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Lesson 3: Clients and Their Problems
Constructive Opportunism
Timing is crucial when switching from one type of inquiry to another. “There are no simple criteria for deciding when the time is right” (Schein, 1999, p. 48). When deciding the timing and the type of inquiry, the consultant also keeps in mind the first six principles—be helpful, deal with reality, access one’s ignorance, remember that every question is an intervention, let the client own the problem, and go with the flow (Schein, 1999). The consultant should resist the temptation to jump in with insights and suggestions until the time is right.
On occasion the consultant will make an error in either the timing of the intervention or the level of the intervention, which may cause the client to reject the intervention. However, the consultant must treat any error as an opportunity to learn. This gives the consultant information about themselves, an opportunity to consider what might have been done better, and a better understanding of the client. This is summarized in Principles 7 through 9.
Summary of Principles 7, 8, and 9
Principle 7: Timing Is Crucial
Any given intervention might work at one time or another. Therefore, the consultant must remain constantly diagnostic and look for moments when the client’s attention seems to be available.
Principle 8: Be Constructively Opportunistic With Confrontive Interventions
All client systems have areas of instability and openness where motivation to change exists. The consultant must find and build on existing motivations and cultural strengths (go with the flow), and at the same time seize targets of opportunity to provide new insights and alternatives. Going with the flow must be balanced with taking some risks in intervening.
Principle 9: Everything Is Data; Errors Will Always Occur and Are the Prime Source for Learning
No matter how carefully the consultant observes Principle 7 and 8, the consultant will say and do things that produce unexpected and undesirable reactions in the client. The consultant must learn from them and at all costs avoid defensiveness, shame, or guilt. The consultant can never know enough of the client’s reality to avoid errors, but each error produces reactions from which to learn a great deal about the client’s reality.
Quoted from Schein, 1999, pp. 49–50.
Errors will occur. Errors can be learned from. Errors in content must be distinguished from errors in timing or presentation.
Status Equilibrium
As the client becomes less dependent and vulnerable, the relationship with the consultant approaches equilibrium. The relationship reaches the point where it meets the mutual expectations of both the client and the consultant, and both feel comfortable with what they can give and receive. The client is now an active learner and welcomes input from the consultant as well as other sources.
Consultants often find themselves at a point where they do not know what to do next or what something means. From a process consultation point of view, it is completely appropriate to share the problem with appropriate parts of the client’s system. This leads to the final principle.
Principle 10: When in Doubt, Share the Problem
Consultants will often be in situations where they do not know what to do next or what kind of intervention is appropriate. It is often appropriate in those situations to share the problem with the client and involve them in deciding what to do next.
References
Schein, E. (1999). Process consultation revisited: Building the helping relationship. Addison-Wesley.