Why I Work Onsite-Why It Matters

After a career helping organizations grow, diversify, expand, merge, divest, transform, or sometimes shrink—and often combinations of all the above—it became clear that my calling is to help organizations transform. Whether prompted by economic realities, competitive pressure, market shifts, or leadership changes, my role has consistently been to go where I’m needed.

 

Historically, that meant weekly travel or packing up and relocating for each engagement. Then one day, the wiser half of my personal life said, “Why don’t we reduce our footprint, get a fifth-wheel trailer, and just go wherever the work takes us?” What initially sounded like “just crazy talk” quickly turned into a highly effective way of working—for both me and my clients.

 

 

The Power of Being Present

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COVID gave many of us a taste of remote work—trading commutes for bunny slippers and home offices. And while virtual collaboration has its place, there are certain aspects of transformation that simply can’t be done remotely.

 

True transformation, especially culture change, demands presence. Team members need to see you, feel your involvement, and know that you’re in it with them. Culture work isn’t a checklist of 15 tasks—it’s more like 1,500 interactions that require personal connection and real-time engagement.

 

Some of the most impactful moments happen informally:

• A team member walks by and says, “Can we talk? I’m feeling frustrated.”

• Or someone in a new continuous improvement role feels unsupported and needs encouragement.

These are the moments that shape transformation—and they don’t happen over email or Teams.

 

 

What Mobile Consulting Means for You

 

I’ve worked with many consultants over the years and valued their contributions. But I always appreciated them more when they were onsite—when we could sit across the table, look each other in the eye, and have honest conversations about moving forward.

 

Roughly 80% of communication is non-verbal. While video conferencing is useful, it still lacks the nuance, trust-building, and subtle cues that only come from being in the same room.

 

So much of organizational transformation comes down to people—their beliefs, behaviors, concerns, and motivations. That’s why I show up. To be at our highest and best use, we go where the work is—because when it comes to people, being there matters.