I met Alison last year when she and Lizzie were still heads down writing this book and I promised I’d stay close, track their progress, and happily invite them to come speak when the book, Good Bye: Leading Change Better By Tending to Endings, was finally published. When the announcement was made, I pounced and I a, so glad I did. It was a great interactive session. Here is a bit of what they shared.

Getting To Good Bye

Alison and Lizzie started by sharing their journey of writing the book, which focuses on the importance of endings in organizational contexts. As executive coaches. they have listened time and time again as clients shared the challenges they faced in facing different sorts of endings in their organizations.

Hearing this pattern repeat itself, they developed a four-step practice to help navigate these transitions. The steps include reality, emotions, accomplishments, and ritual (REAR), with a focus on acknowledging and processing emotions as a crucial aspect of endings. This tool can aid leaders in accepting transitions and supporting their teams through them.

Emotional Processing in Organizational Change

While “emotions” appears second in REAR, the two acknowledge that emotions are truly shot throughout the process of facing an ending, and they note that skipping past or downplaying how you or someone else is feeling is a recipe for mistrust and dischord. They highlighted the complexity of emotions — feeling both sad and relieved OR feeling both anger and pride — and suggested using exercises like “emotions cards” to help individuals work through their feelings.

Reflective Acknowledgment of Achievements

One of the most powerful parts of the session was when, the two writers guided the community in a reflective exercise focused on acknowledging personal accomplishments, emphasizing the importance of recognizing both tangible achievements and the process of how they were accomplished. They encouraged participants to reflect on their unique contributions, consider feedback from others, and identify strengths developed through their practice. The exercise aimed to help individuals appreciate their achievements and use this reflection as a foundation for future growth.

Thanks again to Alison and Lizzie for writing this great book and taking the time to join us!