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