Does your organization have baggage—mistakes from the past that keep being dredged up again and again?

You’re not alone. And you're not alone in wondering why the team won't let it go.

There's usually a few reasons in the mix:

1. Past mistakes can be an easy scapegoat to point to instead of being held accountable.

2. Baggage is a great way to avoid unwanted change—“we’ve already tried that and look at what happened.”

3. The old guard wants to be recognized for their loyalty, strength, and grit – for earning their stripes, for walking two miles through four feet of snow to get to the IT department. They have lived to tell to the tale. And they will tell it, over and over again.

4. These loyal long-timers also want to be acknowledged for having gotten the organization to where it is today.

5. The past skeletons that continue to arise were never truly laid to rest. They have not been forgiven, and thus will not be forgotten.

This is toxic for an organization. If your team continues to bring the past into the present, your future will be a repeat of the past.

There will be very little progress. Old school and new school will become more and more divided.

Good news is it’s never too old and it's never too late. The baggage at hand could have been created 10 years ago. If it wasn’t handled well and the aftermath acknowledged, it is still haunting your organization. Now is the time to address it.

So how do you get your team to let go?
It's easier than you think. Bring your whole team together, and: 

1. Describe the gory details of what happened. Really. Yes, everyone already knows them—they want to know that YOU know them. Even if you weren't there at the time, you can describe what you have been told.

2. Do not explain why the issue was handled the way it was. This hasn't worked before and it’s not going to work now. It simply makes you appear defensive and sounds like “I’m sorry, but…”

3. Acknowledge the impact of the issue. While you’re over it, they’re not. So take this up a notch—the impact was deeper than you think, and/or it’s gained depth as the pain of time has continuously carved through the organization. Speak to how hard it was for everyone.

4. Genuinely apologize. If you were part of leadership when the issue was created, own the issue. If you weren’t there, apologize on behalf of those who were in leadership at the time. It is much easier to forgive and forget when a genuine apology has been offered.

5. Recognize and thank those who went through the difficult times. Acknowledge your long-tenured team members contribution for the success and growth of the organization today - "We wouldn't be here without you."

Then end the meeting.
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In your next all-team meeting, speak to the future.
PRO TIP: Do not tack this on to the prior meeting - it needs to be a separate meeting. If you tack it on it will make everything you just shared feel disingenuous and like manipulation.

- In this second all-team meeting, first communicate:

• It’s time to let go of the past and create a future we can all be proud of.
• Old mistakes cannot continue to hold our organization back.
• We have learned from our mistakes, and it’s time to move on.

- Then visually, with feeling, paint the picture of your vision.
- Then ask, “Everyone who is on board with me, please stand up.”
- Pause and survey the room, making appreciative eye contact with each individual.

(You might be thinking, what if they don’t stand up? While there are no guarantees, every time we have made this recommendation, the entire team stands. There’s a desire to belong and contribute to a better future.)

And you will notice within weeks of the first meeting, and within days of the second meeting, your team is making progress rather than reveling in the past.