Thriving Through Transitions

by Robbie Quiñones, Director of Culture + Sustainability

Aside from la familia, one of the great joys of my life is music. My faith and music have successfully carried me through my journey of trials, breakthroughs, and triumphs, both for myself and others.

As we all navigate as best we can through this VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world, one song in particular resonates within my soul when I think and speak of transitions: “Everything Must Change.” The writer reminds us that everything must change; nothing and no one goes unchanged. He goes on to say that there are not many things in life we can be sure of, except that rain comes from the clouds, the sun lights up the sky, and hummingbirds do fly. I know a few of you may remember this timeless classic.

Transition, as defined by Oxford and Webster, is a process, a change, or a shift from one state, subject, place, or condition to another.

My grateful reflection over the past few months has been preparing me to shift, to transition from my seven-year residence with Inclusive Communities (IC) to return to the 1099 world as I build Quinones Consulting, at the end of September.

When joining IC as the Continuity and Sustainability Manager, I managed the Programming Pillar, facilitated workshops, and co-coordinated OTT and IncluCity camps. We were in the middle of a Transition when I arrived, and I understood my role was to help build the plane while it was flying. In other words, I had to be coachable, strategic, prepared, execute plans, critique, be unafraid to fail, and be ready to start the process all over again. This also involved making space for the creative abrasion necessary for our growth and initiating crucial, essential conversations with humility. I was no stranger to hard work, having been blessed as a previous government contractor, local business owner, and franchise owner. Under the guidance of our shared leadership model, it was necessary to shift or Transition yet again, based on the needs of our organization.

My new role as Director of Culture and Sustainability was created to help generate a foundational blueprint of Human-Centered Leadership and Culture Change within our team and the organization, respectively. Integrity is at the heart of our model, with prioritizing people as the structural foundation.

As we Transitioned to greater accountability, I became certified in the DISC Assessment and Psychological Safety to be a greater asset to our team internally and externally for our clients. I also learned a few things about myself along the way: my Human Design is a Generator; my Gallup StrengthsFinder top five characteristics are Learner, Achiever, Relator, Intellection, and Developer; and my DISC behavioral style is C-Contentious.

Leading change and coaching for leadership is never easy, frequently misunderstood, and often isolating. It can be rewarding and heavy at the same time. It has been my faith and deep personal relationship with God that has led me through the trials and triumphs of Transition, both professionally and personally.

Included in the process of every Transition are trials and changes before we reach success. I’ve learned that in order to thrive through my Transitions, I must not fight the process, no matter how tedious. Following the process through to the end is essential. What is the process? The details may be different for everyone or every situation. However, I’ve come to learn that in the process of transition, there will always be at least three components: trials, triumphs, and transformations. It was in recognizing which stage of the process I was in that helped me to strategize, navigate, and regulate my emotions to thrive through any transition.

In leaving well, I’m grateful for the opportunity, confidence, support, and experiences I’ve had with IC while working beside Maggie Wood, Cammy Watkins, my colleagues, my Executive Coach, the Board of Directors, volunteers, partners, and friends. I hope that my words or actions have been a catalyst for change within Inclusive Communities and our community.