Helpful vs. Useful
I click off the engine of my mom-mobile, and as I open my door, I see my 5-year-old son running out to help unload the groceries from the back. He grabs a bag and hoists it up out of the trunk, waddles all the way to the…
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Responsibility is Given. Accountability is Chosen.
In Flawless Consulting, we define consulting as the ability to influence where you have no direct authority or control. In a sense, the control, authority, or ownership of the project, problem, or task lies elsewhere. As an internal consultant, I am responsible for “helping”…
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The Lever vs. The Leash: Are you managing a “Stone” or a “Puppy” client?
My life has been completely upended by a new puppy. 🐾 Gone are the days of predictability and routine. There’s an air of chaos in my home. He is adorable, yes, but also a complete menace. Corralling him is a full-time job. But like…
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I Read the News Today, Oh Boy
“All transformation is linguistic.” This declaration from Werner Erhard landed on me decades ago and has been the focus of my work in the world since that moment. Whether it is completely true or not, this stance is useful if we have a desire for real change. It holds that the context or narrative we choose to live within is decisive in guiding our actions and producing outcomes. It recognizes the importance of the words we choose, which are the visible face of our narrative. The task is to choose where to put our attention and which narrative and conversations best serve us in any search for real change.
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Fast Isn’t Flawless
In complex organizations, “Can you take a quick look?” often translates to: we need cover by Friday. The unspoken requirement is speed over truth. For internal consultants, urgency is especially dangerous because you operate inside a matrix: multiple stakeholders, ambiguous decision rights, and high political cost for being…
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The Problem with Goodness Words
Support me. Trust me. Respect me. How many times have we said these words? Heard them from others? They sound really good. After all, who doesn’t want support, trust, and respect? I’m curious though, how often do we feel we get it or…
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Connecting for the Common Good: What Happens When Connection Becomes the Work
For three days in Cincinnati, people from different sectors, cities, generations, and life experiences gathered together not to network, compete, or consume content — but to practice connection. At Connecting for the Common Good, we asked the question: What becomes possible when we treat connection not as a…
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The AI Revolution has a Human Question
by Andi Roberts The technology works: It can write, analyze, predict, and produce at a speed that would have seemed impossible only a few years ago. Organizations have invested heavily. The tools are here. And yet, something is not happening. The expected gains are not…
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Elevating Human‑Centered Design Flawlessly
Human‑Centered Design (HCD) is not new, but it’s experiencing a resurgence in popularity as organizations look for ways to shape how they build products, services, and workplaces that genuinely serve human needs in the AI era. And for those exploring HCD, you might want to consider Peter Block’s…
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Moving from Inspiration to InspirACTION
You’re inspired. There’s a feeling, a spark, or a shift in perspective. It’s often emotional, intuitive, and imaginative. Inspiration gives you energy or clarity, but in and of itself, it doesn’t necessarily create change. We often stop at inspiration – great ideas, renewed hope, vivid envisioning…
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