Oct 01 2009
Reflections for My Mirror, Consulting Skills: #3 – Where I Stand
Happy October! Now it finally feels like Fall and I couldn’t be happier. I’m excited about pumpkins, sweatshirts and dinners in the crock-pot! October signifies, to me, the middle of the semester, and I start to think a lot about where I stand.
I feel optimistic about our client for the consulting project. I also believe they have an issue within their organization that we can truly help them grasp and improve upon. One of my initial concerns was that I wouldn’t be able to help the client, or more-so that I didn’t have the consulting skills necessary to help them. Learning about process consultation has eased my worries. As I said in a post earlier, I think it will boil down to maintaining strong and open communication throughout the project. We, the consultants, will help the client walk through their concern and ultimately guide them in figuring out the issue for themselves. Sometimes, all we need is just another set of eyes and ears.
I’m looking forward to our contracting meeting. They want to meet us at a local coffee shop and I think that’s just great. I feel like we are starting out from the beginning on level that everyone is comfortable with. The step in the contracting meeting that I imagine will be hardest for me is wanting to offer solutions too quickly. I have had similar situations like this happen at work, and after the HRD overview class this summer, I realized I needed work on my coaching and mentoring. We learned that it’s important to be an active listener and be engaged in the conversation, but not to offer solutions too quickly, or at all. It’s important to let the client/mentee figure out the solution for themselves as it works best for them. Coaching and mentoring is perfectly okay, but try not to offer opinions or solutions right away. This is something I have to work on. I tend to insert my opinion quite frequently, and sometimes too quickly.
So, here I am, almost mid-semester and I’m feeling positive about where I stand. I’m excited and anxious to get this project rolling and learning as much as I can from a great organization!
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Credits: Google Images – countrypumpkins.net/
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Jenn – I get really nervous about my role in this project too. I get really nervous that I might stray from the process consultant to the pair of hands consultant every time I think about it. How do I make sure “The Fixer” in me doesn’t take over?
One thing that I think will help immensely is that both of my contacts are familiar with Peter Block and process consultation. I believe it will really help manage expectations around what my partner and I will deliver.
Jenn;
First let me say, I also love this time of year. We have been sitting around the fire pit with neighbors, and enjoying making apple pies and pumpkin bread. Thinking of the middle of the semester is not a soothing thought. It has been a tough semester on many fronts, and I struggle to keep my head above water.
I relate to your fear of contracting and not offering solutions. I think our intense desire to help, causes us to offer premature answers. It goes back to “putting it into practice.” Knowing our roles and staying within our roles are different. I was with a very dynamic and strong willed client; I lost all sense of my role and found it difficult to manage the situation.
I hope that I can get class advice and learn from others.