Take a Timeout

Ready — Former basketball player, coach, and broadcaster, Pat Riley, coached the “Team of the Decade,” the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, to four national championships in nine years. By the end of the decade, cracks appeared in the cohesive team as older players retired, and the years of success led to fatigue. It was time to take a time out to reassess the future.

Set — Team members, coaches, staff, and owners had to face the reality that nothing lasts forever. Eventually the best teams, businesses, and organizations find cracks in their core. Riley suggests at such times it’s best to remember . . .

• While the form, the organization, the platform may change, the spirit lasts.

• While it’s tempting to blame others, it’s best to look each other in the eye and just say thanks and goodbye.

• While some aspects are lost, certain parts of the past form the future for growth.

• While there are painful moments, your character will pull your through.

• While the past was wonderful, the future brings fresh viewpoints and opportunities.

Grow! — The future always begins with a destruction of the past. The key is letting the pain of destruction guide you to the future. Yogi Berra suggested, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Riley adds, “The changes in your life aren’t always the ones you hoped for. But they can usually help you grow. I say this: when you face a fork in the road, step on the exhilarator!” (The Winner Within by Pat Riley)