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Thursday, April 7, 2011

Good Old ProZones Never Die

Two weeks ago we received a mystery package through UPS from a well known organization. When we opened it the package contained several dozen cookies and a note from an old friend and clients that we'd not seen in about a decade. The package contained a nice hand written note inviting us to call and get together. We were overwhelmed with the token and the opportunity it presented. The original address was to our business FIVE locations ago. Somehow UPS managed to track us down and deliver. This was the kind of story that makes a fascinating plot in some movies!

We exchanged e-mails and made a "date" for lunch.

Naturally, it took a few minutes for us to get in step, but in surprisingly few minutes we were swapping stories of family and reminding each other of people that were in our lives "back in the day." Frankly, it was refreshing. We were then and remain in the HR/od (small letters - verb for organization development) domain. We did it right then and we're still doing it right. Some of the stories brought tears as we traded stories about doing the right things for the right reasons. It was refreshing. As we filled in the gaps in our ten year absence we quickly found ways that we can serve each other.

The next few days will likely begin an exchange that will continue for a long time. We look forward to it.

This mystical reconnection has called me to think for deeply about the power of ProZones (our od term for intentional relationships). As consultants we often have to depart a client organization either because our work is completed or for a variety of other reasons. As we depart, we often leave behind dozens of valuable relationships that have had deep meaning and significance for us - there is a heavy investment in the work we do, the way we do it. Yet for professional reasons we choose not to muddy the water with lingering emotions or ties. That has always allows a clean break. It has always seemed the right thing to do.

Today, we often wonder if that is the right thing to do as a universal strategy. With a brief passage of time, it seems somehow appropriate to be open and cautious to a renewed ProZone not encumbered by professional constraints.