Rocking Chair revisited

Maybe it was fate or maybe it was a sign from the universe, but the post on the Rocking Chair Syndrome has come full circle with an event during the week following the post. I know that I am a little late in writing about this, but better late than never.

The group that I have been working with has been very impressive, to say the least, at working together in group meetings and being able to articulate some of their needs and desires for the group. The group gatherings seem to be very productive, at least from what I have been able to see so far. However, what I have noticed is that the meetings are a front, and people will put on a good show for one another, in hopes that they might win over the majority vote in the public eye. What happens after the meetings is that some of the true wishes and desires surface, and some of the steps and progress that had been made at the previous meeting is then undermined and cut down. Please don't mistake my words for saying that there are people who lie and deceive and are only good people in meetings; that is not what I am saying here. All of these people are good people, and have the best intentions, but seem to not be completely open with one another in a group setting. This is not uncommon by any means as there are many people that would like to save face in the public eye and speak their peace in private.

Now, in terms of progress, this causes the work to move forward, and then back a couple of steps... just like a rocking chair. The ideas are shared and progress is made in the meetings,  but then afterward, the unspoken words and thoughts cause grounds for regression and more meetings because what appeared to have been resolved is really just beginning to surface. This is not all bad when looking at the big picture, so long as what's beneath the surface really does come out eventually, but if practiced for an extended period of time, the damage caused to the organization and group could become too much for worthwhile repair. Redemption is never completely out of reach for people, but for organizations that are trying to accomplish something, sometimes the time does indeed pass and it is no longer a viable option to continue together. Let us continually be aware of the Rocking Chair Syndrome.