Dealing with Resistance
At each moment of truth with your client there
is transfer of emotions & feelings, which changes if expressed directly. Behind
the resistance are feelings. The most effective way to deal with resistance is
to encourage the client to be authentic by behaving authentically. Defending
methodology will always keep the storm alive. So it is better to let the client
talk more about their concerns, let the storm pass and try to get to why your
methodology is correct. The consultants can understand the real issues and can
respond effectively once the client’s concerns are stated directly. The 3 steps
for handling resistance are:
1. Pick up cues, describe yourself and identify
in your mind what form the resistance is taking
2. Find the neutral language by stating, in a
neutral & unpunishing way the form of resistance
3. Let the client respond to your statement about
the resistance
These will ensure that the client takes the
responsibility of his actions. The consultant needs to be on their toes instead
of taking bull by its horn and should never take anything personally. Dealing
with resistance is harder than actually doing data collection and much harder
than coming up with good ideas for implementation. The meat of consultation is
dealing with resistance.
From Diagnosis to Discovery
There are 2 primary purposes of discover
phase:
1. To develop independent and fresh way of
looking at things &
2. to create a process that leads to client
commitment, ownership and action
It is better to define our talk as a process
of discovery and dialogue more than as an act of diagnosis and prescription. We
cannot ignore that we are dealing with human systems, and human systems are not
amenable to technical solutions. The relationship aspect of the discovery
process becomes decisive, regardless of the special expertise or worldview of
the consultant.
The stance we want to take is that we can be a guide through
a process of discovery, engagement, and dialogue, in which our clients
will find an answer to their question and launch an implementation that will be
enduring and productive. It may seem like playing with words, but it makes a
difference in what we do and what we leave behind.
The action orientation makes the assumption that client
readiness to accept your input is as important to discovery as the
technical analysis of the problem to be solved.
It is important to do the following things in
discovery phase:
o
Ask questions
about the client's own personal role in causing or maintaining the presenting
or target problem.
o
Ask questions
about what others in the organization are doing to cause or maintain the
presenting or target problem.
o
Plan the data
collection jointly with the client. Involve your client in interpreting the
data collected.
o
Recognize the
similarity between how the client managed you and how they manage their own organization.
o
Condense the data
into a limited number of issues.
o
Use language that
is understandable to people outside your area of expertise.
o
Distinguish
between the presenting problem and the underlying problem.
o
Elicit and
describe both the technical problem and how it is being managed.
