A Solutionist brings many things to the table.

If someone already knows how to solve their issue, I’m not of much assistance. If someone works in an organization where the definition of a consultant is “Someone that wears a suit, travels more than 50 miles, has a shiny brief case and tells the boss what we have already told him”, I’m not your guy.

As a Solutionist, I listen to all sides of the issue, inquire about items that may not have been discussed, offer suggestions and try to reach consensus. My role is to move the process along. I was not there when your process started, when it had issues and will not be there to the end. You own your own success.

Howard Pierpont is a Solutionist for the Institute for Preparedness and Resilience. The Institute is the educational preparedness arm of the International Association for Disaster Preparedness and Response (DERA). DERA is a membership not-for-profit 501(C)3 organization.

I retired from Intel Corporation where I had assumed responsibility for Business Continuity and Preparedness for Worldwide Engineering. I later worked at the FEMA Disaster Field Training Office. For the past three plus years, I have been speaking about resiliency, social media and dealing with the government during times of disaster.

My audiences include businesses of all sizes, not-for-profits and governmental entities.

Work sample

The following are included in the #1 Amazon Best Selling Book Resilience: Turning Your Setback into a Comeback I am a co-author.

Some situations were caused by people who were hard to work with. My biggest obstructionist went to Miami on vacation. While there, she had encountered the remnants of a hurricane. There was no electricity or air conditioning in a hot humid environment. When she returned at the end of the week, she asked how she could move the continuity plans forward because she never wanted anyone to go through anything like her past week again.

With some discussion, she came up with a mutually agreeable solution to her organization’s needs. I was struck by the impact the hazardous conditions had on her, and I felt a pull to become more involved. I had a feeling my adaptability and creativity could be put to positive use.

In the Economic Development space, a project champion made a request to create a performing arts center. There was already a visual art center in place that had not been disrupted by the flooding. A significant amount of disagreement arose between the two factions in the project on whether there was a need for a separate center. Monica Callan, a local resident and national stage and television performer, put together a proposal for the performance center, but there was a price tag of over $5 million. As a solutionist, I assisted the project by suggesting multiple alternatives and possibilities for success. The group came to their own consensus.

They agreed that this project would move forward.

With agreements on several projects to move forward, the committees further developed their projects for presentation. There were 21 projects proposed and presented at the Community Recovery Fair. Voting for which project would be pursued was done by ballot, with the community selecting “Most Important,”, “Important,” and “Less Important”.

Two of the four economic development projects were voted “Most Important” and the other two were “Important.”. A week later, all projects were ratified in a joint meeting of the Waterbury Select Board and Trustees, in a slightly different priority order. At the annual town meeting, the town voted to go forward with all the projects’ potential funding requests. The performing arts center was still a dream, but Monica Callan moved forward after she and I discussed and exchanged ideas around the creation of a not-for-profit. The Across Roads Center for the Arts was formed. In celebration and preparation, the center sponsored events and performances at the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry facility. The Grange had been around for years, and the building was showing its age.

What was perceived as an even bigger issue was the cost of potential construction of a performance location. Where would the money come from? One phone call would change the direction and velocity of things. The members of the Grange were getting older, and the membership was shrinking. The call led to a meeting where, ultimately, the Grange members agreed to sell the hall to a new not-for-profit (our Across Roads Center for the Arts) for an amount that would never be disclosed. A re-brand was needed. Grange Hall Cultural Center came into being. Because all parties, with my minor contributions, remained flexible throughout the solution-creation process, Waterbury has a wonderful new landmark.

Grange Hall Cultural Center has become the second most popular family-friendly destination in the area, behind Ben & Jerry’s. Was this merger and subsequent success part of the original proposal? No. Could this be an even better, more flexible space than originally envisioned? Yes. There were and still are upgrades and updates that need to be done. To date, projects have replaced the furnace, aging plumbing and electrical wiring, stairs, flooring, lighting, and landscaping, significantly improving the function of the building. A complete kitchen renovation is almost finished and will enhance the overall experience.

Using a solutionist method allows for the flexibility necessary to achieve these positive ends that bring everyone into a happy agreement.