the four-leaf clover

This semester opened up a new door of challenges and surprises. Challenge #1 happened the first night, when Dr. Carter asked us about our expertise. What I learned just by this question, and through our consulting project, is that I do have expertise in many things. This is one of the most simple, yet valuable concepts to realize, especially when we are acting as consultants. I learned that I am a good communicator and listener. I learned that I am very organized and timely. All these things I knew about myself, but didn’t know how much they would play into a consulting role.

I learned that I need to work on being more assertive and express my wants and needs to clients. I realized that it’s just as important for the client to express what they want to see happen as it is for the consultant. The consultant/client relationship is a vital point to success. Open communication is needed throughout the entire project and it’s important for the consultant to realize that they can have an impact without control. What is so special about process consultation is it allows for the client to fix the problem; it allows them to take control and initiative with the consultants to solve the problem within their organization. I also learned that having this relationship with a client is the most effective, and it builds a solid, trusting base to the whole process.

In the future, I hope to build on the concepts I’ve learned from Block, Schein and Dixon. With all three of their perspectives, I learned that the consultant/client relationship is like forming a friendship. In the beginning of a friendship, we discuss with each other our similarities, differences, past stories, and possibly issues we have. As a friend, we are constantly in dialogue, and we help each other through tough problems. We are good listeners, mentors and share our expertise, but we (try) to let our friends figure out their problems on their own. Our friends may show some resistance to thoughts and advice we may share, but we have to ask them, “I see you are feeling uneasy about what I just said, can I explain further or do you want to talk about it?”

What I’ve learned about process consultation, and what I will take with me, is that it’s practical. It can be used in a formal or informal setting, in our workplace or at home. It is important to remember that it’s a working relationship and it’s all in what we say that helps the client realize their problem. Lastly, it’s important to have fun!

Thanks for a great semester! I’m glad I had the opportunity to work with HandsOn and also learn from my classmates. I look forward to using my expertise and the skills I’ve learned in Capstone next semester! Happy Holidays everyone!!

What is my ethical standing when acting as a consultant and how does that translate into my personal life? I think the class facilitation helped to point out the importance in ethics, values and morals, and how these things do play a large role in the consulting world. How were my values and morals shaped? Where did they come from? What specific experiences in my life have shaped me to be the ethical person I am today. All these aspects are tested daily when we act as “consultants” in our work lives and personal lives.

I started thinking back to our feedback meeting last week, and in fact, our entire project in general. I think Demetria and I did a good job of being very ethical with our client. For me, it wasn’t hard to be open and honest with her because we initially established a rapport that made this possible. I think we got very lucky to have a client that was understanding, and with our initial contracting meeting we all knew that it would be easy to work with each other. Of course, I’m sure we could have said things that would have caused resistance and uneasiness, but those comments wouldn’t have helped to solve the underlying problem.

It’s easy to see how I stayed ethical and maintained control of my values and beliefs during this process because we had a client who was wonderful; however, if we had a more difficult client, how would this have changed the process and my ethical standing? Listening to some examples from classmates clients’ has helped me sort through these thoughts, and I believe I would still stay true to myself. It’s is easier said than done though… as many things are. I’m sure throughout my career, whatever that may be, I will deal with some resistance and difficulty, and therefore my ethics may be tested a bit. Is it strange that I’m welcoming this challenge?

Okay, on to finishing this integration paper… good luck everyone!

The weeks are flying by and I am trying to keep up my pace. I know the whole class chimes in week after week that we can’t believe the semester is almost over, but I really can’t. The past few weeks have been very empowering, and have reminded me why I was drawn to this program in the first place.

This past Monday we were led through a facilitation on engagement and implementation. A large part of the facilitation was spent in a circle, literally. I never really  grasped the power of a circle until I became an Adult Learning student. This one particular circle the other night was not only engaging, but also a breath of fresh air. We spent the last half of the class, in this circle, going around and saying positive things about each individual. It was truly a powerful exercise and we all left feeling a little bit better about ourselves.

