What is an organizational consultant?
January 31, 2008 – 12:22 amThe complex living, runway technology, and tendency toward specialization that characterise our society keep us endlessly searching for innovation solutions to human and organizational problems.
In this paper project we will try to present the importance and the function of the psychologist consultant in our society.
Consultants as a group appears inspired by their altruistic desire to contribute to the psychological well -–being of others or to organizational success.
We will present how the consultants through theirs ability and skills improve our life as a growing society. We will see that the consultant is a psychological professional who helps others to resolve work- related problems.
Chapter I
Psychological Consultation
In this chapter we will offer an introduction to the practice of psychological consultation. We will have the definition of consultation, make comparisons with related psychological or human activities, and provides a summary of the psychological, sociological, economic, and political forces that have contributed to consultation’s development.
For the beginning we need to define the terms which will use in this paper project.
The consultant is a psychological professional who helps others resolve work-related problems.
The consultee is the individual to whom consultation is extended. The consultee requests the consultation because of a need for direction and creative problem solving.
The clients are individuals with whom consultees engage in some type of formal helping relationship.
Definition of Consultation
We have found in Wallace and Hall (1995) a definition of consultation.
Psychological consultation involves a broad helping approach in which qualified psychological consultants help consultee to resolve work related issues pertaining to individuals, clients or programs that they are responsible for; become active agents in achieving solutions to problems; and strengthen consultee’s work related competencies to address similar issues in the future.
Consultation Functions
Psychological consultation is a broad field involving an array of professional functions delivered across multiple settings.
Consultants are active throughout the entire process as they actually assist clients with interventions such as team building, conflict resolution, and training.
One of the consultant roles is to define situational to meet the needs of the particular consultee and organization (Wallace and Hall, 1995).
The consultant is a content expert when the consultation assignment requires attention to specific problems and is a process facilitator when he emphasizes the process necessary to achieve solutions to problems and focuses on how problems are resolved.
In Wallace and Hall (1995), Kurpius presents an alternative model in which consultant roles are delineated according to the modality of intervention. He can be in provision mode when is needed to resolve client issues or generate sound solutions. In the prescription mode, consultants are experts who help consultees meet the needs of client by resolving problems. In the collaboration mode, consultant serves as a catalyst that encourages consultees to move in the directions necessary to resolve problems. And finally the mediation mode emphasize the consultant who serves an autonomous function in recognizing special problems, forming interventions plans and calling together responsible parties to plan for change.
Consultant Effectiveness
Consultation is recognized as a process that requires planning, coordinating and organizing. Consultation as a process oriented activity needs to plan and organize actions according to the specific characteristics and needs of the organization.
Some investigators suggest that effective consultation outcomes are related to conscientious planning and organization and require a sound theoretical foundation.
Consumers, writers and parishioners agree that consultation is a worthwhile and needed practice whose popularity is justified. Some believe that consultation provides a challenging professional frontier that offer existing options, variety, and innovative technologies.
According to Wallace and Hall (1996), Caplan devised a novel approach to treatment in which consultants address client’s mental health problems by focusing more on the skill deficits, biases, and emotional deficiencies of the delivers of service (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
In conclusion to this chapter we have understood what consultation psychology is and who are the beneficial of theirs activities.
Consultants as a group, appear inspired by their altruistic desire to contribute to the psychological well being of others or to organizational success.
Psychological consultants represent an array of professional specialities and of all the traits that distinguish consultation, none is more apparent that it’s cross-disciplinary status.
Chapter II
Stages and Models of Psychological Consultation
In this chapter we will examine the stages of psychological consultation and the most common consultation models and approaches. Psychological consultants go through a series of interconnected processes that require careful planning and organization.
The consultant’s understanding of problems during the early stages of the process influences decisions about later, action-oriented intervention.
A consultation stage represents an identifiable interval in the consultation process (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Preliminary Contact
At this preliminary stage, consultant-consultee explorations emerge from telephone calls, written corespondence, request for proposal and a face to face meeting.
