Pick Up What You Put Down
Somewhere between August optimism and end of term chaos, many leaders shelved something that mattered. A programme. A change. A conversation you wanted to start. A better way of working.
Not because it was a bad idea.
Because the first term is loud. And urgent. And relentless. And if we are not careful, what is important gets pushed aside by what is immediate.
The good news is that “shelved” does not mean “dead.” It means paused. And you can pick it up again.
Most middle and senior leaders I work with do not lose ambition. They lose space. Fortunately, I have some tools that proven very successful to help leaders get back on track.
Below, I have synthesized my notes from several of those coaching conversations into what I hope will serve as a handy Recommit Protocol, or perhaps a way for you to flex your own coaching muscles to help a colleague.
Coincidentally, I am also going through this process, as I am in the midst of recommitting to something that got shelved for far too long. I will write more about that next month.
Recommit by making your “why” explicit
If it is important enough to restart, begin with clarity. Write your why in three lines:
This matters because… (students, learning, culture, operations)
If we do nothing, then… (the cost of leaving it as is)
If we do this well, then… (the practical benefit)
Keep it plain. This is not marketing copy. It is a compass.
Here is a Pro tip from my partner Claire Peet: If helpful, you can repeat step one as many times as necessary to get to the heart of your ‘why’. By continuing to ask ‘This matters because…’ for each of your responses, you can really dig into the core purpose.
If you cannot write a why that still feels true after a long term, that is useful information too. You may need to reshape the idea, or let it go.
2. Reflect on how it got lost, without blaming others
Reflecting on the past few months, ask yourself these questions:
When did it start slipping? What week. What trigger.
What replaced it? What became the default priority.
What did you assume would happen that did not? (time, buy in, support, clarity)
What did you not say out loud soon enough?
What did you protect well, even in the chaos?
This is not about regret. It is about being better armed for what comes next, because the same forces will return.
3. Choose the version you can actually carry
Many leaders try to restart the exact version of the initiative they originally imagined. A better move is to protect the purpose by working within a Sandbox (Chapter 5 of my book).
Ask:
What is the smallest version of this that still honours my why?
What would make this easier for others to engage with?
What must be true for this to succeed by the end of the year?
What can be true with the resources and capacity we have right now?
This is not lowering your standards. It is leading in reality.
4. Identify stakeholders with precision
A consultative restart depends on engaging the right people early, and asking the right thing from each of them. Use these questions to map your stakeholders:
Who has to say yes? (permission, budget, timetable)
Who has the expertise you need? (system knowledge, lived experience)
Who will carry the weight of implementation? (workload, new habits)
Who is affected most by the outcome? (students, staff, families)
Who influences the room when you are not in it? (trusted voices)
This is not politics. It is respect.
5. Re-engage one conversation at a time
A consultative restart is not a big announcement. It is a sequence of conversations that turn reflection into momentum.
Use this structure:
Open with clarity
Share your why in one or two sentences, then name the reality:
“I started the year intending to move this forward. The first term got crowded. I want to pick it back up, but I want to do it in a way that respects capacity and gets it right.”
Ask for perspective before permission
Try:
“How does issue connect with you?”
“What would success look like from your perspective?”
“What constraints do I need to be aware of?”
“What has already been tried that I should learn from?”
“Who else should I talk to before I move?”
This is where you validate your own assumptions and gain a wider view.
Make the ask specific and light
Not every stakeholder needs to join a working group. Sometimes the ask is:
“Can I keep you updated so you can help remove obstacles?”
“Would you mind continuing to be my thought partner?”
“What is one thing you would not want me to do as I restart this?”
“What is a reasonable first step that will not overload anyone?”
A key part of consultation is protecting other people’s free capacity, so you do not drain the very people you need alongside you.
Close with a next step
End each conversation with what you heard, what you will do next, and when you will follow up.
This isn’t the first time I have written on this topic. Below I have listed several articles related to persevering.
If you have something on the shelf that still matters and need help picking it up, please schedule a 60-minute call with me. I would love to see how I can help.
