It's Half Time - Reflect, Refocus, Reset
Considerations for Your Mid-Year Break
I love sports analogies and I'm sure you can relate to the notion about people who participate in games. You have your spectators, you have announcers, you have food vendors, you have coaches, and then you have the players. The players stay in the game. Players can't stay in the game without taking a break. It's Halftime!
Halftime is the time for everyone in the game. But specifically, it's for the teams to recalibrate to ensure a win. During halftime, the teams reflect, reset and refocus. Here are some thoughts on how you can maximize your halftime huddle to win the game that you're focused on.
Reflect
Reflection is taking time to observe highlights, major decisions, and happenings in order to consider the impact today and potential future impact. This includes wins! It's too easy to focus on the mistakes, the things that didn't go right, or the way I wanted them to and minimize the progress, the wins and accomplishments. Even the new discoveries and opportunities can show how effective, powerful, and even illuminate gaps that the team has.
A client shared with me how they've seen growth with their members communicating that they want to participate more. The client was excited about the growth because they have taken steps to improve their member communication channels. However, they are still experiencing a decrease in participation. So we engaged in some strategic thinking to identify the gaps between the increase in their communication engagement and increasing actual participation. The transformation was more stakeholders agreeing to participate in their strategic planning.
Refocus
At halftime we tend to look at where we are and the distance to our goals at this point. It's important to acknowledge and take advantage of the opportunity to pivot when necessary, to celebrate accomplishments no matter how big, and refocus on whatever we prioritize or reprioritize after reflection.
During a recent strategic plan, another client discovered that their values statement needed to be revised. It is not uncommon for organizations to be unfamiliar with how their value systems do not reflect the current organization culture or goals. I guided them through a values workshop where they created a value statement that was in alignment with their strategic priorities. This helped them to refocus the strategic plan that they all wanted to lean into and carry.
Reset
This is calibration time. Before we go back into the game, we get to assess our current reality, evaluate our moves from our reflection, our desires from refocusing to help us stay encouraged, empowered, and motivated to win the game. And not only win the game but stay in the game. This is a refresher on our why.
As an organizational development consultant, leadership coach, and process facilitator who happens to be working on her dissertation on DEIB initiatives post 2020. I am prioritizing three things I'm attending to in this work: 1) the impact I am making and want to make 2) the growth opportunities I'm seeking and 3) self-love. The impact I'm making and have made has been in creating and holding space for people to engage in organizational culture shifts and transformation. The growth opportunities I'm seeking are to help me expand my communication, my team, my ways of thinking, and showing up. Self-love is self-care, prioritizing my own wellness and boundaries, engaging more with community, and stretching my comfort zone. Resetting calls for mindful and intentional thinking about how I show up, how I receive, and how I share with myself, my ecosystem of community and my clients.
So, take or create some time (a scheduled intermission break) to deeply consider your halftime break to recenter yourself, your team, your goals in order to finish the 2nd half strong!
