Written by This was not my plan. At least, not the plan I had for a very long time. This is not the typical ‘safe bet’ that has been the hallmark of many prior career decisions. But over the past couple of years as a consultant for one of the world’s preeminent firms, I often felt increasingly disconnected from what I saw was my greatest and best use: formulating talent solutions and driving change not at the macro level, but partnering with leaders and their teams to bring this change to life at the local level. I see the greatest opportunity (and impact) in the enablement of individual leaders and their teams to formulate, plan, initiate, and drive change through their organizations. Concurrently, to help sustain that change, one must also create practical organizational and talent solutions to help teams and individuals achieve their aspirations.
So my plan changed. I created Kaleidoscope. While currently small and humble, I hope to partner with leaders and their teams to create thoughtful and impactful organizational and talent solutions, while also enabling meaningful organizational change. Underpinning that goal is a set of four principles that I believe differentiate how clients are engaged and consulting services are delivered:
Co-Create and Iterate – Problems can’t be solved in a vacuum on the first try. I help clients create the structure, discipline, and (most of all) patience to create and implement the right solutions.
Do Work, Don’t Just Make Work – Some consultants tell you all the things you need to do. I roll-up my sleeves and work with leaders and teams to bring those ideas to life.
Value Simplicity over Complexity – The world is complex, and problems are thorny, but viable solutions should (and often must) be elegantly simple. Simplicity and practicality underpin the work I do.
Be Nice – Because, who wants to work with someone who is a jerk?
Finally: Why name it Kaleidoscope? The thing about a kaleidoscope is they are fluid and dynamic, and what may at first seem like chaos is actually a beautiful and ever-changing pattern of color and light. Organizations are really no different. I believe we can create organizations that, even though they are complex and chaotic, can function in exciting and harmonious ways.
There you go. Here I go. Let’s partner along the way.