Welcome to ADLT 610
Consulting Skills in Adult Learning Environments
Class 2September 12, 2011
Agenda Questions about the course, the assignments,
the blog or the wiki?
Schein’s view of process consultation and the helping relationship
An Introduction to Process Consulting
Phases of consulting
Consulting roles
Introduction to Process Consultation
Decide on topic facilitation dates and consulting project pairs
Course Requirements
What is process consultation?
• “A philosophy about and attitude toward the process of helping individuals, groups, organizations, and communities”(p. 1)
• “Creation of a relationship with the client that permits the client to o perceive, o understand, o and act
• on the process events that occur in the client’s internal and external environment in order to improve the situation as defined by the client.” (p. 20)
More on process consultation
Key philosophy: One can only help a human
system to help itself.
Emphasis on process – how things are done is
as important or more important than what is
done
Possible Reactions of Client
to Being Helped
Resentment, defensiveness
Relief
Dependency, subordination
Transference
Roles of Consultants - Block
Expert
Pair of hands
Collaborative
Roles of Consultants - Schein
Expertise (purchase of information or selling and telling)
Doctor-Patient
Process Consultation
Schein’s Basic Principles 1-6
1. Always try to be helpful
2. Always stay in touch with current reality
3. Access your ignorance
4. Everything you do is an intervention
5. It is the client who owns the problem and the solution
6. Go with the flow
The client shares a presenting problem
The technical or business problem
How the problem is being
managed
A Clear and Simple Understanding of What is Happening
Redefine the Problem
Recommendations
Block’s assumptions about consultant’s goals
Phases of Consulting According to Peter Block