Consulting Skills Part 1: Critical assessment of Peter Block and Edgar Schein s frameworks Anyone with their sights set on becoming a consultant or simply looking to improve their existing consulting skills will undoubtedly find Peter Block s Flawless Consulting and Edgar Schein s Process Consultation Revisited to be valuable resources. Both works provide a strong foundation for the art of consulting and, when combined, offer a wealth of knowledge that runs broad and deep. While many of their concepts overlap, there are notable differences in both their general approach and in addressing specific topics. Overall, Block presents a practical, methodological approach to solving client challenges that is rooted in two basic principles: Communicating authentically and working within the current stage. Schein s focus is less on process and more toward arming the reader with a large number of principles to be used at his/her discretion while building helpful relationships. Each framework has its strengths and weaknesses and these will be discussed here. With respect to the overall challenge of providing consulting expertise, the strength of the Block s insight is in its simplicity. His writing style is an embodiment of his recurring advice that consultants speak plainly, directly, succinctly and most important, authentically. The scenarios he outlines are clear. The steps he provides are thorough and easy to understand. His advice is practical, specific and plainly states solutions to common organizational issues. On a macro level, this provides a useful and realistic guidance tool for ensuring the consulting process advances appropriately. For example, he breaks the entire consulting process into five main stages and stresses the importance of tending to the business of each while immersed within it. By not including
an extensive list of steps or layers and boiling effective communication down to speaking authentically, he offers a realistic and practical way to implement his guidance. Where Block s approach falls short is his expectation that all meetings and challenges can be managed with this same simplistic style. Block does not fully acknowledge the complexity that can arise in working with people in a business environment. An example is his position to vocalize emotions and resistance whenever possible. In my experience, there are situations where calling attention to a person s emotional state is inappropriate. Some managers would view this as a tangent from the task and the consultant would be better off raising this issue at a later time. In addition, Block over-simplifies a consultant s ability to manage the timing of a meeting. He proposes 18 minutes of a 60-minute meeting (30%) for a client to provide feedback. In my experience, this is unrealistic. I have known clients who work through their thought process by vocalizing it. Block s strategy would almost certainly require interrupting this type of client s thought process which likely would not go over well. Last, Block gives little attention to areas such as avoiding the temptation to sell one s services in the first meeting and working with companies where an extensive and formal contract is a requirement. Both are realistic challenges any consultant would face at some point in their career. The framework provided by Schein is neither more nor less applicable than that of Block. It is simply different, and even complimentary in many respects. The strength of Schein s approach lies in his acknowledgment that the consulting process is unpredictable and a consultant must be equipped with tools to manage relationships no matter what is thrown his or her way. Schein dives deeper than Block into numerous
critical components of relationship building. He addresses useful concepts such as trust building by establishing equilibrium, the drivers and implications of culture as well as group member insecurities and the resultant behavior. These concepts are critical tools for the consultant s toolkit. Schein s framework is clearly the result of a skilled and highly experienced consultant. The depth of knowledge he provides in areas such as psychodynamics and interpersonal processes is fundamentally useful. That said, where his framework would benefit is in expanding on the practical application of his concepts. For example, he briefly touches on the first few stages of the consulting process in the second to last chapter, but does not thoroughly connect this process to earlier chapters that addressed the tools. Some concepts in particular would benefit from practical examples. The various types of inquiry (e.g. pure, diagnostic, confrontive) is one such concept because of its subjective and unpredictable nature. Schein gives little time and few examples of when to switch between these types on inquiry. Additionally, Schein describes the three roles consultants can play: Expertise, doctor-patient and process consultation. He overlooks the pair of hands role a consultant might be faced with (something that Block mentions). At a minimum, a brief acknowledgement of this role would help the thoroughness and practicality of his work. As discussed, the frameworks of Block and Schein differ on a macro level with Block being more process-focused and Schein more concept-focused. On a more granular level, there are also a number of contrasts as well. Most notably, in saying, inquiry must be managed in such a way that the client s story is fully revealed (page 43) Schein appears to suggest the consultant should let the client speak much as possible so all
