The perpetual chase scene

A well-paced action movie will build a plot around upward spirals of drama and suspense, and then have you on the edge of your seat (or this year, your couch) as the action swells to the climax of the chase scene. 

That last heart-pounding bit is probably several minutes long—and then you feel the glory of relief. They got away—or they didn’t—but either way you can breathe again.

I think a lot about the pacing of emotions when supporting our clients in leading transformation—what feels sustainable, what feels satisfying. It’s no secret we've had little of either feeling in the past year.

That’s because 2020 and now the start of 2021 has been one long chase scene. The experience of threat, of instability, of life-or-death choices weigh on us all. So many days I wished someone would call “cut”.

This year at SYP we’ve instituted the “SYPause Day.” A company-wide day off, once a month, to find relief. To grab a snack from craft services. To get a touch up in the makeup trailer. To walk off the lot and simply breathe.

The action will be ready for us when we get back.