DISCUSSION RESPONSE

Please respond to my classmates' posts with meaningful and relevant responses that add value to the original post or the discussion.

1ST. DISCUSSION TO BE ANSWERED

David Wiley posted Aug 20, 2018 8:44 PM

Reflection

            This course has taught me a lot about the consulting process that I think will be helpful moving forward in my career.  The chapter on Teaching as a Consultant really intrigued me because I was only 27 when I began my teaching career and was never actually trained to teach.  I adapted teaching methods from my favorite instructors and quite often found myself adjusting midway through my first two semesters.  I think that using student centered learning is important but to take it one step further and really include them in the decision making process is an interesting idea that I plan to implement in the fall when classes resume at my college.  

            I also found the section on dealing with resistance to be quite relevant.  Working in the hospitality industry has made me more aware of the fact that you cannot make every person happy in every situation.  Learning to handle resistance in consulting will also help in handling resistance in my courses as implementing change has always been an ongoing problem working as a foreigner in an organization.  Being able to identify the signs of potential resistance and facing the resistance head on is a skill I think I have been avoiding in my career and will now utilize.

            Contracting is the skill that I think I would need to work on the most.  I have not had the opportunity to consult in an external organization.  I think that going through the process and experiencing how to contract and hold meetings with potential clients would be eye opening.  The contracting phase requires the consultant to be a genuine person and to be able to deal with emotional intelligence on different levels.  I would like to work on being more clear in my intentions to ease the idea of doubts both internally and from the client.  I would also like to improve on my delivery of affirmations.  Affirmations are an important part of the contracting stage and by improving in that area I can ease the feeling of doubt.  

            Having completed the modules in this course I have a better appreciation of consultants and it has helped me to give consideration to what to do with my degree once we have finished this doctoral journey and teaching has run its course.  Consulting seems to be an exciting and challenging career choice that requires the consultant to wear many hats while balancing fragile relationships.  It is not for the faint at heart but it is a career choice worth exploring in my opinion.

Good luck everyone! It has been a great opportunity learning for you all.

2ND DISCUSSION TO BE ANSWERED

Nakia Williams posted Aug 20, 2018 1:59 AM

Of the concepts covered in this course, which concepts do you feel are the most relevant to your potential career as an organizational consultant?

 

As an entrepreneur, I found relevance in all of the concepts that were covered during this course.  A concept in particular that I believe will be most beneficial in a possible career as an organizational consultant would be Block’s (2011) suggestion to rapport building and demonstrating genuine care to each client. These characteristics have the propensity to reduce resistance which will lend to a smoother process in asking questions in an effort to gather data as well as delivering feedback.  

 

Of all of the skills required for successful consulting, which skills would you like to improve upon? What actions can you take to improve these skills?

Block (2011) speaks specifically on the necessity to ensure that you complete the requirements of each phase in successful consulting.  The phases are Contracting, Discovery and Inquiry, Feedback and the Decision to Act, and lastly, Engagement and Implementation.  When I reflect on situations in which I served as a consultant I cannot with confidence say that I have always completed each of these steps.  

The data collection process is possibly where I would suggest that I improve.  Asking questions is great, however, having the ability to ask the right questions to uncover areas of concerns and their root of existence can be what separates a good consultant from a great consultant (Robinson, 2017). It is my desire to achieve greatness and in effort to do so I will further my research efforts as well as seek to find a mentor in this discipline.  Having the ability to shadow and learn in real –time a consultant’s discipline and effectiveness will be instrumental in me having the ability to navigate through Block’s steps naturally and seamlessly.  

In addition, I am generally a helpful person by nature.  Which is a great characteristic.  Due to this characteristic, I often work outside the set hours, as I become passionate about the project and its success.  There are a few problems that can arise from this, (1) creating an expectation that this is a norm, (2) an issue where the client does not want to pay for overtime, lastly, (3) the consultant choosing to work overtime and not charge. This is area where I would also need guidance in how I should set realistic hours of dedication for the project.