Major transitions require full feedback loop recalibration…
Treat major life or work transitions as mandatory recalibration events requiring review of all existing feedback loops, as changed context invalidates proxy-outcome correlations that held under previous conditions.
When This Fires
- Immediately after any major life transition: job change, relocation, relationship change, health event, role change
- When an established system "feels wrong" after a transition but you can't articulate why — stale calibration is likely
- During the first month of any new role or environment
- Complements Review new agents weekly, established ones monthly… (context-triggered agent review) with loop-level recalibration
Common Failure Mode
Carrying forward all existing systems unchanged: "My productivity system worked great in my old job — I'll keep using it." The system was calibrated for a different context: different meetings, different output expectations, different energy patterns, different communication channels. Running the old system unchanged in the new context is like using last year's map on this year's roads — it looks right but doesn't match reality.
The Protocol
(1) When a major transition occurs, schedule a full feedback loop review within the first 2 weeks. (2) For each active loop, ask: "Does the context this loop was designed for still exist?" Check triggers (do they still occur?), standards (are they still appropriate?), metrics (are they still correlated with outcomes?), and adjustment rules (are they still applicable?). (3) Loops where context has changed → recalibrate: update triggers, standards, metrics, and rules for the new context. (4) Loops where context no longer exists → retire or redesign from scratch. (5) Expect to recalibrate 30-50% of loops after a major transition. If you're changing fewer, you're probably not examining carefully enough.