Why I love solving “wicked problems” — and how!

I have an exciting announcement: I accepted a new job with PA Consulting!

You might be wondering: Why join a huge consulting company at this stage of my career?

Simple: because change is a good thing.

My goal is to be a catalyst for maximizing leaders’ potential. It’s an expansion of my long-standing goal of helping leaders thrive with disruption.

Becoming Chief Research Officer at PA is an opportunity to insert myself smack in the middle of the process. (You can read more about why I almost said no to this exciting change on LinkedIn!)

In my role as CRO, I’ll be focused on big topics and issues around business, strategy, leadership, and world issues — what I call the “wicked problems.”

An example of a wicked problem: many women taking time off from their careers to provide caregiving, and never receive compensation for the value they create.

Imagine how different our world would be if we could solve that!?

Luckily, I’ve found an organization that is committed to addressing and solving wicked problems like these — and I’m incredibly inspired by the heart and effort PA pours into their mission.

They’re using their reach, impact, and resources for GOOD — like helping an oil company move from carbon-based fuels to green energy.

I find that so exciting! And so is the fact that half of the executive operating committee i’m joining are women, and five are recent hires. That kind of diversity doesn’t happen by accident.

I can’t wait to work with like-minded people who will push me to think bigger, go further, go faster. It’s thrilling to be surrounded by people who think strategically and audaciously — and who are crazier than me. ;)

But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I haven’t worked at a company this big (3,500 employees!) in a really long time.

I want to be thoughtful about how I join this company. It’s a 75-year-old organization with a longstanding culture and relationships. I’ll have internal responsibilities, so I want to be very intentional about how I show up.

And while being nervous can cause discomfort, it’s simply the flipside of the joy and thrill of excitement. And when it comes to being a catalyst, skating that line between nerves and excitement is the job.

I start next week and I can’t wait to dive in, create impact, drive innovation, and help PA bring ingenuity to life.

Now, I want to hear from you: are you going through a big change, personally or professionally? Do you see it as an opportunity or something to be wary of? Let me know! I love reading your emails.

My Latest:

• I don’t love the term “human resources.” People aren’t just assets! In my Livestream, I shared some radical ideas for the future of HR.

• Going viral – only for consumer products and memes, right? Nope! In Leading Disruption, I share how to get a viral change going in your business.

• I’m taking a week off so join my next livestream on Tues. March 29th where we’ll discuss how to maintain harmony while dealing with the messy side of change.

Good Things:

• Reads: As I jump into a new opportunity, I’m reading Competing in the New World of Work by Keith Ferrazzi. I love the idea of radical adaptability and it provides many tactial and strategic approaches to try.

• Referrals: I’m keynoting the Female Disruptors Summit next Wednesday, March 23rd, where I’ll be speaking about how to overcome the specific challenges of being a woman disruptor (!).

• Resource: I’m obsessed with Hemster — an in-home custom tailoring program. Since I’m 5’ 1” almost everything needs to be hemmed. How it works: I get on a Zoom call and the specialists gives instructions and advice on where the hem should be. I ship the clothes to them and in a week or so I get them back. So convenient!