“How do we make the most of a consulting relationship” with Paul Dunstone and Kailopi Tsousis
Paul and Kaliopi’s presentation was a great reminder about the important aspects of working with clients in one’s role as an internal or external consultant. The key was to understand what the work of a consultant is and seeing the nuances that make organisations work, without necessarily interfering. Kaliopi took us through Lippett’s model of consultant activity in problem-solving and the roles that we usually engage in (from observing through to advocating) in contrast to what the organisation might need at a particular point in time and context.
We were also reminded about the five basic activities of a consultant:
- Attend to the client system
- Attend to oneself
- Focus on the energy/excitement in the client system
- Facilitate meaningful contact between members of the client system
- Help the group learn how to complete work
This was a very valuable and insightful night for OD practitioners; so a big thank you to both Paul and Kaliopi for sharing their wisdom, knowledge and experience.
Here’s Paul talking about the helping role of consultants.