t in the middle of the current pandemic and she listed something on her bucket list that she’s always wanted to do to shift her career in another direction.  When she was done telling us, with a slow smile on her face, she said, “Dreams are free so why shouldn’t I say my idea out loud to you all?”  I’d never really heard anyone use that phrase before – “Dreams are free.”  And she’s right.  Dreams don’t cost anything.  You don’t have to consider the budget restrictions.  You don’t have to find the time.  You don’t need to do the data analysis.  You don’t have to get anyone’s approval.  You certainly don’t need to check with procurement, or Human Resources or the Board.  Yup – your dreams are free.  They are free for you to imagine what could be, what might be, what would bring you true joy, comfort, and happiness.

So, I’m asking all of us to take a moment to forget the limitations we have right now, to set aside your fears for tomorrow, if only for a moment, and dream.  Dream big!  This is especially true for leaders in any organization who are trying to keep their businesses afloat, keep their customers happy and keep putting one foot in front of the other.  In times of uncertainty and change, leaders are always balancing managing their response vs. leading through crisis.  In my case, remembering that “dreams are free” is about letting my mind imagine the best version of my business, envisioning the projects that would really motivate and inspire me, and dreaming of what’s possible, not just what’s doable right now.  If we don’t let ourselves imagine the best possible future – what we want to manifest coming out of the current crisis – then how can we expect anything better for ourselves and our employees?

Tara B Taylor, MPA
Managing Director

Purpose Driven Communication

A friend of mine recently told me that after the last several weeks of COVID-19 related stress and anxiety, she started using a new model to help her navigate her weekly goals and her daily attitude.  At the start of each week she now spends a few minutes dot journaling what she wants to minimize and what she wants to maximize that week.  Essentially, asking herself what do I want more of and what do I want less of?  Seems simple right?  Well, it is…but it isn’t.

Lately, it’s been especially hard for many of us to set aside our uncertainties and anxieties and meet the shifting challenges of remote work, home schooling, family responsibilities, and a lack of our traditional social and/or emotional connections.  Even if you are a leader in your organization, some days it can be tough to get up and get dressed (I mean, we’re all wearing more yoga pants nowadays, anyway!) much less think about how to best support your employees, teams and colleagues in the workplace.  However, NOW is exactly the right time to put some thought into the best ways to support and engage your workforce.  As much as any time in recent history, NOW is the time to minimize the unnecessary and maximize what’s truly necessary.

As I work more and more with remote teams and conduct virtual training sessions, I’m reminded of the trap we can fall into – believing that communication is a one size fits all tool.  Communication, when it’s done well and with intention, can save us loads of wasted time and energy.  When it’s done poorly, with no clear purpose or understanding of those we are communicating with, it can cause more conflict and confusion than we ever bargained for!

If you are in the midst of adapting to your own new remote work environment, helping shift your team to a virtual workplace, or even pivoting your business plans for what the future will hold in this brave new  world, consider some of these best practice tips to ensure that you are using clear, purpose-driven communication to minimize what’s not needed and maximize what is.

• Remember different strokes for different folks. Face-to-face and virtual communication is often best for building connection and rapport among co-workers and teams but, the benefits start to diminish the higher the number of participants goes.  Virtual team meetings can be great but, don’t forget that many employees need a one-on-one conversation to feel valued, to feel heard and to have a chance to share what they may not be comfortable sharing aloud in an online all-hands staff meeting.  Whenever possible, take the time each week to check in individually with your team members and you may be surprised how much it matters to them and how much you learn!

• Be transparent. Share whatever information you can and share it early and often. Even if everyone on the team is comfortable with their new remote set-up, it can be hard to know who is getting what information and when.  The last thing you want is for your team to start wondering why certain people aren’t getting the same access to information as others.  This is also a great time to check in with your own biases.  Are you communicating clearly with everyone on the team?  Are you favoring certain voices over others in virtual meetings?  Does everyone know about and have the same opportunity to be heard?  Does everyone know how to ask for help and do they feel they can ask without fear of reprisal?  One simple way to counteract the perception of bias (or actual bias) is to make sure to share the “why” behind decisions that are being made.  Helping people understand why something is being done or being changed can limit the chance that they will jump to their own incorrect assumptions about your motivations.

