I realize and recognize that there is a before and after I joined Way Beyond. What was left behind I remember as a climb to a mountain peak. The hard trial of life in which, in order to become great, in our eyes, we so often feel small. What came after is like a dip in the ocean.

2020 was a year of losses and gains. Not everything that was lost was bad. Not everything that was gained was good. Much, or almost everything, was called into question. As we are no exception, we decided on an exercise of self-observation, of analysis of our small universe and the wider world around us.

Our purpose was to share ideas, interests, doubts, curiosities with each other, in a moment created specifically for that purpose. At the same time, we contributed to the team members' continuous development in critical aspects for us (critical thinking; capacity to transform information into knowledge; conversation; integrating different points of view; among others).

way-beyond-work: this was the title of the email I sent to the team on the last day I "was with them" (contractually speaking and also in the channels and work platforms that helped us so much in the last months). From that day on, my presence in each of their lives and theirs in mine would officially remain beyond work, above all.

On 2 June 2020, we finished Way Beyond Coaching Class 1, the first edition of our Coaching Programme, entirely designed by us after 11 years of delivering a programme in partnership.

We wanted to have the testimonies of those who participated and ask them to write an article to 5 pairs of hands. But on second thought, it seemed more fun and more dynamic to get together (virtually) to chat which, after all, is what we most like to do!

"The entry of a new person into a team is usually a period of adjustments and finding new balances. What follows is not a "recipe for integrating people", but rather a possible contribution to this exercise that is less simple than it seems."

In this world in which we live, excited and entertained by technological and scientific advances, which constantly pushes us in the directions of productivity, efficiency and effectiveness, happiness at all costs, permanent balance, forced creativity, etc., the space to think seems to be lacking.