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What happens when a deer first catches the scent or sound of a hunter? The deer freezes. Why does the deer freeze? Because motion would catch the hunter’s eye and make the deer’s presence obvious. To hide in plain sight, the deer needs to be motionless.

What about things that hide in plain sight in our businesses — procedures, practices and policies that undermine our success? How do we catch sight of things that are so much a part of our daily routine that they blend into the landscape?

“Never let a good crisis go to waste,” said Winston Churchill, to which I would add, “Never let a good transition go to waste” either. Transitions are motions that make things visible that were not visible while they were motionless. Let me give you an example.

Three members of MANA’s Board of Directors recently completed their terms of service on the Board. Three new Board members took their places. Six transitions not to be wasted!

When a Board member leaves MANA, or an employee leaves your company, or when a relationship with one of your principals ends, that transition should trigger an exit interview. Exit interviews recognize that an exit is a significant transition and a one-time-only opportunity to get frank feedback from someone who might have been reluctant to be blunt while they were still part of the organization.

MANA Board member exit interviews focus on experiences on the Board which were positive and experiences which were not, and guidance for successors. In your business, when a relationship with an employee or principal ends, you can extract the last bit of value from that relationship with an exit interview that might reveal important facts about your business that might never be discovered any other way.

When a new Board member joins MANA, or an employee joins your company, or when a relationship with a new principal begins, that transition should trigger a “fresh eyes” interview. A new Board member will see things in their first Board meeting that a veteran might dismiss as routine. In your business a new employee or a new principal relationship puts “fresh eyes” on your firm and may reveal problems or opportunities that were hiding in plain sight.

Whenever something changes at MANA it gives us an opportunity to illuminate teachable moments that help us improve our services to you. We hope you will join us in never letting a good transition go to waste.