• Visual feedback is more compelling. Whenever possible, offer visual feedback to your team.  Some examples might include:  Showing data in a chart or graph, allowing employees to make comments during meetings using the “chat” function on your virtual platform, asking team members to share pictures of something in their home office that makes them smile, offering pictures of what kind of attire is required or expected for work-from-home remote meetings so everyone can prepare and know what is appropriate for your organization.  *Special note – be sure everyone in the meeting has the ability to view the visual content that is shared.  You can ask you attendees ahead of time if they have any visual accommodation requests to ensure that you prepare and provide your attendees appropriate access to information in the format that best suits them.

• According to a Harvard Business Review research article, Energy, Engagement & Exploration are the three key elements of effective team communication. Think about who brings the energy to your team.  This person, or these people, are your allies!  Cultivate that talent and ask for their input.  You could invite them to kick off your weekly meetings or close the meetings out with an energetic positive message for the whole team.  You might ask them to help you create a Slack or Teams channel specifically for sharing positive messages and kudos for team members throughout the week.  Whatever you do – let that person or group of people know that they are important to the success of the team and empower them to keep the energy up for all of you!

Engagement is all about how the energy is distributed among your team members and how they connect with one another.  If just a few people are talking and connecting, then your team won’t be nearly as effective as it would be if all members’ talents are engaged and valued.  Find ways to encourage employees to connect individually across departments and/or outside of normal meeting times; enlist team members to take turns facilitating meetings or planning virtual events; and remember to switch up who you call on to answer questions or share ideas.  Lastly, high performing teams encourage exploration outside their own group.  They intentionally seek out voices and opinions from other divisions, other offices, and other leaders to explore new and creative ways to tackle today’s problems. Think about how you can support these external connections for your employees or who you might want to invite in to share their insights with your team.

Regardless of how many more weeks or months we continue to social distance (and disinfect our groceries and packages), “normal” work life will be forever changed from this global experience.  My hope is that we take the time now to practice minimizing our disconnection and disengagement from one another and find new and exciting ways to maximize purposeful communication and connection. Here’s to returning to even better workplaces for all of us!

Tara B Taylor, MPA
Managing Director

Short-term Coaching

“In a crisis, we need short-term goals that are meaningful and motivating and appropriate for the situation at hand.”

Whether you want to improve your leadership or management skills, your performance, or your relationships with co-workers or friends, coaching has become more prevalent in recent years and may have been something you considered. Often a coaching relationship extends over months, especially if you want to gain and sustain new skills or behaviors, but short-term coaching has a more immediate pay-off and helps you to tackle immediate challenges – ones that are a result of events or circumstances that you didn’t even see coming.

What do I mean by short term coaching? Well it’s not really about the number of sessions, though they would likely be fewer and shorter than for other types of coaching (maybe even as few as one 30-minute session), but they will all be laser focused on what you need now. For example, you can:

• Clear away confusion or uncertainty and set your sights on the future;
• Sort out what is most relevant to focus on right now; and
• Design a course of action that will guide you through the chaos and toward your future goals.

According to researchers in positive psychology, goal setting, planning and support while you put new things into place, increases the hopeful belief that you can adapt to the changes you’re facing and move forward with confidence.

For tips on navigating the unexpected, take a look at this blog on psychological capital – https://instituteofcoaching.org/resources/what-you-need-crisis-psychological-capital.

Dianne Lipsey
President

Emotions at Work

The article, “The Fear of Feelings at Work” originally published in The Atlantic, highlights why it is important to acknowledge the existence of emotions in the workplace.  Now, in 2020, amidst a global pandemic that suddenly and unexpectedly changed our lives and workplaces forever, it is even more critical that we understand the power of our emotions and how they show up at work.

Emotions are often misunderstood and ignored, inspired by two common myths.  The first myth is that some people do not have emotions.  A perfect example of how this myth shows up was voiced by one of our leadership development training participants, who declared in a session, “My husband is a Marine. He doesn’t have emotions.”  The truth is that everyone has emotions, including Marines. The observable difference is in the way we each express our emotions.  The second myth is that emotions can be turned off and on like a light switch, and therefore cast aside once work begins.  This is simply not true.  Emotions are part of each of us and go wherever we go. You are always under the influence of your emotions whether at home or at work, and the myth is even less accurate now since, for many employees, their homes are also their place of work.

