What If We Just Skipped the Problem?

Why I’m joining FutureGood as a Visioning Strategist

What if we just… skipped the problem?

Not ignored it. Not denied it. But stopped organizing all of our thinking around it.

I know—that sounds wrong.

Most of my work is built on helping people navigate problems: conflict, tension, misalignment—the real, human dynamics that show up in leadership and organizations. And that work matters. But here’s what I’ve been noticing—more and more:

We are very good at working the problem.
And not always as good at moving beyond it.

We analyze it. We name it. We try to fix it.

And in the meantime? We stay inside it.

Right now, that makes sense.

There’s a lot coming at us: urgency, pressure, polarization, real stakes. So we respond. We solve. We adjust. We keep going.

But over time, something starts to happen. We get better at reacting— without getting clearer about where we’re going.

And without that clarity, even strong leadership starts to feel like motion without direction.

That’s the gap I’ve been feeling.

And it’s why I’ve joined FutureGood, the consultancy founded by futurist Trista Harris, as a Visioning Strategist.

FutureGood starts somewhere most of us don’t. Not with: What’s wrong? But with: What are we trying to build? 20, 30, 50 years out. A future where the problems we’re working on today… have already been solved.

And here’s what happens when you do that.

You change the frame immediately. You’re no longer inching forward from the problem. You’re moving toward something you’ve already defined. Alignment happens faster. Decisions get clearer. Energy shifts.

Not because the work is easier. But because the direction is.

We’ve seen this pattern before.

The deepest change doesn’t happen at the level of programs or policies. It happens at the level of how we think, what we believe is possible, and how we make meaning together. When that shifts, everything else can move more quickly. Futurism starts there.

For me, this isn’t a pivot. It’s a completion.

The work I’ve been doing focuses on how we show up: how we stay present, build capacity, and make intentional choices in real time.

Futurism focuses on where we’re going: the future we’re trying to create together.

We need both. Because capacity without direction can keep you circling the same problems—just more skillfully. And vision without the ability to carry it forward doesn’t get very far.

So yes, I’m still doing the work I’ve always done. And now, I’m also helping leaders and organizations do something just as critical: Get clear on what they’re actually building.

Because if we’re going to live through rapid change anyway, we don’t just need to respond to it. We need to direct it.

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If you’re wondering whether this is actually practical (and not just a nice idea), the case studies are worth a look.

And if you’re finding yourself thinking, “we might be a little too focused on the problem…” I’d love to talk. Julia and I have been hosting small, informal lunches at our office—just 3–4 people at a time, no agenda beyond getting to know each other and talking about the work. Or we can grab coffee and talk about what it might look like to, just for a moment, skip the problem.

If you want to connect, feel free to reach out:
athena@betterworldpartnersmn.com