Termination: A Lost Discipline in a Disrupted World

By John Blumberg, Andersen Alumnus and author of Return On Integrity (www.BlumbergROI.com)

In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, polarized ideologies, and relentless disruption, our ability to navigate change has become more vital—and more complicated—than ever. We are inundated with headlines about transformation, but far less attention is paid to the essential but uncomfortable truth at the heart of all true change: something must end before something else can begin. In times like these, marked by both acceleration and uncertainty, the discipline of honoring and celebrating endings may be one of the most underestimated practices of our time.

With the excitement of graduation celebrations fading into the background, mid-summer brings the reality and sometimes the anxiety of new beginnings. It can be an emotional time. I still remember the night of my high school graduation, and maybe you still remember yours, too. It’s certainly a time for celebration, but most importantly a time for closure. Both are critically important. And when combined, they can be very powerful.

A few years back, a friend of mine decided to leave behind her business career to return to school to study for a master’s in social work. In what seemed like overnight, Laurie came to the completion of her program. Shortly before her graduation, she contacted me because she had been put in charge of a team who was planning a “termination activity” for their graduation luncheon. Graduation seems to candy-coat the truth. It is a fluffy way of looking at the reality of transitions in our lives. Termination sounds more severe, yet more truthful. In all the joy and celebration of graduation, it is still an ending. Laurie and her team had it right. They understood the importance of intentionally bringing closure. It is about creating a defining moment to end something — specifically so something new can begin.

This is significant when school’s out for summer — but it also has huge implications in a workplace where change is so persistent. In my final years at Arthur Andersen, I spent a significant amount of time on-boarding successful experienced professionals going through career transitions. During that time, I came to realize the importance of closure. Author William Bridges, in his book Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, did exceptional work in helping us understand the psychology of transition. He talks about the three key stages of the process as being Endings, the Neutral Zone and New Beginnings. While the process is not exactly sequential, it is certain that without an ending it is far more difficult, if not impossible, to truly arrive at a new beginning. Unresolved endings are like anchors that keep us from soaring forward into new chapters of our career and life.

Termination is also about accomplishment. It is about being finished. It could be about cutting your losses or perhaps moving on from success. Either way, termination is important.

When we think about graduation, we think about BIG transitions. The idea of termination, however, is vital in numerous transitions in our work. It could be big, as in cases of mergers or acquisitions. But it also might be as simple as the end of a project or process. It could be the transfer to a different team or division. It might be the relocation to a different city. The key becomes understanding the importance of creating a termination celebration.

At some point, I am sure you have heard someone say, “He never really graduated from high school.” Of course, this statement has nothing to do with obtaining a diploma. It has everything to do with bringing closure and moving forward.

Do you have a termination celebration strategy in your organization? A well-thought strategy can transform how you on-board new hires, how you handle transfers and promotions, or how you manage resignations and outplacements. Change itself is not the challenge. It is the process of change and how we walk through it that determines if it propels us or destroys us.

How do you celebrate termination — personally and professionally? Do you have an unresolved ending? If so, retroactively create a termination celebration — or at least get a strategy for future endings. There will be many more to come. Let your mortarboard fly — and land on a great new beginning!

In this era of exponential change, where machines evolve faster than we do and uncertainty is the new normal, learning how to end well isn’t just helpful, it’s essential. The ability to acknowledge, honor, and release what has run its course is a leadership competency for our time. Without it, we risk dragging the past into every future we try to create. But with it, we can clear the space needed to reimagine, reorient, and renew. In a culture obsessed with what’s next, let’s not forget the transformative power of what’s done.

As always, I’d love for you to share your thoughts! We could all benefit, if you would be so kind to share your thoughts email me at John@BlumbergROI.com!