Susan David, Harvard psychologist and author of Emotional Agility, suggests that workplaces often require the suppression of emotions with harmful results.  Suppression is a form of emotional labor, or the act of regulating and managing the expression of emotions to comply with organizational or social norms.  Some examples are an employee working in customer service who displays a happy persona even when they feel annoyed or disrespected by a customer.  Or an employee who goes along with a decision to show support for their team even though the decision makes them personally uncomfortable. Emotional labor creates dissonance between employees’ feelings and behavior.  They feel one way yet act another.  Over time, this dissonance can create a psychological toll, leaving employees burned out, and possibly lead to more severe effects, like depression.

As we all find ourselves traversing a new reality brought on by COVID-19, it is important to recognize that employees are now performing even more emotional labor than before.  Employees might be showing up to a virtual meeting with a smile while simultaneously experiencing a mix of uncertainty about their job security and financial stability, concern for the health and safety of themselves and others, awkwardness and disorientation as they attempt to adapt to new technology and ways of working, exhaustion by the blurring of work and home life, boredom from the lack of stimulating activity, disconnection from friends and family, and pressure to maintain productivity while simultaneously fulfilling their duties as employee, spouse, partner, parent, neighbor, and/or teacher.

Effectively integrating emotions into the workplace is not simply a matter of mitigating risk to personal well-being.  Emotions are amazingly useful because they give you critical information about what is important to you.  If your manager interrupts you in a meeting and you genuinely do not care, you will not have a strong emotional response.  But if you do experience a strong emotional response, then it suggests that the interaction held significant meaning for you. Perhaps your emotional response is a signal that your relationship with your manager is not as strong as you would like it to be.

In her book How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, Lisa Feldman Barrett describes “emotional granularity”, the ability to precisely categorize the range of emotions experienced in any given situation.  Being interrupted by your manager during a meeting might make you feel annoyed, but if you dig a little deeper you may also recognize feeling undermined, disrespected, or embarrassed.  On the flip side, maybe you do not like being the center of attention and instead feel relieved that your manager shifted attention away from you.

If you can identify your own emotions at a more granular level, you will be presented with more behavioral choices.  When your manager cuts you off, you can sulk because you are annoyed, or you can remain silent because you are grateful to no longer be in the spotlight. This expansion of choice is why it is important to encourage employees to explore the complexity of their emotional landscapes.  If an employee decides to leave a virtual meeting by announcing that they feel depleted rather than simply leaving the session with no explanation, the team can decide how to best support that employee so they can show up to the next meeting rejuvenated.  Otherwise, if the emotion goes unobserved and unexpressed, the team might continue to pile work on without any awareness of the impact of that decision.

Organization and team leaders can expand behavioral choice for their employees by simply providing them an opportunity to name their emotions.  A one or two-word check-in asking employees how they feel can be a useful way to start or end a meeting, or test how employees are processing a difficult change or decision.  Leaders can, and should, model this by naming and sharing their own emotions.  When leaders share their own emotions, it encourages others to do the same, and demonstrates to employees that it is acceptable for them to do so as well.

Another way to encourage employees to share their emotions and show support for their emotional experience is to name the emotions you observe employees expressing.  Avoid relying on generalities by saying something like, “You’re all probably going through a lot right now.”  Instead say something specific that demonstrates your genuine attempt to understand your employees’ emotional experience, such as, “I can see that everyone is feeling overwhelmed by the workload,” or “I’m sensing that some people are feeling uncomfortable with this decision.”  You can take it one step further to demonstrate that you care about your employees by doing something to shift their emotional experience.  If they feel overwhelmed by the workload, do something to ease the workload and/or ask how you can provide support.  If they feel uncomfortable about a decision, take the time to listen to their concerns and use their feedback to guide future decisions.

In a few short weeks, COVID-19 transformed how work gets done.  While we all try to adapt, make sure to create space to explore emotions.  Try to identify a wide range of emotions that are showing up in your work and let the discovery of more nuanced emotions create new options for moving forward.

Rick Buccheri
Director of Programs

In-person to Virtual Training: A Case Study at TSA

Before the outbreak of COVID-19, our team at ADR Vantage was regularly traveling across the country to support teams, facilitate dialogues, resolve conflict, and provide training. As self-quarantining was just beginning, two members of our team, Tara Taylor and Rick Buccheri were preparing to deliver training for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at airports in Florida and New Mexico. By the time stay-in-place orders were enacted, all travel had been halted, leaving everyone unsure of how to continue to support employees from afar. To their credit, TSA immediately shifted to working with us to provide this training in a virtual environment.

