The Contracting Process

ADLT 610 – Class 4Fall 2008

Agenda

Questions, discussion to this point

Overview of Contracting

Who is the Client? Exercise in Schein

Locating your consultation site

Process Consulting

Possible Reactions of Client

to Being Helped

Resentment, defensiveness

Relief

Dependency, subordination

Transference

Engage in Active Inquiry to Keep the Client in the “Driver’s Seat”

Use active inquiry

Remember the psychological dynamics involved in helping

Distinguish between three levels of inquiry: Pure inquiry concentrates on the client’s telling

of her story

Exploratory diagnostic inquiry brings in the client’s feelings, reactions, and reasons in response to the consultant’s questions about how, what, and why

Confrontative inquiry engages the client in considering the consultant’s ideas about how, what, and why

Reactions of Consultant to Client

Use of power and authority

Accept, overreact to client’s dependence on you

Meet defensiveness with more pressure, rational discussion

Resist entering the relationship, esp. when it means giving up the “One Up” position.

Counter transference

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

Schein’s Basic Principles 7 -10

7. Timing is crucial.

8. Be constructively opportunistic with confrontative interventions.

9. Everything is data; errors are inevitable – learn from them.

10. When in doubt, share the problem.

Questions to Ponder How do you reconcile "going with the

flow" (Schein) with following the consulting stages linearly (Block)? … Is it necessary to follow Block's stages literally, or is there a chance that they can be mixed up or be iterative?

What do you think?

Thoughts about the initial client meeting…

Explore reason for working with a consultant

Listen carefully and ask questions for clarification – but be careful not to cause defensiveness.

Move the client from “what’s wrong” to “what would you like to see as a result?”

Explore the readiness for change.

Thoughts about the initial client meeting (cont.)

Explore potential for working together.

Convey information about what you do and how you work.

Build trust and confidence.

Learn about the organization from their perspective. (You should have already researched the company before 1st meeting.)

(Lippitts; Rothwell, et al.)

Some contract items…

The boundaries of your analysis

Objectives of the project

The kind of information you will look for

Your role in the project – how you want to work with the client

Some contract items (cont.)

The product you will deliver

Support and involvement you need from the client

Time schedule

Confidentiality

Feedback to you later

Questions Clients Ask

What are the deliverables? What will the final product look like?

What are the critical milestones? How will progress be monitored?

How can you help me with the kick-off of this project?

How will we communicate?

How many employees will need to be involved?

Contracting Skills

Negotiate wants

Cope with mixed motivation

Surface concerns about exposure and loss of control

Clarify all parties to the contract

Client Types

Consultant

Contact Client

Makes initial contact

with consultantPrimary Client

Individual /Group who works with the consultant

to define the problem(pays the bill)Intermediate

ClientsOthers involved in

providing data on the problem

Ultimate ClientsOrganization, community,society or stakeholders

Unwitting Clients People affected by outcomes of the consulting intervention but are unaware of it

Involved non-clientsCan actively undermine the consultants’ efforts

Questions to Get Started What do you want to discuss?

Who is the client for this project?

Who else will be at the meeting? What are their roles?

How much time will we have?

Are you are ready to begin? Are we going to discuss it further?

Do we do anything at all?

Who is the Client Exercise 4.1

Work in pairs

Exchange scenarios and give each person a chance to read yours Consider situations in which you found yourself

providing help to others

Reconstruct the case in terms of client roles Check your understanding of these with your partner

in this class discussion

Review the degree to which you took into account the needs of unwitting or ultimate clients / How did this influence your behavior?

Draw some conclusions from your shared experiences

References

Beich, E. (1999). The business of consulting: The basics and beyond. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Rothwell, W.J., Sullivan, R., & McLean, G.N. (1995). Practicing organization development: A guide for consultants. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.