Week Seven Transitioning...

At the Triangle office we are becoming comfortable step by step with understanding that this year is a transitional year. Seven weeks have gone by now since Jeff Montgomery stepped into his new role of Senior Strategist and I stepped into the role of the Interim Executive Director. That is when the change happened, the biggest change for Triangle Foundation, and now we are in a space of deep organizational transition filled with new opportunities. Change is what happens when there is a major shift. Transition is what occurs before, and for periods after, the actual change.

When I was in graduate school 10 years ago, William Bridges became one of my favorite change and transition experts. He focuses most of his change work on the process of transitioning, how organizations and individuals move through the unknown and uncertain times. He writes, "Transition is not just a nice way to say change. It is the inner process through which people come to terms with a change, as they let go of the way things used to be and reorient themselves to the way that things are now. In an organization, managing transition means helping people to make that difficult process less painful and disruptive."

At Triangle Foundation, my role is to help to manage the transition, keep everything in the organization functioning well, and also to begin to create space that will be open for more growth, focus and opportunities. My door is almost always open for the 20+ staff, interns, volunteers and trustees that are present during the week at our office. People have all been dealing with the transition in their own ways. To some, "change" is a negative word, to others, it is a possibility for new systems to come into place, and there are other folks who just want to keep doing their jobs well without focusing intensely on "things being different." This is typical in an organization going through the process of transition.

Jeff and I have both had moments during these past few weeks where we have laughed, felt awkward, and at the same time have been excited about our new roles. In the first couple of weeks, we started out with Jeff still working in his office, taking his calls there and working on his computer, and I worked in the common area where board meetings are held and the staff gathers for lunch every day. Then after two weeks, I moved into Jeff's old office, he cleared out his many photos with dignitaries, his gay action figures and his uncountable awards and pieces of memorabilia from a multitude of organizations and people that have recognized his courage and his outstanding work for LGBT justice and equality. Slowly, I moved a few things into the very oddly bare office...and empty nails still covered the walls where his many photos used to hang.

Finally the time felt right, and a few fellow staff members and I brought in the plants that I had with me from packing my office up at American Friends Service Committee, and I brought in a colorful lamp, along with some other office tschotchkes. We did an impromptu ceremony complete with a sage smudging to prepare the space for different and new energy. Dawn, Michael, Greg and I all said a few words of thanks for all of the years that Jeff had used the office to do his amazing work, and we also said words to dedicate the space to be a good place for me to work during this transition year. This was a very valuable ritualistic step in our transition for us to recognize the newness and the loss that we were all feeling at once.

A few days later, Jeff and I were working together again, and this time, he came into my new office and sat in the chairs that guests sit in and I sat behind the large wooden executive desk. At one point in our meeting, I cracked a smile and said something like, "Geeze, Jeff, this is kind of crazy, isn't it!?!" He let go a little too, relaxed his body, smiled and agreed and said, "I couldn't imagine it going any better..."

Transition times are bound to be filled with mixed feelings, an awareness of opportunities, and a sense of loss as well. As Triangle continues the journey through this transitional year, my greatest goal is to keep all of us, the board of trustees, the volunteers, the interns and especially the staff, grounded in being able to be full humans, aware of our thought processes, feelings and of each other, so that we all can successfully reap the benefits of growth, personally and as an organization. As our organization continues to grow, please consider making this a time when you either join or renew your membership with Triangle to help us continue to move to the next level with vibrancy.