Take ten years off…..

That was the advice one of my colleagues gave me when I left IBM ten years ago.  Guess What?  I have done just that.  Not that I really think I have taken any time off.  I have simply chosen to focus my energy in a different direction:  three kids, three countries, new challenges.  Until now….

So now what?

I am putting my consulting hat back on in a more or less official capacity.   Over the years I never stopped thinking of myself as a management consultant.  Managing my family is proving to be a never-ending facilitation exercise.  Let me tell you, it is impossible to get rusty around our dinner table.

I have also continued to hone my financial expertise.  Despite working for financial firms for many years I have learned more about how accountants think and operate while working on a variety of volunteer boards and committees than I did on the job, and (surprise, surprise) we don’t always see eye to eye!  Lots to share here, but I also believe this experience has made me a better consultant.

What is interesting to me is that I have never stopped thinking of myself as a consultant.  It was always a matter of when/how rather than if I would start back up.  Even when I was writing about the election I was always a consultant first.  I simply got to spout off in some very un-consultant ways.

Why This Blog?

I see this blog as a springboard to getting back into things.  I plan to use it to let my readers learn more about me and my consulting style.  I promise to share stories and thoughts that cover a range of experiences.  Expect to read about the good, the bad and maybe even the funny!

I also want to try something a bit new.  As a management consultant I am very good at staying neutral, at seeing all sides and trying to keep conversations from veering off on potentially distracting tangents.  These tangents, however, are sometimes where the most interesting nuggets of information lie.  I have opinions, sometimes strong ones.  I plan to go off on tangents periodically and share my opinions, hopefully encouraging you to comment and share back.

I have grown a lot and learned a lot in my ten years off.  I look forward to sharing some of what I have learned and what I think with you as this blog gets going!