Exploratory discussion emphasizes many issues, including the presenting consultation problem. At this stage the consultant may want to determine whether hidden motives or other barriers could inhibit the consolation process. Exploratory discussion between the prospective consultant and consultee help to determine the consultation fit. Successful consultation obviously demands compatibility among the consultant, consultee and consultation problem.
Here the consultants need to recognize that each consultation request is unique with respect to the consultee’s expectations, problems and setting (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Contracting requires the consultant and consultee to negotiate and agree on the relevant terms of working together. The consultant and the consultee need to present theirs expectations from the consultant’s process.
Entry
The second stage of psychological consultation is entry otherwise known as establishing trust. This is probably the most important of all stages as you are getting to know the client and the client is beginning to put trust in you and your abilities.
At this point is the key to finding the key elements of what exactly is expected of you without losing the trust of the client.
Consultant must also recognize that each setting boasts a collection of beliefs, rules, and customs that form the organizational culture.
Consultation success is often a product of the degree to which the consultant’s behaviours are congruent with those expected by and consistent with the staff (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
In the earlier stages of the consultation process, consultants must anticipate the tension often generated by consultation process which generates change in the organization.
Assessment and Diagnosis
Assessment and diagnosis are crucial in the consultation process. The consultant re-examine findings and rethink problem-solving strategies. For this stage to be successful, collaboration between consultants and consultee is essential (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Assessment in consultation involves collecting, organizing, and interpreting information that can help consultants and consultees bring problems into focus and determine their causes.
The consultant must organize group meetings and interviews for gathering information’s, and also to be ready all the time observing events and people reaction to the consultation process.
The client history is a collection of information, facts and observations which will help the consultant create a complete view on the organization.
Data collection must be synthesized, categorized and analyzed in order to formulate an accurate diagnostic impression. The consultant needs to identify and classify the problems in order to create an intervention plan.
The primary objective of assessment and diagnostic activities is an accurate conceptualization of the consultation problem. These activities establish the purpose and direction of consultation.
Goal Setting
Goal setting has its roots in motivational theory and therefore applies well to the consulting experience.
As elementary as it may appear, individuals who set goals are most likely to achieve them. Research on motivation suggests that individuals who accept and set specific difficult goals are most likely to increase performance.
When formulating goals, it is necessary to begin with the end in mind (Covey, 1989). It is often helpful for many consultants to think of it as a mental road map as they contemplate the best way to get from point A to point B. Without a clear vision, it is possible to achieve unfavourable and unintended outcomes. Through this process consultants should be in constant communication and understanding with the consultee as to which plan of action should be taken.
Mutual commitment to specified goals establishes a blueprint that all parties can support.
Consultation goals provide a framework for the process by imposing a mission and channelling intervention in certain directions (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Interventions
The fifth stage is intervention which means to integrate methods and strategies conceived by consultants and consultees to address problems (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Intervention is a respond to a given situation, to a problematic situation and in the same time is an initiative to change the given situation.
Consultants should avoid interventions that involve convenience or favorism or personal preferences. He needs to find the best strategy followed by an objective assessment of the situation.
Implementing interventions requires consultants and consultees to actualize planned interventions, initiate problem solving behaviours and resolve diagnosed problems.
The intervention can be delivered at multiple level and directed at individuals, groups, or organizations. The best intervention is to have a strategy directed to all level.
Evaluation
Evaluation is the opportunity to really see if the goals have been met, that the assessment and the diagnosis were correct as well as the intervention. The evaluation is a time not only for the consultant to evaluate the client but the client to evaluate consultant results.
This can give insight to what should be done and what could have been done better.
Termination
Termination is an inevitable stage of the consulting process. Although projects may not terminate immediately after the intervention, all good things must come to an end. Termination is a concluding process that can result due to the accomplishment of an intended goal.
