Developing Meaningful Collaboration for Sustainable Organizational Success: Onboarding with the Workstartcycle

The cycle of development as described by Pam Levin-Landheer in 1982 outlines seven stages of human development and provides the foundation for the workstartcycle. It describes how individuals grow from infancy to adulthood, with each stage characterized by specific developmental needs and behaviors that support the emergence of an autonomous, creative, contributing adult. These developmental processes can also be observed in adults navigating life transitions, such as starting a new job, entering or leaving a relationship, or becoming a parent. This article extends Levin-Landheer’s model from an individual developmental framework to a group-based application. The workstartcycle offers an innovative model for understanding and supporting collaborative development within organizational contexts. The model is designed to support managers, new employees, and teams as they initiate work and manage organizational change. It also provides transactional analysis practitioners, coaches, and organizational consultants with a practical framework for fostering effective, meaningful collaboration, particularly during periods of transition and team formation.