Looking Back to Move Ahead

Here we are – Harvesting. The final phase of the RCA Seasons of Growth framework for leading change like a gardener.

We laid the groundwork with the two earlier steps of Preparing and Cultivating. The Harvesting phase is when you finally can enjoy the fruits of your labor, sit back, and reflect on all that you have accomplished.

This is a time to celebrate your successes, reflect on your learnings, and set new goals for the future. This is not the end of the journey, though, as your organization will require ongoing maintenance and attention to ensure continued growth and success.

So let’s take this moment to appreciate what we have accomplished and to recharge ourselves as we prepare for the next cycle of change and growth.

Read ahead to find out more.

Until next time,

Read more… Harvesting

Finally, the moment has arrived. After all the effort required during Preparing and Cultivating, the garden has matured and we are now able to Harvest. The gardener can reap the benefits of all the work they have put in. It’s a time for them to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

As you sit in the shade of a tree, eating an apple from the garden, you can’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. That feeling of satisfaction you’re experiencing right now is well-earned because you’ve enabled things that will last for a long time to come. Watching butterflies flutter around the flowers, you take in the beauty of it all, seeing how things are working as intended.

This is the nature of organizational change. You don’t move in a straight line but engage through a series of phases, each of which requires different work. You can’t skip steps or take shortcuts without jeopardizing your organization’s long-term success.

Preparing, Cultivating, and Harvesting are the three key phases of organizational change in the RCA Seasons of Growth framework. Each phase requires its own unique set of skills, knowledge, and experience. It’s important to pay attention to each phase and give it the attention it deserves.

Preparing is all about laying the groundwork for growth. It’s about understanding your organization’s strengths and weaknesses, setting goals, and developing a plan to achieve them. Cultivating is where you plant the seeds of growth and nurture them. It’s about building relationships, developing talent, and creating a culture of innovation.

Finally, Harvesting is where you reap the benefits of your hard work. It’s a time to celebrate your successes, reflect on what you’ve learned, and set new goals for the future. It’s a time to ensure that supportive measures are in place so that your organization continues to grow and thrive.

Leading an organization through the challenges of change and growth is never a straightforward journey. By paying attention to each phase of the process and building a strong foundation, you can achieve long-term results and impact. Harvesting is thus not the end of the journey, but rather the turn towards a new beginning.

We encourage you to use the Harvesting phase to look back on what has been accomplished.

It’s very likely that the results at the end are not identical to the anticipated results when you began this work. As this is almost certain to happen in future projects, it is helpful to review your experience on the recently-concluded project.

Look Back to Move Ahead…

The After Action Review (AAR) is a simple tool that helps you facilitate review conversations that can bring out important insights.

Using just four questions, the process drives a forward-looking team discussion.

Learn more about how to lead an After Action Review session.

Do you want to strengthen your team? Would more cohesive behaviors help your team achieve collective results?

I’m happy to share that I am now a Certified Practitioner in The Five Behaviors of Effective Teams®.

Developed from Patrick Lencioni’s work on The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, this program provides insightful assessment tools and educational programs that shed light on how people behave in teams. It is designed to support individuals and teams in becoming more cohesive, creating the necessary foundation for enabling great results.

The 5 Behaviors model looks at a series of interdependent behaviors that together enable a cohesive team experience:

👉 Trust One Another

👉 Engage in Conflict Around Ideas

👉 Commit to Decisions

👉 Hold One Another Accountable

👉 Focus on Achieving Collective Results

I can now bring these powerful assessment tools and educational programs to your organization, working with individual teams or groups of staff.

Read more about this model.

3 Ways you can work with me:

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3. Work with me to lead change and growth without exhaustion….