During the termination stage it is common to arrange an exit interview that recaps the entire consulting experience and allows for tremendous amount of feedback.
These can clarify both the positive and negative aspects of the counselling experience.
Consultation models and approaches
We have three popular and enduring consultation models: mental health consultation, organizational consultation, and behavioural consultation. We will make a short presentation of this consultation approaches.
Mental Health consultation
In mental health consultation, professional consultants address mental health issues through their work with providers of direct treatment services (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Here we have Caplan’s mental health consultation where we delineates four types of consultation that are applied situational depending on the focus and goals of the process: client centred case consultation; consultee centred consultation; program centred administrative consultation and consultee centred administrative consultation.
Through the mental health consultation relationship, the consultee strengthens professional competencies, works through treatment impasses, and implements strategies to resolve present and future organizational and client problems.
The goal of consultation is achieved when consultees accept responsibility for their own work problems.
Organizational Consultation
Organizations consist of people working together to achieve a common purpose.
Organizational culture represents the unique pattern of acceptable rules, beliefs, rituals and behaviours that define organizational process and responsibilities.
Organizational culture is learned as members construct strategies to solve problems of external adaptation and internal integration. By having the capacity to modify organizational culture, it is possible to change the actions, thoughts, and feelings of a large segment of members of the organization (Lawson and Shen, 1998).
Consultation interventions and subsequent organizational changes must be developed and articulated with a clear vision of how the organization’s culture will be affected (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Organizational culture and organizational leadership are important variables that influence the consultation process.
Organizational consultation encompasses multiple diagnoses organizational deficiencies and apply conceptual interventions tailored to specific organizational problems.
Behavioural Consultation
Behavioural consultation has evolved to the point where consultants can choose from a wide range of application and ideologies to address behavioural changes in client population.
As consultants who help consultees solve client or work-related issues through a triadic, problem-solving approach, behavioural specialist apply the processes of mediation, collaboration, and instruction. Behavioural consultants must have a knowledge base
that reflects the views of behavioural psychologists and theorists and that reflects the following premises about human behaviour: human behaviour is the product of learning; behaviour occurs according to distinct, lawful, and systematic principles; behaviour is measurable and can be empirically validated; human behaviour is the product of the interaction between behaviour and environmental influence; human behaviour consist of overt and covert processes. Some describe behavioural consultation within a cognitive-behaviour framework that blends overt and covert processes to define and resolve consultation problems.
According to Wallace & Hall (1996, p. 74), Bergan views consultation as an indirect, problem-solving process in which an expert consultant utilizes psychological data in interpreting consultation problems and designing behavioural interventions. Behavioural consultation is most often a client-oriented approach in which consultants and consultee prepare behavioural plans to correct maladaptive behaviours. The behavioural consultation model that Began espouses proceeds through a series of four stages: The problem identification stage, the problem analysis stage, implementation, and evaluation. Should consultation proceed though a case- oriented approach, the consultants and consultee address the behaviour of a specific individual with whom the consultee has engaged in some type of formal care. There are four prominent functions that make the consultee’s role critical to the success of consultation: specification, evaluation,
working with the client, and supervision or monitoring. Verbal exchanges between consultants and consultees are at the heart of the entire consultation process. Utterance not only elicit required information relative to assessing the problem, but influence consultee behaviour as well.
Consultants are attracted to behavioural consultation approaches because they offer well-defined methods of problem solving and are relatively standardized with respect to theories of human behavioural change technologies (Wallace & Hall,1996, pp. 73-80).
In conclusion to this chapter we have understood that the consultation stage represent an identifiable interval in the consultation process and that all seven stages are extremely important for the success of the consultation process. Consultants across the psychological discipline rely on selected models to supply the structure and mythologies needed to perform consultation task. We are to behavioural consultation approach which is most often a client oriented approach in which consultants and consultees prepare behavioural plans to correct a client’s maladaptive behaviour.
