Issues in Consultant-Client

Relationship

Chaitra Herur

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What according to you are issues of OD…??

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Various issues of C-C relationship• Entry and Contracting• Define the client system• Trust• Consultant’s expertise• Diagnosis• Depth of intervention• Culture absorption• Consultant as a model• Consultant team as microcosm• Action Research• Client dependency• Ethical standards • Implications of OD

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Entry and contracting

• An initial discussion• A brief description of the problem• Rationale and objectives to be explored• Logical starting point• Whom all to be included• Psychological contract• Formal compensation aspects

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Defining the client system

• Clients included• Representatives of different levels

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The trust issue

• Deal of trust• Issues of manipulation• Start from neutrality• Good guy- Bad guy syndrome• Confidentiality to be maintained

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Consultant’s expertise

• Role of expert• Please the client• Stay out of expert role

Defend their recommendations Dependency created Trust factor Negation of main objective

• Expert in the process not in the task

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Diagnosis and appropriate intervention

• Liking towards one particular intervention• Appropriate towards application• Intensive look at data and address the case

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Depth of intervention(selecting an intervention)

• Accessibility• Individuality• Performance depth

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On being absorbed by the culture

• Seduced to join into the culture• Being drawn into the politics of org.• May become part of the problem

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Consultant as a model

• Practice what you preach• Problem solving• Maximizing one’s effectiveness

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Consultant team as a microcosm

• Miniature• Enhance incredibility• Continuous growth and renewal process• Quality of interrelationship

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Action Research and OD process

• Feedback necessary• Unless explored can not give results

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Dependency issue and termination

• A prolonged dependency• A gradual reduction in external consultant

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Ethical standards in OD

• Misrepresentation of consultant’s skills• Professional/ technical ineptness• Misuse of data• Collusion• Coercion• Promising unrealistic outcomes

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Implications of OD for the client

• To enlarge the data base for making management decision

• To expand the influence processes• To capitalize on the strengths of the informal system

and to make the formal and informal system more congruent

• To become more responsive• To legitimatize conflict as an area of collaborative

management• To examine its own leadership style an ways of

managing

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Conclusion

The client-consultant relationship need to be addressed and managed in a

successful OD effort

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Thank you