Rick Torseth

It’s a challenge to know what information is relevant to post in a bio that will be read by a diverse audience. How much of my past do you want to know and what really matters? I have been a consultant for over seventeen years; all of it as a sole practitioner. I choose to work alone so I can design client solutions that make sense and are useful to my clients.

I do a great deal of reading and research. Most of my research is about change because all my client work involves changing something. I want to know what changes when “it” changes. What practice sustains a change strategy? Why do so many change initiatives fail (both personal and organizational) when we know what to do?

I consult and coach individuals in the profit and not-for-profit sector. I work with leaders and their teams. All these projects share a common need to execute strategy more effectively and improve productivity. The only reason to use me is to help achieve these two results.

In my experience, few people or organizations truly grasp the magnitude of a change project and therefore do not allocate enough of any resource to successfully achieve permanent change. My job is to make clear the work required for the job ahead, access useful tools and approaches and provide clear feedback that will leverage structures, processes and people.

I recently completed an MSc in Change at Oxford University & HEC (Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales) in Paris. A year of focused study and writing gave me access to sharper strategies and processes for helping my clients, but most importantly, I re-learned that we can change the world only by changing ourselves.

I am married to a truly wonderful woman and I am father to a great teenage daughter. Theresa and Annika allow me the space to practice the art of changing myself without too much laughter. My work is my life and I love that part.

What must you end permanently for your change to be realized?