Chapter III
Measuring Consultation Efficacy
In this chapter we will try to understand the measuring consultation efficacy and the obstacles and barriers to the consultation process.
Evaluation serve to assess the efficacy of the consultation in a given setting and with a given group of people. Evaluation must assess efficacy at multiple levels including goal attainment, reaction to the consultation process, cost justification, human behavioural change and organizational change. Also we will see that resistance and negative reactions to the consultation process can threaten the efficacy of any program or project. We will present some actions the consultant can take to counter the resistance.
Evaluation refers to a systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of programs for use by specific people to reduce uncertainties, improve effectiveness and make decisions with regard to what those programs are doing and affecting (Patton, in Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Summative Evaluation in Consultation
Summative evaluation in consultation refers to evaluation methodologies that address the extent to which specific outcomes are achieved. This type of evaluation has the primary aim of determining the success of interventions in resolving consultation problems.
Goal Attainment
When measurable goals are established for interventions they offer concrete indication of whether consultation has accomplished its mission.
Kiresuk and Sherman (1968) provides a goal attainment scaling model which involves a standardized process consisting of weighted measures and estimates of the degree of accomplishment rather than employing global measures.
Using this model, consultants have at their disposal quantitative scores that provide sound estimates of goal accomplishment at the end of the GAS process (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Reaction
Another criterion to evaluate is reaction of the consultation participants and observers. This measures report feelings, attitudes, points of view as these change over time. The consultant may see the comfort of the consultees and other participates who express relative to consultation outcomes (Wallace and Hall, 1996). Satisfaction data can be derived from informal tactics or through formal instruments that can show peoples reaction to the consultation process.
Cost Justification
Consultation is costly, and the ultimate impact of consultation can not be determined solely within the context of human behavioural or organizational changes.
Levine describe cost benefit evaluation as a method that measure the value of outcomes against the costs required to produce those outcomes. Consultant can compare the benefits of consultation outcomes to the expenses incurred by the purchase, design, and implementation of intervention (time, material, effort).
Human Behavioural Change
One variable that evaluation methodologies are often concerned with human behaviour.
Organizational culture is a situational variable that influences, to various degrees, all members of an organization (Lawson and Shen, 1998). If the consultant makes intervention on the organizational culture it will have an impact on the individual’s behaviour.
The consultant can measure the effects of interventions on the behaviour of individuals, including consultees, clients, and possibly other organizational members. Although evaluating behavioural change is a complex process that facilitates the consultant’s action (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Organizational Change
The consultation field’s perpetual attention to the health of organizations demands that consultants evaluate the multitude of organizational changes that emerges from consultation.
Though the prospects of change often bring anticipation and excitement, planned interventions always produce unanticipated consequences (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
To give the field a more solid foundation and to justify their professional status, consultants must commit to a framework that includes documentation of the value of their worked
Resistance to the Consultation Process
Resistance is defined as active or passive opposition that can threaten the efficacy of any program or project. A consultant needs to learn how to deal with staff resistance and also develop the necessary skills and strategies for dealing with this reaction.
Conflicts between Consultant and Consultee
The consultant needs to realize that he is asking the consultee to assume the risk of opening the organization to a comprehensive assessment. Some consultees have resistance motivated by mismatching; this means that a series of conflicts about the consultation roles and expectation may occur. In this case the consultant needs to make regular review with the consultee of the progress and assessment made.
Also the consultant may encounter resistance stemming from hidden agendas. Consultees do not always share with the consultant all of their reasons for desiring consultation. Here the ultimate goal is for all who are involved to be in clear agreement about the purpose of the consultation process and to meet the needs of the organization.
Resistance created by unrealistic expectation can be another source of resistance. Here the consultants needs to be fully aware of his personal competencies and limitation when deciding to undertake the consulting task so that not to promise more than he is capable to do.
