A small town's only factory just shut down. 800 people lost their jobs. The mayor asks you to help. What's your first conversation and who's it with?
My first call is to the woman who's worked at that factory for 32 years whose daughter just started college, because until you hear the human story, you can't find the human solution.
You're probably expecting me to call the mayor back, or maybe contact my network to find a replacement company to move in. That's what consultants and crisis managers do. But that's not what I do. I learned a long time ago that you cannot h...