I started thinking after class about the power of a circle in my workplace and with our client. The setup at my workplace is fairly standard: stadium seating lecture halls, long and narrow conference rooms, and in most offices the desk separates the individuals. I think it takes certain people, and in my case faculty, who appreciate the power of a circular table. One of our periodontics faculty members has a circular table in his office, and he’s adamant that when we have a meeting in his office, we sit around that table. I didn’t realize until I started thinking about the power in a circle, but he gets it! It makes such a difference speaking with him around this space as opposed to across his desk. I believe a lot of this falls back on the individuals character, because it would be just as easy for me to speak with him across the desk; however he appreciates what I do and listens when I have questions, so this is his way of showing me that he cares – that during that meeting, we aren’t separated by numerous hierarchical levels.

As far as the power of the circle with our client, I think the same situation exists. From day one, and from our initial contracting meeting, our style with her was quite casual. We met at a local coffee shop and exchanged ideas, but this worked for us. With some consultants’ and clients’ this may not work as well, but in our case, we knew we could accomplish even more if the relationship was open. As a matter of fact, during our feedback meeting the other day we sat with our client at a circle table. It’s so easy and comfortable for conversation to flow this way, and what I appreciate is how it’s almost impossible to not look at each person you are talking to.

The power of the circle, and the power of the dialogue and engagement that takes place within that circle is huge. I think if we all sat around a circle more often,  during our meetings, seminars, lectures, and simple conversations, we would learn a lot more about the people we are interacting and engaging with.

Coming into an organization as a consultant can be difficult, and trying to pick apart and understand what is happening within that organization is challenging. When I hear the word discovery, I think of learning new information, realizing what the attitudes and opinions are of employees, and finding different ways to “fix” the problem. I like how Block states, “the stance we want to take is that we can be a guide through a process of discovery, engagement, and dialogue.”

As far as our consulting project goes, I think we are lucky to have a client who seems very open to the change and discovery process. They are willing to face the problem head on, and therefore have been supportive and provided us with answers and information that will help us discover as much as we can. I think discovery happens on both sides; the consultant is discovering more about an organization and the in’s and out’s, and the client is also discovering what needs to change. I think our client is at the “I’m ready to discover and change” point, and therefore is willing to take action on their problem.

We had touched on it a little in a previous class, but I had never really thought of the difference between a research approach and an action approach. When I first learned that through this project we would be doing discovery and data gathering, I immediately thought, “oh, we’ll be researching the organization and collecting information that will be useful.” Block says that research is understanding, and that understanding is enough. The action approach is a more in-depth, personal way of helping the client move through understanding the problem.

Act, jointly, involve, recognize, and understanding – these are all words within the text that describe how we want our discovery process to proceed. I want to make sure we use these words above as we work our way through the discovery process with our client.

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/

I never thought about the important of the contracting step during a consulting project. I had thought of the contract itself, but hadn’t taken into consideration the many clients and contacts involved. The readings this week and the exercise we had to complete helped me pin-point who some of these contacts and clients may be, and their significant roles in the process. As I described in the “Who is the Client” exercise, when I was a student adviser in the School of Mass Communications, my primary goal and responsibility was helping the students – the primary client. I rarely, if ever, considered who my other clients were. I knew who my contact was, the Director of Student Services, but I didn’t focus on her as a contact when I was giving students advice or pointing them in a certain direction. I also never really factored in the importance of parents, professors, or VCU in general, because the way I looked at it, I was there for the student. It was their education and ultimately their decision to come see me in the first place.

If I could go back now and advise, as I hope to one day soon after school is said and done, it will be interesting to see how my advising changes. Will I take into account all of my different clients more often? How much will the unwitting and ultimate clients play a part in my advising? Contracting can be a very complex process. As Schein points out in one of his case studies, it’s important to keep all the clients/contacts in mind and not forget who those individuals are.

On a side note, I found Nancy’s Checklist a great companion to Block’s Flawless Consulting. From what I’ve learned about consulting and contracting thus far, it seems like it boils down to having an open mind and communication. Being honest and upfront with all contacts and clients will help eliminate confusion and problems in the future. I appreciate that consulting can be about both parties learning from each other. Not only does the client look to the consultant for a form of help, but the consultant can learn just as much, if not more, from the clients he/she interacts with. As Nancy’s Checklist #8 says: Have fun!

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.