Conflicts between Consultant and Consultee’s Staff
For many of the organizational staff the consultant is a threat. The fear of change is caused because the consultant will discover some weaknesses, errors which have been made in the past. Change could mean the loss of their present status an authority. The consultant should treat the people with respect and involve them in the consultation process (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Also we can have resistance precipitated by multiple cultural contexts. The cultural norms of an organization are based on shared philosophies, ideologies, values, beliefs, and assumption; especially abut the proper way to approach problems. Cultural norms are not easily changed and the members of organization may refuse to cooperate.
Resistance resulted from poor communication can be a real source of resistance. The consultant needs to know how communicate his intervention plan so that to avoid distorted perception from the staff members.
In conclusion to this chapter the consultant needs to know that the evaluations serve to assess theirs efficacy at multiple levels including goal attainment, reactions to the consultation, human behaviour change and organizational change. He also needs to be aware of some resistance reactions to the consultation process that can threaten the efficacy of his intervention plan.
Chapter IV
Educational Consultation
In this chapter we will shortly describe the customary educational settings that use internal or external consultants understand the role that consultants play in educational settings.
These consultants are often selected from the student personnel specialists including psychologists, counsellors, social workers, learning resource specialists and career planning specialists. They seek to promote the full participation and personal development of all students in the educational setting through more active involvement in the educational process.
Consultation in the Higher Education
Plato (1977) in Wallace and Hall (1996) believes that student affairs staff should acquire the necessary consultation and organizational skills to work effectively in the university setting. The consultants need to implement programs and services that benefit students.
New student orientation programs, it is support programs that acquaint new students with the college or university setting. The goal is to familiarize students with range information that will help them to enter in the college environment.
Special needs of returning program, it is a program for older students who came to begin a college career and the consultants need to prepare special programs designed specifically to meet their needs.
Psychological consultant in the educational setting must be aware of the numerous and diverse system and cultural variables that can have a positive or negative impact on the consultation process. Also, as in any organization, consultants often encounter resistance especially when the goal is organizational change, so he must consider this before any program is implemented.
Consultation in Public School Settings
While resources are often limited, consultants are hired in the public school for a variety of problems that can not be addressed by internal personnel. This includes addressing the learning and behavioural needs of challenging students or teachers on new complicated issues.
The consultant need to create consultations programs for teachers, school administration and parents so that together understand what is the best program to implement for the students. The consultant needs to teach them skills specific to each different group so that they know how to encourage the students to be more active in the educational settings.
Chapter V
Consultation in Child Development Settings
In this chapter we will understand the variety of settings and programs that can be served by psychological consultants in child development settings.
Child development program are to help children up to the age of five years acquire the life skills essential to healthy physical and psychological growth. Many of these programs exist within a comprehensive framework that emphasizes children’s growth in multiple areas, including psychological, emotional, and behavioural development.
Head Start Programs
Head Start Programs were developed to prepare three to five year old children for future enrolment in public schools. Some of the goals of this program are: to improve the child’s physical health, to facilitate the child’s emotional and social development; to enhance the child’s cognitive skills; to establish patterns of success for the child; to promote positive family child interactions and relations and promote positive relationship with the society.
Nursery Schools
Nursery schools are child care programs that support the mental and physical development of young children. These programs grew out of the need to nurture socioeconomic ally disadvantaged children in areas of physical care, but the modern nursery school expand their focus to encourage creativity and the arts (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Programs referrals to psychological consultants
There is clear evidence that the types of problems that children are experiencing are multidimensional. There are many stressors, which reflect a range of familial and ecological conditions.
Marital schism represents a serious stressor for each family member. The children are serious affected by the lack of stability, security and love from theirs families.
Child abuse and addiction by parents appear related to many of the negative conditions that impair family harmony, including family violence, sexual abuse, marital discord, and unemployment. These conditions create serious damages on children on long range of time.
Case - oriented consultation
The psychological consultation in child development settings addresses child problems at multiple levels.