details are on the table. Block suggests, however, that in the face of a talkative client the consultant should interrupt (authentically, of course) in the name of efficiency. Another contrast is with respect to body language. Schein states the consultant must always look attentive and focused on the client where Block simply suggests a comfortable position that authentically conveys how one feels. Schein and Block s frameworks also differ in their approach to organization assessment. In keeping with the style of his approach, Block provides a small number of clearly defined steps when it comes to organization assessment. These include diagnosing the presenting problem, redefining the problem, understanding what is happening, viewing the business problem and how it is being managed and, finally, making recommendations. He stresses key principles throughout this process such as maintaining a positive relationship, diagnosing issues together with the client and using inquiry to uncover critical information. Schein s system for organization assessment is less defined. He provides tools for understanding the source of issues, but no guidance in the form of structured steps. The consultant must therefore decide on which of the areas of observation the assessment will focus. He provides a matrix where group boundaries, processes and group management intersect with content, process and structure. However, at no point does his framework suggest when a certain focus is applicable. Without question, Block and Schein s organizational assessment approaches are valuable in themselves, but they are best utilized in combination with one another. This allows the consultant to mix the clarity of Block s step-by-step process with Schein s system for understanding precisely on what aspect of group functioning to focus
attention. As an additional example, where Block suggests the use of inquiry to diagnose management s personal involvement in an issue, the consultant can call upon Schein s principles of pure, diagnostic and confrontive inquiry to effectively manage that process. In applying these frameworks to Sparks Event Marketing, on which the previously written open systems and cultural analysis was based, there would be a number of critical entry and contracting issues. The most prominent would arise from the mixed motivation of the president, who would be asked to conduct the consultation by the CEO. Another issue would be determining role of the CEO, who only works part time in the organization but may ultimately be the budget-holder. The president s mixed motivation would most likely surface in the form resistance through compliance. Buried beneath this resistance would be the struggle that the need for my presence implies incompetence on his part. Using Block s approach, I would address this over-compliance with a direct and authentic phrase such as, We seem to be aligned really well on this project which is great. What are some areas that concern you about the project? To overcome this resistance using Schein s strategy, I would listen, support and understand in order to build trust and encourage him to share deeper levels of revelation. In addition, Schein s six principles of giving help (always be helpful, stay in touch with current reality, access ignorance, everything is an intervention, the client owns the problem, go with the flow) would be top-of-mind throughout. Determining exactly what roles the CEO and president would play is a discussion to be had in the contracting phase. I would inquire about who the contact and primary clients are and would label it a need to have regular access to the contact client. If the CEO was to be the sole budget holder, I would label his involvement in the process as a
need as well as the president s, even if due to his schedule this had to be limited to email updates. Part 2: Personal reflection on my consulting My view of the frameworks presented by Block and Schein is that both have strengths, yet I should not restrict my practice to one approach. Discussions and processes in the real world rarely follow Block s steps as cleanly as he presents them. Thus, it is necessary to have the tools provided by Schein in order to maintain the helping relationship when meetings veer off course. I side with both of their views that no project would exist without a relationship and relationships therefore need to be skillfully managed. I recognize that none of my previous co-workers would ever have approached me voluntarily if our relationship was uncomfortable. I am challenged, however, to side with Block on the simplicity with which he describes managing processes and emotions. My experience suggests that resisting selling, ensuring the client appreciates that it is a fifty-fifty relationship as well as managing the complexities of human emotions are far greater challenges for a new consultant than Block lets on. It is a natural urge for a consultant to sell, for people to become upset and a client to expect the consultant to have answers. In this regard, I plan to develop my consulting skills while at Intensive #2 by putting myself in a position to lead discussion and activities as often as reasonably possible. Doing so is not natural for me and will therefore require me to remember lessons from Intensive #1 such as embracing vulnerability and compassion for myself and others.
Throughout the intensive, there are three key practices I will attempt to keep topof-mind that will help develop my consulting skill. The first is the concept of resisting ownership and this applies in two respects. Not only do I not own the client s issues but also if there is tension, temporary confusion or lack of direction in the room, I do not need to take that on in its entirety. To use Block s advice, I will voice discomfort and, in situations where the path is not clear, I will ask others what they think we should do. The second practice is to have confidence that helping relationships are fifty-fifty. As a consultant, I am entitled to having needs in the relationship. And finally, I will apply the concepts shared by Block and Schein to as many situations as possible. These include the recognizing and working within the stages of consulting, psychodynamic processes, inquiry types, group needs, identifying resistance and trusting my recommendations. Putting myself in a position to apply these three practices throughout the week is an important step in developing the foundation to becoming a skilled consultant. With these lessons in place, I will continue to build on the works of Block, Schein and my own discoveries about managing helping relationships.