Traditions happen fast. Sometimes faster than they should.
Do something once, it’s a nascent tradition. Do something twice and it’s a bona fide tradition – not to be messed with!
Of course, you can mess with traditions, change things over time, revise and even cancel things that have been traditions. But it’s hard, and it comes with a lot of potential blowback because of expectations.
It can make a leader fearful of trying new things; if I try something, will I have to keep doing it forever?
But I want to try new things! As a leader, I want to grow and I want to create new opportunities for my students. So I preface anything new with a hedge – “We’re just trying this.” Let’s meet afterwards to discuss what worked and what didn’t. Let’s openly debate whether something merits repeating. It’s a way to try thing without creating longterm expectations.