Here we have case oriented consultation, which refers to an approach in which consultants and consultees engage in problem solving dialogue and action relative to the needs and characteristics of a specific child or case. The consultant and consultee assess the child’s behavioural or developmental status, synthesize assessment information into intuitive impressions, and design and implement relevant interventions. Emerging from the case oriented dialogue is comprehensive plan that explains how the child’s behavioural or emotional problems can be corrected.
Parent Consultation
In parent consultation, psychological consultants engage parents as consultees with respect to the behaviour and development of their children.
Parental and family dynamics are consistently examined as factors that contribute significantly to the adjustment of young children (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
The parents are educated to applied techniques to influence theirs child emotional, cognitive and physical development.
In conclusion of this chapter we have understood the importance of psychological consultation in child development settings. The stress that results appears critically related to the psychological development of young children and can become a priority issue in child development settings.
Chapter VI
Consultation in Heath Care Settings
Psychological consultation in a health care setting refers to services delivered from a mental health perspective to medical facilities, health-oriented agencies, or medical insurance companies to provide comprehensive care to patients.
Psychologist often becomes members of an interdisciplinary team in hospitals, primary health care centres, public service delivery agencies, family practice programs and rehabilitation settings. We will try to understand the type of consultation a psychologist consultant can give in health care settings.
Clinical Consultation
Clinical consultation points to a unique triadic relationship in which a consultant and consultee (medical authority) collaborate to improve the care of a third party, the client (patient).
In a general hospital, primary physicians often request a consultation because they do not know the source of the patient’s mental disturbance.
Clinical consultants operate within an expert oriented framework in which they offer expertise with respect to diagnosis, treatment, and prescription (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Even when practiced in the health care environment, consultation is often conceptually fragmented and seems to lack a practical foundation. Mental health counsellor, for instance, has yet to enter the health care picture with much success (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
In order to be accepted and to enter in the health care picture the consultants need to achieve recognition, to be professionally appreciated and to gain acceptance from medical peers.
Despite of the barriers that impede the entrance of psychological consultants in medical settings, some writers urge them to seek health care opportunities with greater determination.
In conclusion to this chapter we have understood the effectiveness of a psychological consultant in a medical health setting. In good collaboration with the medical authority the psychological consultant collaborate to improve the patient life conditions in medical centres. Still, resistance to psychological interventions in health settings stems from multiple sources, the contributing factors include the philosophical differences divide psychology and medicine.
Chapter VII
Consultation to Business and Industry
This chapter examines the role of psychological consultants in business and industrial settings.
The impact of a world marked by economic change and instability, relentless global competition, rapidly advancing technology, demanding customer, client, and employee requirements is forcing business and industrial managers to rethink many of idea considered essential to an effective management. Many business look to psychological consultants for assistance in developing human service systems that are designed specifically for people in their organization.
Consultation is an influence process in which the motivation of a person to implement a decision is increased by allowing the person to participate in making the decision (Yukl, 1998).
Some consultant function include developing benefit programs; measuring productivity level; serving as expert witness to testify at employee compensation hearings and designing, conducting and evaluating specific training seminars, workshops and programs
Some of these programs are: employee assistance programs, which are designed for the delivery of mental health services to troubled employees whose work performance is impaired and for preventive and health programs.
Organizational development programs are programs where the organization itself is the consultant’s client and organizational or system enhancement is the primary goal of consultation. Human resource planning and development programs are for recruitment, selection, orientation, training and retention of employees.
Human Resource Planning and Development Programs
A good manager recognizes that the people are his greatest resource. As the economy moves from an industrial to an informational base, and as great volumes of complex information must be gathered, classified and analyzed, managers are required to spend more money and time on finding, motivating and training their people. Before new employees are recruiting, corporate goals and objectives must be established, and training and orientation or socialization programs to help new employees adapt to the organization’s culture and expectation be developed (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
The consultants who are responsible to influence, personnel issues under conditions of advanced technical change need to acquire a detailed appreciation of the particular technology and task when considering the choice of the most appropriate organizational arrangements (Wallace and Hall, 1996). Organizational change can lead to a great deal of frustration for both senior managers and organizational development consultants therefore from the beginning the consultant needs to make a complete assessment and gather all the information about the manager desire of implementing change in his organization.
