On flight patterns and normalizing change
(and a podcast release update!)
We are all in a period and phase of transition.
How we interpret our own relationship to leaving depends on what we see as normal.
When I first moved from Nebraska in 2003, we relocated to Douglasville, GA (outside of Atlanta). There was a flight pattern for a major airline above our home - the standard path followed by an aircraft when taking off or landing. I have long been a frequent airline traveler, yet before living underneath that constant flow of air traffic, had never thought about how well organized and structured air travel is, let alone given any thought to how consistently and frequently planes took off and landed.
Two decades and many moves later, we once again live very near an airport (a small one this time) in South Florida. On any given day, while on a short walk to the mailbox or to take the dogs out, no less than five small airplanes fly directly overhead - all on orchestrated paths, fully planned out … with 2-3 large commercial planes taking off in the distance as well, in different directions.
Most of us take airline travel for granted, in part, because there are regulations, an order to the industry, and patterns that everyone must follow.
💡 Imagine having new and innovative paths to navigate workplace transitions.
💡 Imagine normalizing patterns to take better care of each other as we exited our jobs and roles.
Workplace transitions are constant and consistent (I don’t know a single person who is still working their first job, do you?), yet we continue to fail each other when it comes to organizing around doing it better.
Just as planes fly overhead - all throughout the day and night, and all around the world - whether we see them or not, people are leaving jobs, roles, projects, and their titles. We are all actively in transition, and it’s time to normalize the leaving so we can plan and orchestrate, so we can honor the natural reality of change and transition.
Coming in October: my first book in a four-part series, Leaving Well for the Organization: a navigation guide for workplace transitions. My hope is that it helps us change what we see as normal, one organization at a time.
(I’ll share the cover with you in the next newsletter!)
I’d love your help sourcing contacts, if you have connections to the following:
📍 Locally owned bookstores to host small book readings / gatherings
💼 Organizations to hold 1/2 day workshops with their teams on Leaving Well
Hit reply and tell me about who you know, or please consider forwarding this email directly to them!
On September 6th, the Leaving Well podcast was launched, with five incredible episodes with guests
, , Kelly Connolly Palmer, Katie Panciera, and the origin story of Leaving Well. Upcoming episodes will feature more solo episodes to begin sharing the framework and implementation components for Leaving Well, and guests like , Marti Carrington, Arlan Hamilton, Sharmon Lebby, , , Nkem Ndefo, and so many more.You can hear them here on my website, or search “Leaving Well” on your favorite podcast player. Episodes will release weekly on Wednesdays, and the response has been robust and incredible. We are celebrating 500+ downloads during launch week, and my email and social inboxes are full of affirming messages about how necessary these conversations are, like this note:
“Shoutout for your Leaving Well Podcast - the tips actually really helped! I followed some advice from Leaving Well and I felt so relieved during and after my recent job decision. I am no longer stressed out to the max.”
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed creating this podcast, and I’ve simultaneously been blown away by the amount of time it takes, and that it’s not cheap to produce a well-created podcast! If you’re feeling appreciation for my work in this arena and/or want to support the podcast, you can buy me a decaf coffee or two, or purchase your books on Bookshop.org using my affiliate link. Thank you in advance!
Before I wrap this up, I realize you may not be a podcast listener! I’m curious what other ways you’d like to see me deliver the really amazing stories, lessons, and content to you:
Currently:
Reading Anti-Racist Leadership: How to Transform Corporate Culture in a Race-Conscious World by James White and his daughter Krista White.
(From my last newsletter, I finally finished Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia (it’s SO long!) and it has been massively enlightening for my own physical health)
Listening to the Nothing Much Happens sleep / bedtime stories. Delightful.
Sharing this implicit bias exercise with everyone I can think of. It’s powerful!
🧡 - What’s happening in your world? I’d love to hear from you!
