Can’t turn inspiration into action? You might have a culture problem.
It's that time of year! Strategy sessions are being planned. Teams are coming together to think big about what's next. You want them to feel inspired by changes in your industry. See new opportunities ahead and be energized by them.
And you should want that. These moments matter. And it can feel like a vacation to step away from the everyday, get excited about what is 'possible' in your work. But how do you translate that into what is 'probable' when you hit the desk come Monday?
Vacation Hangover
Think about it. When you come back from an amazing getaway, what happens? The Sunday scaries hit hard. You putter around the house, do a few loads of laundry, check social media—anything to avoid opening that email inbox or tackling the problems that piled up while you were gone. You're desperately trying to hold onto that vacation feeling because you know reality is waiting.
The same thing happens to our teams returning from workshops and offsites. We give them this beautiful moment of aspiration, but we send them back into the same broken systems that depleted them in the first place. And rather than address the root cause for the lack of ROI on that expensive meeting, we blame the facilitator, the team, the timing.
The Science of Sustainable Change
The struggle to integrate new ideas, concepts, or even big future dreams is real. But it's not a skill or willingness problem. Your talented, experienced, once motivated team is caught in the chasm between Possibility and Probability because you have a culture problem.
In my experience, teams can handle inspiration beautifully. They light up during the visionary moments, the strategic conversations, the "what if we could..." sessions. But when teams hit that perspiration phase—the messy work of actually translating possibility into probability—they instinctively retreat to what feels safe. They focus on meaningless tasks that are easy to argue about and solve. Things that don't keep them up at night or stir up feelings of being out of control.
Teams that struggle to create space for new things:
Ignore existing conflicts, burnout, and overwhelm—disconnecting them from their lived experience
Lose momentum within 4 months as old patterns (routines) resurface because that's what's safe
Don't have enough room—on their calendars or in their brains—to take on anything without dropping everything
Teams that thrive through change and consistent cycles of innovation:
Invest in psychological safety before asking for vulnerability
Address roadblocks that drain focus and energy BEFORE they ask for more
Create routines to sustain new behaviors beyond the initial inspiration
Are honest about their capacity to do GOOD work and deliver repeatable results
The difference? A leader that intentionally creates space through healthy routines, a culture that encourages challenge and input, and the courage to say no when needed.
Fix the Foundation - Starting with YOU
Successful organizations understand this: if your team feels overwhelmed, adding inspiration won't help. It's like building a house on dry sand. This isn't about capability, it's about capacity and stability. Many leaders are compressing their teams, managing down due to the sheer volume of work. They are not lifting up and looking outward.
But here's what most leaders don't realize: the problem isn't just team readiness—it's leadership capacity. The data reveals the scope of what we're working with:
Leaders dedicate only 15% of their time to strategic thinking
75% say leader stress negatively affects team morale
44% of managers with large teams experience decision-impairing stress
When you're pulling people out of an already challenging environment—where folks are struggling with day-to-day priorities, doing more with less, exhausted by external pressures—and expecting them to clear their minds and absorb new things, you're asking the impossible. They know instinctively that new inspiration means new work. But they already can't deal with what's on their plates.
Organizations that build healthy cultures through their routines and rituals, create clear priorities, and open space for new information see stronger results in the market. They have 30% less leader overload and 40% better strategic focus. Teams can act on inspiration instead of getting overwhelmed by it.
Stop making your workshops and offsites work so damn hard. If you want your team to embrace innovation, change, or generate new incredible opportunities to grow your business, remove the roadblocks in their day-to-day first.
Remember: rituals don't fix broken routines. Culture lives in the everyday—in your meetings, your email tone, how decisions get made. Rituals can help reset and realign, but the real work happens in the space between the big moments.
The Invitation: Get Curious
The culture you create decides if your team will thrive or adapt to future challenges and opportunities. And that isn't created in rituals like a QBR. But that doesn't mean you have to scrap it. Instead, ask yourself:
“What might it look like to ‘be together’ differently in your next planning season?”
Here are some questions you can ask yourself and your team before you plan that next offsite or strategy session:
1. How are we setting our team up for success before they enter this experience?
Are there unresolved conflicts that will surface under pressure?
Do people feel psychologically safe enough to engage honestly?
Are roles and expectations clear enough to prevent confusion?
2. How are we creating space to engage fully?
What operational burdens can we temporarily lift?
How can we reduce the cognitive load they're carrying?
What support do they need to be present rather than preoccupied?
3. How are we designing for follow-through when we come out?
What routines and commitments will help sustain new behaviors?
How will we integrate insights into daily routines?
What accountability structures will support ongoing growth?
Ready to bridge the gap between possibility and probability? Whether you need to design new team rituals, build psychological safety, or create sustainable change practices, let's talk about building the foundation your next strategy session actually needs to succeed.