Collaborative Team Consultation
Collaborative team consultation requires team ownership of the identified problem and the agreement that accountability for the success or failure of any innovative changes is to be shared. Consensus is both a success and a goal. The process requires all team members to listen to and respect what others on the team have to contribute to look beyond the boundaries of their own speciality and to blend ideas with the ideas of the other specialist. Coordination and cooperation are crucial if consensus is to be reached (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Working in a collaborative team consultation effort with members from diverse specialities can be a stimulating experience for psychological consultant.
In conclusion to this chapter we have understand that one of the most important and difficult leadership responsabilies is to make major change in the organization, but this process can be successful if the psychological consultant guide and facilitate the process of making major change in organization.
Chapter VIII
Special Consultation Applications
In this chapter we will examine special consultation applications and the role that psychological skill training plays in a wide variety of settings. We will emphasize application, clear direction on what the psychological consultants must do to develop and deliver training programs, resolve individual and group conflicts.
Training
Leaders in human service, corporate, governmental and even familial settings recognize that the enhancement of organizational members’ competencies has a direct bearing on their pursuit of excellence (Wallace and Hall, 1996).
Training involves the application of educational and experientially based interventions that help consultation constituents acquire new information, technologies, or competencies. As trainers, consultants provide information, plan or direct participant learning and implement sequential learning activities designed to achieve training goals.
Experiential Approach in Training
An experiential training program emphasizes learning by doing format in which participants has opportunity for interaction, rehearsal, and participation.
Nevertheless, with careful planning, experiential methods promote success in training and for the trainer’s benefit, several methods are available: processing, role playing, rehearsal, simulation, demonstration, and subgroups.
Processing is a practice that allows participants to clarify, interpret, and analyze their experience. Role playing is a common experiential training activity where participants, in groups of two or more can experience concretely the type of interaction under examination in training.
Rehearsal can be a practical and powerful experiential exercise in training programs targeting specific relational or behavioural skills.
Simulation is to involve trainees in realistic situations matched to actual job situations. Through demonstration trainers can teach skills, processes and concepts through overt demonstration or modelling of desired behaviours.
Subgroups are helpful when the training audience is large or foreboding and the trainer wishes to add an experiential element.
Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution is the application of planned and organized principles that constructively manage or end conflicts and enrich interpersonal relationship. Human conflicts occur anywhere disagreement exists between or among people.
Conflict resolution methods
Numerous conflict resolution processes and models are available to guide the consultant’s actions. We have here compromise versus the win-win approach where compromise has long been acclaimed as an effective way to resolve conflicts. Compromise requires opposing parties to agree to terms somewhere in the middle of their two positions.
Win-win solutions reflect the belief that a creative settlement exists for each conflict, that conflict outcomes meet the needs of each party and than all parties benefit.
The consultant should not begin the conflict resolution process without assessing the conflict situation. Also the consultant should establish an atmosphere of trust that is critical to beginning the conflict resolution process. Also, the consultant need to possess a repertoire of conflict management skills, applied situational across organizational, group, and individual conflict situation. Consultants have the potential to restore calm and encourage an atmosphere of cooperation. In a conflict resolution, the consultants assume mediation roles and he needs to be impartial, trusted agents who represent all parties.
The consultant needs to bring consensus in the conflict. Consensuses emphasize the importance of all group members giving input and consenting to the final decision.
The purpose of team building is to increase cohesiveness, mutual cooperation, and identification with the group (Yukl, 1998). Organizational leaders often rely on skilled consultants to help them blend existing work groups into cohesive teams.
