UNLESS
Is the first word in a quote from the end of Dr. Seuss’ ‘The Lorax’. The full quote is “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better, it’s not.” ~Dr. Seuss, The Lorax. Six letters that have shaped and molded my career and my life. As a professional, I care deeply about improving operational processes and strategies for my stakeholders. I believe that change is inevitable, and the best way to manage it is to be proactive in gathering data that you can use to visualize which areas of your operation you clearly care about. And which ones require some care and attention.
From the time the United States Navy introduced me to Deming’s model of Plan, Do, Check, Act, or “PDCA”, I was attracted to the concept of continuous improvement. And I have been successfully leading projects utilizing a range of change and project management methodologies. Thanks to those successes I’ve had the opportunity to provide operational services to military leaders, government civilians, international partners, and corporate executives. In every single engagement my goal being to streamline processes such that their existence is of benefit to the majority of stakeholders. As I continue my journey as an independent contractor, I do so with the knowledge that my own consulting processes will change and improve, just as the operations of my clients will.
Spoiler warning, at the end of “The Lorax”, the Once-ler gives the boy a Truffula Tree seed, the last of its kind. The Once-ler then tells the boy to plant the seed and care for what grows. While a story written about conservation and deforestation, I personally have always found additional wisdom in the story of The Lorax. At every opportunity the Lorax warned what would happen if the Once-ler did not change strategies and pointed to the data visible in the environment as proof. Conservation requires that we first understand our impact. And those of our operational processes on our environment and on our ability to be creative. Only then, can we begin to make better strategies and processes for dealing with change. Don’t be like the Once-ler, get in touch with me today and let’s talk about how we can make the right operational changes to ensure the continued success of your team, project, program, company or “thneed”.
