Reset Mode – Existential Re-Evaluation

Reset Mode is the renovator stance of HCS.

Where Stabilization Mode repairs, Growth Mode extends, and Conflict Mode makes tension visible, Reset Mode asks:

“Given what has changed and what we’ve learned,
does this cooperation system still make sense in its current form – and if not, what needs to end or be rebuilt?”

It focuses on acknowledging that the old contract is no longer valid and designing the conditions for a different future – whether together or apart.

Reset Mode is not an admission of failure.
It is a recognition that context, purpose, or legitimacy have moved on, and the system must either transform or be consciously closed.

When Reset Mode Is Active

You are in Reset Mode when the original basis of cooperation has fundamentally changed.

The Zombie Diagnostic: Are we dead or just sick?

Use this table to distinguish between a team that needs Stabilization and a team that needs a Reset.

Feature	Sick Team (Needs Stabilization)	Zombie Team (Needs Reset)
The Goal	"The goal is hard, but we want it."	"Does anyone actually care about this goal anymore?"
The Friction	"We are fighting about how to do it."	"We are fighting because we don't want to be here."
The Future	"If we fix this, we can win."	"Even if we fix this, does it matter?"
The Feeling	Frustration / Heat.	Apathy / Numbness / Cynicism.

Entry Signals:

• Strategic Drift:
  The company pivoted, but this team is still working on the old roadmap "just in case."
• The "Sunk Cost" Trap:
  "We have spent 2 years on this, we can't stop now" (even though the market is gone).
• Total Loss of Trust:
  "I will never trust this leader again." (Requires a Reset of the leadership or the team).

Core Objectives of Reset Mode

Reset Mode has three main objectives:

1. Stop the "Zombie" Work
   Pause execution. Stop burning energy on a model that is broken.
   Goal: Create space to think without the pressure of "delivery."

2. Grieve and Close
   Acknowledge what didn't work. Allow people to vent, mourn the lost effort, or express anger safely.
   Goal: Psychological closure. You cannot build the new thing on top of the resentments of the old thing.

3. Re-Contract or Dissolve
   Decide explicitly: Do we form a new team with a new purpose (Go to Setup), or do we disband (Exit)?
   Goal: A clear, binary decision. No "drift."

Reset Mode Scripts

Reset Mode requires "dangerous" questions that break the inertia.

• The Zero-Based Check: "If we were not already doing this project, would we start it today? If the answer is no, why are we continuing?"
• The Amnesty Clause: "For the next 2 hours, you can say exactly what you think went wrong, and it will not be used against you. We need the autopsy data."
• The "Eulogy": "Let's list everything we tried that failed. Let's thank it for the lesson, and explicitly say 'We are done doing that'."

Core Model Focus in Reset Mode

Primary focus: Level 1 (Preconditions)

• Common Purpose:
  Is it gone? If yes, stop.
• Interdependence:
  Do we still need each other?
• Trust:
  Is the trust bankrupted? Can it be refinanced (Reset) or is it insolvent (End)?

Secondary focus: Level 5 (Meta-Practices)

• This is the one time Level 5 is critical. You are not just working in the system; you are redesigning the system from scratch.

Extended Dynamics in Reset Mode

Reset Mode is emotionally expensive.

• Identity & Loss (Extended Needs)

  • People identify with their work. Canceling a project can feel like erasing their identity.
  • Action: Honor the effort even if you kill the outcome. "The code didn't ship, but the learning is valuable."

• Power & Politics (Extended Conditions)

  • Resets often redistribute power. Expect resistance from those losing empires/budget.
  • Action: Be hyper-transparent about why the reset is happening (e.g., "Market shifted," not "Bob failed").

What to Prioritize in Reset Mode

Prioritize:

• Ending things explicitly
  Don't let projects "fade away." Hold a closing ceremony. Mark the end.
• Honesty over comfort
  A Reset built on a polite lie will fail in 3 months.
• Returning to Setup
  If you decide to continue, treat it as a Brand New Project. Do not skip Setup Mode.

What to Avoid in Reset Mode

Avoid:

• The "Soft" Reset
  Changing the meeting name but keeping the same broken patterns.
• Blame Games
  "Autopsy without blame." Focus on mechanics of failure, not villains.
• Skipping the Grieving
  Rushing immediately to "The New Exciting Plan!" while people are still processing the failure of the old one.

Mode Transitions

Typical transitions into Reset Mode:

• From Stabilization/Conflict, when it becomes clear the issue isn't "fixable" because the foundation is cracked.
• From Growth, when a market crash or strategy shift renders the growth irrelevant.

Typical transitions out of Reset Mode:

• Into Setup Mode, when a new or radically redesigned cooperation is justified.
• Into No Cooperation (Dissolution), when the best option is to stop working together.

Exit Criteria: When is the Reset complete?

You leave Reset Mode when you have signed a New Contract (psychological or written): 1. [ ] The Old Way is officially declared dead. 2. [ ] We have decided: Stay Together (New Purpose) OR Disband. 3. [ ] If staying: We have a date for the "Kickoff" of the New System (Setup Mode).

Summary

Reset Mode allows a cooperation system to end or transform with integrity.

It does not guarantee that everyone will be happy with the outcome.
Its role is to ensure that:

• the decision to continue, transform, or end cooperation is based on current reality, not past intent,
• foundational conditions (purpose, interdependence, trust) are not faked or assumed,
• people are not trapped in obsolete or harmful arrangements out of habit or fear,
• any new cooperation starts from Setup Mode, not from the unspoken debris of the old system.

Used well, Reset Mode prevents organizations from living in “zombie cooperation” – freeing energy for systems that are genuinely alive.