Aug 26 2009
Reflections for My Mirror, Consulting Skills: #1
The first week of Fall classes has come and gone, again. I have high hopes for this semester and the two classes I’m taking, one of them being Consulting Skills in Adult Learning Environments. Before our brief class discussion the other night, I had my own thoughts on the term consulting.
Consulting = coaching, mentoring, fixing problems, guiding, listening, providing solutions. Yes, these terms are associated with consulting, but the roles associated with them are so much deeper.
Expert, Pair of Hands, and Process Consultation are three roles of consulting. Depending on what the client or organization has a need for is the role the consultant should take. I’m excited to learn more about the Process Consultation role and how to help clients solve the problems themselves. This sort of self-learning is beneficial in more ways than just consulting. I believe I learn the best if I’m not given the answer, but have to work for it. As we discussed in class, when the client has to dig deeper to solve the problem, the outcomes can be shocking. I believe that more often than not, the client or organization is surprised to learn where the true problem lies. This is why being open to self-discovery is so important.
After this little teaser of what’s to come, I’m excited for the class and semester. In one night I not only learned more about consultation roles and components of problems, but I now know I should keep an onion in my backpack. Whenever I have a problem at work and need to get through it, I can sit and think, peel back the layers of my onion, and hopefully discover some new answers.
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Jenn,
You got it! What a great understanding of these essential concepts: I think this is going to be a good semester for you:-) tjc
Jenn,
I believe learning is more successful and meaningful when the learner is involved in discovering the answer, however, it must be difficult as a consultant to go beyond the expert or pair of hands role. We discussed in class how the cultural environment effects the relationship, but so does the desires and motivations of the participants. Only if both parties can be truly honest and open to exploring the root of the problem, can the relationship be successful.
I have never been a consultant but the most difficult part of teaching in dental hygiene is making the students part of the process and not just regurgitating my content knowledge on them. If I were honest, sometimes being the expert validates my position. I wonder if the same holds true for consultants.
My aa-haa moment came when thinking of the client/consultant interaction as a relationship and not just a job or task.
PS: I love your blog title
I’m TOTALLY with you about how I learn best – if someone hands me the information, I will learn it long enough to pass a test. But, true application seems to come when I need to really work for the solution. I had never thought of this with a consultant role either. It does seem incredibly applicable though! Why wouldn’t a client learn more if they were part of the process? It seems that the adage about teaching a man to fish so he can eat for a lifetime is totally apropos.
I’m also looking forward to trying on this new role and seeing what it has to offer!