This month, Tara and Rick, with the support of TSA’s Communications Solutions Specialists and local airport leaders, delivered several interactive training sessions to help supervisors effectively provide performance feedback and navigate difficult conversations with their employees. TSA did an amazing job by preparing employees prior to each session, developing printable instructions and handouts, and building in additional time to help employees log in and navigate the virtual environment. Tara and Rick kept the session lively and created multiple activities for the employees to engage with the training content and with each other. Employees asked questions in real-time, practiced with role-play scenarios, and participated in facilitated discussions. TSA leadership was extremely pleased with the training saying, “making classroom content engaging and relevant in a virtual environment is a huge accomplishment.”

Being able to quickly adapt training that was originally designed for in-person delivery to a virtual platform is crucial for many organizations right now. Although stay-in-place orders will eventually be lifted, virtual training is likely to be used more than ever when we return to whatever the “new normal” is. Virtual trainings help employees stay connected while learning critical new skills that they need on the job whether they are stationed at an airport, at an office, or at home.

Contact ADR Vantage today to learn more about how to convert your in-person training catalog into a suite of virtual learning programs.

Virtual Mediation Resources Library

Here at ADR Vantage, we are compiling resources that we have found helpful for customizing our approach to conducting effective virtual mediations.  Please find links below. We will be updating this periodically.

1. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/insight-effective-virtual-mediation-during-the-coronavirus-crisis.  Written primarily for attorneys about preparing and supporting their clients in mediation with some useful points for mediators to consider in planning for or coordinating with the representatives.
2. https://edwardsmediationacademy.com/virtual-mediation/.  A thoughtful article that discusses the preparations and considerations one might adopt at every stage in mediation.
3. https://www.mediate.com/articles/online-mediating-zoom.cfm.  An accessible breakdown of how to prepare for and use the video-conferencing platforms, may be especially valuable for people new to video conferencing.
4. http://www.vacourts.gov/courtadmin/aoc/djs/programs/drs/mediation/resources/mediating_online.pdf  Mediating online tips and tricks flyer created by Dispute Resolution Services for ADR practitioners. Copyright DRS-OES Supreme Court of Virginia.

Virtual Mediations and Confidentiality

Confidentiality is a foundational element of mediation and essential in creating a trusted space to have open dialogue. Our mediators start every mediation with a review and signing of an Agreement to Mediate. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen significantly more use of virtual mediations (telephonic and video) and observed that it’s sometimes harder for parties to secure a private space. So we took a fresh look at our Agreement to Mediate and updated our confidentiality provisions. Below is the full text with our new language in bold.

AGREEMENT TO MEDIATE

Mediation is a privileged and confidential process. All parties and representatives whose signatures appear below agree to enter into mediation with the intent of reaching a mutually agreeable resolution of the dispute and that the proceedings involved in and information disclosed in preparation for and during the mediation are confidential.

Confidentiality extends to and includes any statements made or documents prepared by any party, representative, Mediator, or other participant. Any documents submitted to the Mediator or statements made during the mediation are for settlement purposes only and are not subject to discovery. The undersigned agree that they will not record, transcribe or voluntarily disclose any confidential information, nor will they seek disclosure of confidential information in any subsequent proceeding, and to be bound by this agreement regardless of the outcome of this mediation.  For mediations conducted remotely, the parties acknowledge that the undersigned includes all persons present for any part of the mediation, whether in person, by phone or online. They agree to announce to the mediator and other party(ies) if a person, who had not signed the agreement, joins their room or connection.

Confidentiality extends to and includes any statements made or documents prepared by any party, representative, Mediator, or other participant. Any documents submitted to the Mediator or statements made during the mediation are for settlement purposes only and are not subject to discovery. The undersigned agree that they will not voluntarily disclose any confidential information, nor seek disclosure of confidential information in any subsequent proceeding, and to be bound by this agreement regardless of the outcome of this mediation.

The Mediator will facilitate the discussions and negotiations toward settlement. The Mediator has no authority to decide the case and will not give advice or act as an advocate or attorney for any party. In no event will a Mediator voluntarily disclose confidential information or testify on behalf of a party regarding confidential information or submit any type of report on the substance of the mediation. All parties and representatives agree not to subpoena the Mediator, or any documents submitted to or generated by the Mediator.

