Consulting is like Inception

 

Today I was having a chat with my sponsor at ThoughtWorks. We were discussing the fine nuances of consulting, in particular how to tiptoe the line between pushing for your opinion to be heard and acknowledging when to concede or just to let the client do what the client wants to do, even if you know it's not the best practice at the end of the day. 

Him: yeah we see the problems
Him: and we know how to solve them
Him: but that's not how the world works
Me: *sigh* sadly not
Him: you gotta play their game just enough to get inside it and change it
Me: like inception

This "consulting is like Inception" concept is definitely not a novel one (I know because I Googled it and wiser consultants than me have ruminated the comparison all over the internetz), but it's an analogy worth restating. A large part of being a consultant is getting situated and comfortable within the client site before you're able to even attempt to enact any influences or changes. This includes everything from building trust from the client to getting used to their cafeteria food, and it is only after such a foundation solidifies that consultants can then effectively well, do their job.

Just like Leonardo DiCaprio and co. worked so hard to plant the tinest nuance of an idea in their target's subconscious, so do consultants dig themselves into the client site and attempt to enact change within its confines and limits. And just like the characters of Inception encountered unexpected obstacles and risks and had to pull out from time to time, so do consultants have to deal with letting go of their own ideas, as right as they may seem, for the greater good of keeping the peace and maintaining trust with the client.

(Gap analysis: their obstacles were cool, like avalanches and cars falling into water, and ours are significantly more banal by comparison. Also I haven't met anybody who looks like Joseph Gordon-Levitt on the job yet, which in my personal opinion is totally unfair.)

Potatoes are tasty

Spicy ramen, eggs, guacamole, and potatoes are the four primary food groups that got me through college. Now that I am eating out pretty 80 or 90% of the time on the job, I am sick of restaurant food and find myself struck by pangs of longing for my staple noms. But cooking for one can be really frustrating on my weekends back in Chicago because that "one" cannot finish her leftovers the next day or hope that somehow her celery will make it through the next two weeks. So in a nutshell, I've missed cooking and it's lovely to be home at my parents' house in a fully-stocked, brand new kitchen.

Breakfast is always my absolute favorite meal, both to make and to consume. Especially when the house is empty and it's 11:00 AM and I have no rush to accomplish anything productive or meaningful for the entire day. My favorite breakfast dish? Potatoes. Lots of 'em. In my mouth.

To begin, I grabbed a medium-sized russet potato. I gave it a good scrub and then cubed it, leaving the skin on (ridding potatoes of their skins is, in my book, a sin against humanity).

 

While I was chopping the taters, I'd dropped two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. I transferred the goods to the pan and tossed it around to coat all the surfaces as evenly as possible.

Next came the fun part - seasoning! I am too lazy and have too short term of a memory to know exactly what I throw in there and in what quantities, but it usually always turns out quite tasty anyway (except for that time I dumped half a spice bottle of rosemary by accident. Eight people had to pretend like they really loved rosemaried potatoes that morning). Today I ransacked my parents' kitchen and found the usual players: salt and black pepper, allspice. But then, lo and behold, out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed an old love of mine:

Words cannot describe how fond I am of Old Bay seasoning. Not only is it a delicious ingredient in it of itself, it also reminds me of one of my favorite things in the world - eating blue crabs with my parents. Such a Maryland, home-y taste to this spice! I also adore it on greasy boardwalk fries, so I figured why not add it to my greasy morning taters?

I usually add all spices about five minutes after putting the potatoes into the oil, just to give them a little bit of time to absorb the moisture. I then let them cook for more five minutes (still on medium) and then cover them for another ten before serving. This morning's tater accomplices: a nice thick chunky line of ketchup, an egg over (very, salmonelly) easy, blueberries and clementines, some nice smoked gouda cheese, and a mug of Mocha Cappuccino Swiss Miss hot chocolate. Needless to brag, it was a delicious breakfast (though I won't lie: it left me feeling rather stuffed and perhaps a little disgusted with my own gluttony afterwards. But it got me through five consecutive episodes of Glee!). Cheers to happy holidays and nomtastic nourriture!

Rihanna is the only girl for me, apparently.

I have an enormous girl crush on Rihanna. She is fierce in every sense of the word and I love everything she wears, sings, and wipes her nose on. As of late my predominately male-vocalized music collection been gathering dust in the unloved corner of my iTunes library because I have only been listening to this goddess (and when I can, watching the gorgeous video) on repeat.

It's getting a little sad and I am starting to worry about myself. I am not sure it is entirely normal to take an hourlong bubble bath and have this song play 15 times in a row in the background (...and then to blow dry my hair to it afterwards). I've definitely become obsessed with catchy pop songs in the past and have always successful exorcised them from my brain by playing them until I vomit. But it's not working with this one - I just enjoy it more each time.