Repair
I could develop a complex. Clients don't hire us when everything is going well, or when they know what to do next. Supporting clients in working better is part of the satisfaction of consulting. I've seen it all is a myth, despite my decades of experience. While there are certainly commonalities, every situation is unique. Humility is of the essence. Believing that I can address any challenge is dangerous. Past successes aren't always directly transferable. Too often, I've witnessed successful people in one sector believe they can easily repeat that in another. In Chicago, a local real estate tycoon once purchased a newspaper thinking that he could fix it like a distressed high rise. He lost his shirt. Plenty of successful business people get involved in social impact challenges only to become flummoxed or cause frustrating disruption. Clients hiring Foresight is always an ego boost. But discreetly, at the start of any undertaking, I question everything, including the extent of my expertise to be effective. Challenges tend to have layers, only the top most of which has been identified and is visible. Other deeper factors often dwell underneath that can sink any attempted solution or approach. I don't believe in swagger, or in breaking things and then using the mess as fodder for repair. The fundamental purpose or principle of design is to alleviate suffering, not cause it. Through a bizarre twist of fate, a monster child who only knows swagger has been unleashed to instigate a National Unraveling. While I deeply identify with the impulse to streamline, repair, and optimize, how matters as much as what. To quote the musical Hamilton: History has its eyes on you.