All parties understand that the mediation process requires good faith efforts to be successful. They agree to pursue settlement of their dispute through the mediation process in good faith and use their best efforts to achieve resolution. While the parties intend to continue with mediation until a resolution is reached, it is understood that either or both parties may withdraw from mediation at any time. Prior to withdrawing from mediation, the parties and the Mediator agree to discuss the reason for withdrawing from mediation. No party shall be bound by anything said or done at the mediation unless a written settlement is prepared and signed by all necessary parties.

If agreement is reached, the Mediator(s) will ensure the preparation of a settlement agreement.  Once signed and approved by all parties, it will be binding on all parties to the agreement.

All program personnel and case coordinators from ADR Vantage are bound by confidentiality and will not disclose the substance of the mediation, except for information revealed to staff solely for purposes of program management and assessment. All documents provided to the Mediator will be destroyed after the conclusion of the mediation unless otherwise instructed by the parties as a condition in the signed agreement.

All parties and representatives have read, understand, and agree to the provisions in this agreement.

[Signatures of all parties]

Brain Breaks for Virtual Meetings and Trainings

There’s a reason why the popular TED Talks format is limited to no more than 18 minutes. With backing from real-world research and the field of neuroscience, TED curator Chris Anderson explains that the organization decided on the 18-minute format because “it is long enough to be serious and short enough to hold people’s attention.” This approach closely matches up with the long-time standard of keeping adult learning cycles to no more than 20 minutes.

That means, if you are hosting a meeting or training that’s longer than 18-20 minutes, you’ll need to find ways to keep your audience engaged. It will require changing up the learning activities at regular intervals and allowing time and space for actual bio-breaks (restrooms and coffee refills) as well as the occasional “brain break”. In this time of COVID-19 mitigation, many of us are having to switch our day-to-day business operations to include multiple conference calls and virtual meetings as well as keep our operations running smoothly with employee onboarding, training sessions and team meetings. All of which can last a lot longer than any of us have the attention for!

Some of our other ADR Vantage posts will be offering tips for virtual audience engagement but right now, let’s consider this idea of brain breaks. Brain breaks are opportunities to re-set the attention span clock and re-focus your audience. During these breaks, the brain moves away from learning and problem-solving and is able to refresh, see new perspectives, incubate ideas and even come up with new solutions. Different people need different types of brain breaks so we’re offering a few 1 – 3-minute suggestions you can try that boost energy, creativity and attention to re-set and refresh your audience.

• Try a simple movement exercise with your group. Whether you are on an audio or video conference call, you can ask everyone to take 1 minute to get up, move around and stretch. Our brains need oxygen to do our best work so getting your body moving is a great way to re-invigorate your audience. I used to work for the YMCA years ago so one of my favorite movement-based brain breaks is to walk your meeting attendees through how to do a “YMCA” body stretch. Imagine making each letter with your body. Start with arms above your head in a big reach-to-the-sky stretch to form the “Y”, then arch both arms down so your hands touch the top of your head like the McDonald’s golden arches to form the “M”, next make a big “C” stretching to the right and then the left (a forward and backward “C”) to get both sides moving and, lastly, end back with your arms stretched way up and have your hands come together to form a peak above your head for the “A”.
• 5-4-3-2-1 is another great brain break activity that is simple to do and can be changed in a variety of ways to fit your particular audience. Check out wellness expert Jay Shetty’s guidance on this example that asks individuals to gently close their eyes for a few seconds and then take turns sharing aloud 5 things that they hear (lights humming, cars outside, the radio, their clock ticking, and their cat meowing in the other room), 4 things they see (computer screen, sun outside their window, letters to open on their desk, a bottle of water), 3 things they feel (warm sweater they are wearing, stomach growling, and breeze from a fan nearby), 2 things they smell (their own perfume, lemon scented candle) and 1 thing they taste (coffee from their morning java). You could swap in anything for this. Try 5 favorites movies, 4 things that make you happy, 3 pet peeves, 2 favorite snacks, 1 place they have traveled. The options are endless! The side benefit from this activity is that it’s also a de-stressor – your brain can’t stay in high anxiety mode and also pay attention to this activity. Perfect for helping your team stay calm in times of crisis!
• Lastly, get creative! Play music; have each person share a photo of their family or their last vacation; ask a question like “what’s the last thing that made you laugh?” or “what are your weekend plans?” or “what would you do with an entire day off from work?” Anything you do to break up the pacing of the session and refocus a small bit of time on the audience, rather than your meeting or training content, can actually bring fresh energy and perspective to your session.  Your meeting participants will thank you and everyone will leave the session feeling like it was time well-spent.

