Read on to hear how a question from my 5-year-old got me thinking about the importance of:
1: ensuring as a team we’re aligned on what we mean by certain words, while also tapping into the power of diversity in our definitions
2: being curious about why we orient ourselves around certain milestones and questioning they work for us
Spring has most definitely sprung here.
As well as the glorious final hurrah of a stunning Apricot Parrot tulip, I’ve got a few sprigs of lilac scenting the air and generally looking stunning in a yet-to-be-returned Milk & More milk bottle.
A few weeks ago on the way to school my son asked me when the first day of Spring was.
My initial response was to say March 1st.
But then I paused. Was it?
Turns out, it’s not quite that simple…
If you follow the METEOROLOGICAL calendar, then yes, March 1st is the start of Spring. The Meteorological calendar is based on the annual temperature cycle and splits the year into 4 clusters of 3 months.
However, here’s where it gets interesting...
If you follow the ASTRONOMICAL calendar, which is based on the position of the Earth in relation to the sun, then Spring is aligned with the time when the sun passes north over the celestial equator. Known by its more Instagram-friendly name of the Spring Equinox. Or that joyous moment when finally the long nights shorten again and we start to welcome in more daylight.
This year, that was March 20.
Then, there’s the PHENOLOGICAL calendar, which eschews fixed calendar dates and studies seasonal changes in plants and animals from year to year. Spring might be declared based on the blossoming of certain plants, the activities of wildlife or even the smell of soil when it’s starting to warm up.
Just to make March even juicier, my research also threw up the concept that January wasn’t always even the start of the new year if you used the ancient ROMAN calendar - March was!
Way back when, according to the National Geographic, “the winter months went un-named”, which really lends itself to the feeling of the tail-end of the Winter dragging on and on. Basically after the harvest ended, so too did the calendar and Winter went un-named or un-marked - just one big long chunk of dark, quiet time.
As a result, the first 304-day calendar that the Romans designed actually started in March, not January - which might connect more with you if you’ve been feeling like these last few weeks of more sunshine and warmth have created a feeling of new energy and readiness for new challenges.
Anyway, what does that all have to do with us?
Other than arming you with useful trivia for a pub quiz or your own kids/nieces/nephews/god-kids next year…?
As a LEADER, it’s a really good reminder to make sure everyone’s on the same page about key terms you’re throwing out there.
Spring is a rather ubiquitous word - we all kind of know what Spring is and when it is - or do we?
In this example - you could say Spring and have people making assumptions about any range of dates in March depending on what calendar they align with.
Being curious about this, is one of my favourite ways to start a workshop with teams on a leadership topic; to surface everyone's individual definitions and emotional energy around a term like feedback or delegation or trust and then to build some shared meaning around how this particular group will lean into it together.
We all bring so much nuance to a word and almost the more ubiquitous or well-known the term is, the more broadly defined understanding you’ll probably find out that the collective are holding. When that difference sits unconsciously it can create conflict and tension - when it's surfaced and harnessed, that difference can be really beautiful and powerful.
As INDIVIDUALS, it’s really got me thinking about how much of an invitation there is to find your own rhythm and orient around whatever feels juicy and magentic for you in this moment - noticing what's happening for YOU rather than feeling like you've got to fit your motivation and momentum in around others.
Want to champion some “new year, new you” energy that escaped you in early January, but feeling silly and like you’ve missed the boat?
My encouragement is to GO for it, tap into the new/old Roman new year that’s around right now or just whenever feels good for you really!
Where to from here?
If your hayfever can handle it and you’ve checked for a sleepy wasp, stick your nose in some lilac this weekend, it smells divine right now…
Boldly lean into your “new year energy” and channel it into our RECAP + ROADMAP process…
Look for a chance to ask your team how they define a common term like feedback, or delegation, or trust; or better yet, invite us in to run a workshop and we can help you do it.
Book in for an Unlock, Unstuck chat with Tee - a free, 30-minute chance to walk you through our 9 Steps to Action framework to identify where you’re getting stuck right now and determine the next steps you can take towards unlocking the action you crave.