Dear readers,

The days are getting noticeably longer, but the cold is only slowly receding. We are in this interim period in which winter is still lingering and spring is only just beginning. As in the ecocycle - this natural cycle of ripening, retreating and new growth - much is in transition here too. Not everything is visible yet, but something is beginning to grow beneath the surface.

Maybe you know the feeling: there's this inkling that something is changing, but it still needs a moment. That's okay. This phase in particular is an opportunity to consciously feel: What do I want to take with me? What new things can emerge?

In processes, we call this phase „emergence“. It is the moment when the old structures no longer really work, but the new visions still lie like tender shoots under a frozen layer of earth. It is a phase that often challenges us because we are so focussed on visibility and measurable results. But just as February teaches us that the light increases before the first blossom appears, change processes also need this time of invisible maturation.

We tend to celebrate the success of a change only when the „new“ is in full splendour. But the real work - negotiating values, healing old conflicts or cautiously trying out new roles - takes place right now. In the silence.

What does that mean for your plans at the moment?

Patience as a competence: Sometimes the best thing we can do is to give the process the space it needs without forcing it with artificial pressure.

Search for clues: Where are the first „snowdrops“ already appearing? What small signs indicate that the new culture or the new strategy is already taking root?

Pause for thought: Before the hustle and bustle of spring (or the next quarter) sweeps us off our feet, now is the time to take another look at our direction.

As always, in this SOCIUS brief you will find ideas on how we can shape these transitions together - be it through methodological support, collegial exchange or simply by sharing practical experiences.

We look forward to welcoming the first rays of sunshine of change together with you and are excited to see what you want to bring to light this year.

Julia Hoffmann & Nicola Kriesel

Andi Knoth, Joana Ebbinghaus, Denise Nörenberg, Lysan Escher, Hannah Kalhorn, Christian Baier, and Yi-Cong Lu