Tara B Taylor, MPA
Managing Director

ADR VANTAGE, INC. NAMES TARA B. TAYLOR AS NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR

ADR Vantage, Inc. is delighted to announce the selection of Tara B. Taylor, MPA as its new Managing Director. Tara has worked as a contractor for ADR Vantage since 2016 and has already built a strong reputation with many current clients and stakeholders.

At ADR Vantage, Tara will provide leadership in planning and implementing strategic direction for the firm, managing and directing multiple client engagements, and providing direct client services, including conflict management, team building and strategic planning services. In addition, she will lead the firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion consulting practice.

Tara has vast experience in program management, curriculum design and delivery, and organizational and leadership development. She is an accomplished ADR practitioner with over 20 years of providing mediation, facilitation and consulting services to individuals as well as public and private organizations. Most recently she served as the Education & Outreach Director for the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights.

Tara also brings a deep knowledge and passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion work and how that can build stronger, more engaged, and more resilient teams in organizations of any size, across all sectors of industry.

“The workplace of the 2020’s is as diverse and complex as it has ever been, and ADR Vantage is committed to staying in step with our clients’ opportunities and evolving challenges,” according to ADR Vantage Founder and President, Dianne Lipsey. “Tara deepens our capacity to support individuals and organizations in their efforts to work better together and brings new dimension to our 26-year history of exceptional client-centered services.”   

Please join us in welcoming Tara as the new Managing Director of ADR Vantage.

Three Ways to help your Team Manage Transition

“Endings have a great way of bringing up unfinished business.” – Lennox Joseph

When I moved to Washington, DC from Baltimore, MD in 2010, I started to panic about missing all the places I had to yet to visit. “I’ve never been to the Peabody Library or the American Visionary Art Museum!” Endings represent finiteness, and the dwindling window of opportunity. As we approach the end of something, or even the threat of an end, emotions like fear and worry rise to the surface.

Within the workplace, a lot of things can signal an end and an opportunity about to be lost. It is important to know that any change will signal the end of something, and as you inch closer to the finish, employees might become more uncomfortable as the inevitable sets in. Here are three ways that employees might react to an end, and ways that you can more effectively support them manage the transition:

1. Venting – this is simply the vocalization of opinions, emotions, or points of view that have been previously withheld. Think of venting in literal terms. Similar to turning a pressure valve, venting includes a sometimes forceful release, but it relieves pent up or blockaded perspectives. (Example: An employee who sat by in silence while the team decided to convert to a new software, begins to outline all the reasons why the new software is no good just days before it gets installed on each employee’s computer.)
• Encourage the release. Venting can be an important and cathartic process so it is important to make space and time for it.
• Listen. Employees who vent typically feel unheard, either because they have yet to articulate their point of view, or because they already did and believe it fell on deaf ears. Recognize that employees who are venting in the face of an ending have something important to say.

2. Pivoting – this is a sudden shift in perspective that might seem out of nowhere. Someone who begins to advocate for a new solution, even before one process has ended, is pivoting. Pivoting is sometimes an avoidance tactic. If the person is not ready to face the end of something, and that end is seemingly inevitable, pivoting might feel safer than either accepting the incoming change or trying to prevent it. (Example: A team leader who immediately withdraws training allowances and begins to recruit new talent the moment their highest performing employee expresses interest in a role on a different team.)
• Slow down. Employees who pivot move fast because it protects them from having to face the emotional pain of acknowledging the change. Slowing down brings into focus the true impact of the change, and helps employees move forward in a more reasoned and intentional way.

3. Regressing – this is clingingly fiercely to old ways and patterns, or suddenly reverting back to the prior ways of doing things. Regressing can be a sign that someone is not ready to face the end of something, but it can also be because there is a lack of a meaningful alternative to whatever currently exists.
• Celebrate what was. Find out what was working well before, and identify ways to replicate or carry over some of those strengths into whatever comes next.
• Find value in what will be. If there is nothing for someone to anchor onto, and end will simply represent a loss without anything gained. Identify and articulate the value of letting go and moving into a new way of being.

Above all, anticipate that endings will resurface anything unresolved. Anticipate these reactions and plan accordingly to better support employees to resolve issues from the past, process the loss of what was, celebrate what worked, and develop best practices for moving forward.

Rick Buccheri
Director of Programs