Some guidelines based on research, theory and practitioner insights are: to emphasize common interests and values; use ceremonies and rituals; use symbols to develop identification with the group; encourage and facilitate social interaction; keep people informed about group activities and achievements; conduct process analysis sessions; conduct alignment sessions; and increase incentives for mutual cooperation (Yukl, 1998).
Teams are special kind of group and organizations are relying increasingly on them to improve quality, efficiency and adaptive change.
Team building consultants must identify and seek to abolish processes or actions that impede effective teamwork. Consultants must observe groups action, assess team functioning and isolate obstacles to effective team functioning.
In conclusion to this chapter we have learned that consultation problems create the demand for specialized interventions that address a range of problems or needs.
We have understood and appreciate the efficient help that a consultant can bring in some of the most popular consultation interventions: training, conflict resolution and team building.
Chapter IX
Becoming a Consultant
In this chapter we will discuss the process that psychologists go through to become consultants, which are the personality characteristics, skills of a successful consultant.
Certain personality characteristics are identified as desirable for consultants, no exclusive, single set of personality characteristics defines a model or ideal personality type toward which aspiring consultants should strive.
Personality Characteristics of Successful Consultants
Successful consultants tend to be enthusiastic about their work, problem oriented, and motivated by long-range goals. Consultants have specific skills that help in their endeavours. These skills include good relationship skills, especially during an initial contact.
We will summarize the personality characteristics as it follows: efficient and objective perception of reality that means the consultant’s perceptions are both efficient and objective. There is no need to deny reality or to insist that it be different.
Acceptance of self, others and the word, are significant personality traits of successful psychologist consultants. They accept their own weaknesses and strengths without shame, guilt or pride. They seek an empathic understanding of their consultee’s problems.
Authentic and enthusiastic involvement in their work. Successful consultants find it comfortable to be themselves, to be spontaneous and genuine.
Problem oriented means to be focus strongly on problems or issues. They are fully committed to their consultation task.
They are motivated by long range goals and plans; they know what they want and where they are going.
Skills of Successful Consultants
Consultants have specific skills that help in their endeavours. These skills include good relationship skill, good listening speaking, and writing skills.
The performance of expert consultants in their professional specialities is irrelevant if they are unable to convey their expertise convincingly to their consultees. Effective communication and marketing skills are a must.
Skilled listener hears more than words. Successful consultant are open to the nonverbal, physical behaviours of their consultees, posture eye contact, facial expressions, hand and arm gestures, pace of speech, voice tone, emphasis placed on certain words, silences, and time given to ideas and topics. Speaking skills are needed to be an effective, dynamic speaker and which require a great deal of practice. Writing skills again are an essential skill of successful consultants who lists the ability to write clearly.
Marketing is also a key factor in the development of a successful long term consulting practice. While professionals with expertise in psychology, counselling and social work have many of the personality characteristics mentioned above, few have the necessary knowledge, training and experience to manage a successful business enterprise today including an independent consulting business.
In conclusion to this chapter, successful consultants tend to be enthusiastic about their work, problem oriented, and motivated by long-range goals. Also, they need to have specific skills that help in their consultation process. These skills include having good listening, speaking and writing skills. In order to conduct a successful consultation process need to have technical knowledge, to be a specialist in his field of consultancy.
Conclusion
In the conclusion of this paper project we have understood that the psychological consultant influence our lives and organisations in a positive way. In order to be a successful consultant the person needs to have some personality characteristics, skills and a multidisciplinary training that need to know theories, ideologies and models to create a framework through which consultees implement changes within the client’s environment that eliminate problem behaviours.
While futurists recognise that the permanence of the trends they identify is always in doubt and that the accuracy of their forecasts depends on variables that are unknown and unknowable they insist that today’s consultants need to understand the impact of present trends on the next generation.
References
Covey, S. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Lawson, R. & Shen, Z. (1998). Organizational Psychology: Foundation & Applications.
Yukl, G. (1998). Leadership in Organizations.
Wallace, W., & Hall, D. (1999). Psychological Consultation: Perspectives and Applications.
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