The importance of graduation moments in an AI-driven world

By Jana Cinnamon

My daughter is graduating from high school this year. When I think about this milestone, there’s so much to reflect upon: the first 18 years of her life, her high school accomplishments, and what’s coming next.

While I am in a reflective headspace with my daughter’s graduation, I find myself always looking ahead at work—always anticipating what’s next. I imagine I’m not alone in this, especially considering the continued rise of AI.

With AI, everything is accelerating. Change is happening more frequently and more quickly. If we don’t stop to catch our breath, it can be difficult to process the progress we’ve made.

Graduation is a true transitional moment; the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. It’s something we rarely—if ever—experience in the workplace.

So, perhaps now is a good time to ask ourselves: As leaders and organizations, are we setting aside time to reflect, celebrate, and reset? How can we create “graduation moments” within our teams?

Here are a few ideas for how to make it happen.

1. Practice thoughtful recordkeeping

When time flies, it can be hard to remember what we did even the day before. Documenting moments (and not just outcomes) helps bolster our memories and gives us palpable stories upon which we can reflect.

As a parent, I’ve always been very thoughtful about capturing moments—large and small—in my daughter’s life. I can’t wait to spend time reflecting on them as we mark her graduation.

As a business leader, I try to record moments that happen within my team too. This might mean taking photos during team events or meetings, saving articles, and even jotting down notes. One of our firm’s recordkeeping initiatives is the annual Abdo yearbook, which gives us a fun way to reflect on the previous year’s experiences—and not just its results.

Reflecting on these moments can give us peace amid a transition. It can be reassuring to remember that today’s changes will be tomorrow’s “look how far we’ve come.”

2. Lengthen your lookbacks

Many teams tend to work in little cycles without clear endpoints. We complete a project and then it’s on to the next one. We often forget how far we’ve come in just a few years.

Instead of looking back to only the last quarter or year, it can be helpful to look back over the last 3–5 years. Your team may realize that what felt difficult a few short years ago now feels mundane.

In this season of AI-fueled change, it can be helpful to remember that we’ve navigated change before. AI is just another evolution; it’s not the first.

3. Celebrate progress

My husband and I are planning a graduation party for our daughter. In addition to celebrating her graduation, this special event is a chance to say thank you to those who have been a part of our village.

In the workplace, we tend to focus on output and efficiency. Yes, need to celebrate the results. But we also need to celebrate the learning, adaptation, and effort that made them possible—along with the people who played a role in the success.

Celebrating our progress during a time of change is critical for restoring energy and reinforcing relationships. And this can help to fuel momentum for what’s next.

For example, we may find in our workplaces that some team members are embracing AI, while others are resistant. Recognizing those who are leading the way could help to foster buy-in and motivation throughout the team.

4. Create space for emotions

My daughter is fully capable, she’s going to do great, and I’m excited to see her make new friends in a new state. Yet along with feelings of joy and pride, I naturally feel a tinge of sadness. I will so miss having her around.

At points of transition, it’s natural to feel a mix of emotions.

As we incorporate AI more into the workplace, we may experience feelings of excitement and uncertainty. Employees may be wondering if they can keep up and what changes AI will bring.

Our role as leaders is to normalize these mixed feelings. We can’t rush past the human side of change. It’s important to recognize that a transition—even in the workplace—is more than operational. It’s also emotional.

With this in mind, take time to personally check-in with employees; don’t rely on company-wide communications alone. Talk with employees about their thoughts, feelings, and concerns. It’s okay to say “we don’t know” and “we are learning.”

It’s also good to acknowledge that AI isn’t happening only to us; the world as a whole is navigating its implications. Just like my daughter isn’t the only high schooler moving into their next stage of life—we’ve been there before, we will be there in the future, or we’re experiencing it at the same time.

Moving forward an AI-driven world

As we embrace AI in the workplace, I’m grateful for my perspective as both a mom and a business leader.

If we always look at what’s ahead, without stopping to acknowledge how far we’ve come, we can lose sight of what keeps us going. Our team members—just like my daughter—need to feel a sense of accomplishment in the face of change. By creating graduation moments within our teams, we’re creating pauses not just for slowing down but for moving forward even stronger.