The what-comes-after

 

So often we focus on the event.

Rarely do we think about, talk about, imagine…the what-comes-after.

The what-comes-after is the…

  • correction of mistakes
  • the thank-you note
  • the follow-up on promises made
  • the feedback that helps make improvements

We take a long journey to get to the view. And, then, apparently, we take a photo and check the box.

Although, we’d never travel across the country to see the Grand Canyon and not tell anyone.

Yet, in so many other aspects of our lives, that’s what we do.

The event is not the end.

  • The training session on fostering inclusion in our workplace is just the beginning.
  • The advice received from a mentor is only the start.
  • The off-putting conversation with a colleague is simply an invitation to try again.

Let’s stop living as if the what-comes-after doesn’t exist.

Instead, let’s visualize what-comes-after before we even start.

2 Comments

  1. Great reminder Amy. We recently implemented a very large and global Oracle Order Management & Customer Master initiative. It was amazingly smooth to say the least. So smooth that in fact a couple of the most significant people on the project almost felt let down (because we went back to “real life” rather quickly). In discussion this with my Executive VP; I commented, it’s like planning a Wedding. You but so much focus and energy into the event, and then shortly there after (assuming no catastrophic issues), life goes back to normal. I think in our case, we didn’t trust ourselves to envision “what comes after” when the implementation goes SO WELL, that you didn’t expect real life so suddenly. 🙂 Time to start writing those Thank yous!

    1. Wow! Congrats on such a successful implementation, Cherie. These are the success stories we need to learn from so our community of change practitioners can repeat the things that went ‘right’! Thanks so much for sharing, and I love the idea of the ‘what-comes-after’ being a whole lot of calm, easy, transitions. Awesome.

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