How I work

Absolutely! If you are wondering if my services are a good fit for your needs, please email me and we can set up a call or video chat to discuss. I also offer personal consulting at an hourly rate if you are looking for alternative perspectives on a specific problem.

For Executives: Turnover is expensive. Poorly run projects are expensive. Chronic customer dissatisfaction is expensive. Failing to surface issues before they reach production is expensive. My program improves engagement, communication, morale, and retention. We are deputizing your staff in the effort to keep your goals on track. My experience makes it more likely that your project will be a success, and allows you to reach the finish line faster, ultimately saving you money.  ​ For Managers: We will co-create tools and systems to keep track of everything your team is working on, while simultaneously making your team more independent and taking some work off your plate. I offer leadership workshops to build your confidence and help you support your team. Contracting with me also gives you access to one-on-one consulting: bring me your thorniest problems, and I will offer you solutions that I've already tested in the real world.  ​ For Staff: Your job is hard. Burnout is on the rise, and how you work is just as important as how much you work. My program encourages supportive leadership strategies and builds your network of internal experts, making it easier and faster to get the answers you need. I also have tech tips and skill-building classes that have the potential to shave a few minutes off of every day, or even every meeting, while reducing your stress. ​​Ultimately, my goal is to help build an environment that is worthy of your best work.

I take a systemic approach to happiness. If we improve the systems in which individuals are functioning, then they will become more happy. Individual happiness is also great, I want every person to be more happy, but no one wants to listen to a lecture about meditation or gratitude until after we've sorted out the systemic stuff.

Not exactly. I care about your team's success, and I'm committed to creating contracts that maximize value and mitigate risk. This means that I might suggest starting with different services depending on the systems you already have and your team's level of engagement. We will work together during assessment and contracting to determine the best starting point. ​ Think about it this way - if we upskill individual staff, but their work environment is demotivating and engagement is low, they will take their new skills and leave. If the work environment is good, or if we improve the work environment before we start upskilling, the organization is much more likely to retain that talent and recoup the investment.

No, I want to help you to develop the team you already have, rather than supplementing that team with myself. If you need an extra set of hands, I can recommend some great staff augmentation firms that hire top-tier talent. ​ With that said - I do have several Epic certifications and deep knowledge of the industry - that's how I got here. Check out my 2023 XGM presentation on Workflow Engine Rules to get a sense of my experience and personality.

Yes, infrequently. Travelling interferes with my ability to support other clients and with my personal responsibilities. I charge a substantial weekly fee for onsite time.

Predictive AI is really cool, but let's assume we're talking generative.  ​ Responsible Monsters is built on a people-first premise: it's about designing environments that keep people engaged, building teams that support each other, and ultimately promoting human innovation. When I recommend AI, it's to assist people who already have domain knowledge and professional skills, and need a little extra help (dictation tools, AI editing) to make sense of the information they already have in their heads.   Personally, I find that using AI interferes with my creative thought processes, and there is evidence to suggest that only novices gain substantial benefit from using AI in their day-to-day work. Experts get minimal gains or may actually be hampered by using AI, and your experts are where your innovations come from. If your novices today are using AI, are they still gaining the skills and knowledge to become experts in the future? AI can't tell you when you're solving the wrong problem. AI doesn't solve for correctness. AI won't convince your stakeholders to take a risk on the unpopular solution that's going to save you maintenance in the long run. These are still jobs for people, and we still need to train people to perform them well.

Because I believe in the value of strategic destruction. Because one of my family names is a monster on "Sesame Street". Because it provides ample opportunity for adorable branding. Because it's my company, and I like the name.