The Spring Effect - A Year-Round Strategy

"Spring is the time of plans and projects." - Leo Tolstoy

The Spring Equinox represents the first day of the second season, a scientific and cultural sign of renewal, new ideas, and a fresh start. Flowers are blooming, the sounds of nature are abundant, and pollen is everywhere. Many cultures embrace this time as the true "New Year.” Following this idea, we could understand how the post-holiday cold of early January might feel less inspiring or motivating than the days of early spring. 

The warm weather and longer days have inspired me to attack each day and pay close attention to the short- and long-term goals I set my sights on earlier in the year. It's the perfect time to hit the refresh button on your productivity. When was the last time you had a meeting where everyone's ideas felt like a perfect storm of innovation? Along each of our journeys toward success, there will be moments when we feel unsure of our direction or ability to make progress towards a goal. 

Trusting the Collaborative Process 

When I think of struggling to feel inspired or continuing to work away at different versions of a problem, some key insights surrounding our best resource, our team members, come to mind. Many of us may dislike having to work cross-department thanks to the childhood memories of being paired with the worst team members for a critical group project. 

“I can do things you can’t, you can do things I can’t; together we can do great things.” - Mother Teresa 

Negative experiences may encourage working alone, but all the best ideas are born from some collective effort or thought. The greatest leaders understand not only their strengths but their weaknesses. When your team is working in sync and playing off each other's strengths, the possibilities are endless. 

Luck is Where Opportunity Meets Preparation 

Sometimes, we have a great team working together to create a solution, but the fresh and inspiring "winning" idea is absent. What if I told you that sometimes the solution lies not in finding the perfect answer, but in planting the seed? Putting too much pressure on every idea to be the best can prevent us from imagining the perfect route to success. 

Patience, trust, and confidence within a team create the ideal environment for impactful ideas to be born. The idea you think is too terrible to even consider sharing or you don't even know how to visualize could inspire the last connecting piece to your teammate's unfinished brainstorming. 

"Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed… Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders." - Henry David Thoreau. 

We must not hesitate to try, try and fail, and try again, especially when we are ensuring that we consistently do the work of "planting the seed" or understanding the goals, background research, data, personal experiences, limits, and all other available information necessary to create a winning solution. 

Sometimes it's necessary to take a step back, trust the process, and allow yourself to be open to new possibilities, especially from your team. “Improvisation frees us from being perfect, being in control, thinking ahead, and second-guessing. It can feel like jumping into the abyss at first, but once you jump, fear turns into excitement, and your imagination kicks in.”

- Linda Naiman