The trio of problems, opportunities, and strategies has dominated the focus of my work throughout most of my career. Early on, I recognized that traditional approaches to problems and planning were frequently failing and too often leading to unintended consequences. As a result I began accumulating tools and perspectives to build insight and build stronger and more robust strategies and solutions. For twenty years I have selectively helped clients solve problems, identify opportunities, and develop robust strategies.

Problem definition is a critical first step - collecting facts and perceptions, closing gaps, and building a cohesive understanding of the problem or issue at hand. Every problem brings opportunities that are too often overlooked in a reductive focus on a problem. Holistic approaches and creativity help avoid unintended consequences, establish stronger goals, and build organizational awareness of uncertainties, decision points, and alternative scenarios. The ultimate goal is a strategy that will succeed across a variety of possible futures.

Over the past ten years I have worked General Motors, Royal Dutch Shell, Bell Canada, Rolls Royce Aerospace, Texas Utilities, and others on issues ranging from industry deregulation, to supply chain problems, to research funding strategies, and long-term market scenarios.

Experience suggests successful engagements begin by consolidating client knowledge and insight with the mutual goals of surfacing pertinent knowledge and minimizing perceptual gaps that may exist across the client team. That consolidated knowledge base serves as a platform for addressing issues of concern, for evaluating uncertainties, and for considering alternatives. Tools, methods, and methodologies are selected to match the needs of the client and issue under consideration. I find the most successful engagements are organic, evolving with the client. While the specific definition of a successful engagement will vary from project to project, I would characterize successful engagements as preparing client teams to act cohesively to resolve an issue or problem while avoiding unintended consequences. For longer term issues, this typically involves developing a strategy that will be robust across a range of possible futures.