ISSUES IN CONSULTANT-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP

• ISSUES IN CONSULTANT-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
• ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE
• PROCESS CONSULTATION

1. PROCESS CONSULTATION HELPS IN UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS OF THEIR WORKING RELATIONSHIP IN THE GROUP.ITS OBJECTIVE IS TO GUIDE IN THE DIAGNOSTIC AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILL.
2. PROCESS CONSULTATION IS FOR AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT TO ASSIST A MANAGER TO PERCEIVE UNDERSTAND AND ACT UPON PROCESS EVENTS WITH WHICH HE HAS TO DEAL

• ISSUES IN CONSULTANT –CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
• A NUMBER OF INTERRELATED ISSUES CAN ARISE IN CONSULTANT –CLIENT RELATIONSHIP IN THE OD ACTIVITIES AND THEY NEED TO BE MANAGED APPROPRIATELY IF ADVERSE EFFECTS ARE TO BE AVOIDED. THESE ISSUES ARE:-

1. ENTRY AND CONTRACTING
2. DEFINING THE CLIENT SYSTEM
3. TRUST
4. THE NATURE OF THE CONSULTANT’S EXPERTISE
5. DIAGNOSIS AND APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS
6. THE DEPTH OF INTERVENTIONS
7. ON BEING ABSORBED BY THE CULTURE
8. THE CONSULTANT AS MODEL
9. THE CONSULTANT  TEAM AS MICROCOSM
10. ACTION RESEARCH AND THE OD PROCESS
11. CLIENT DEPENDENCY AND TERMINATING THE RELATIONSHIP
12. ETHICAL STANDATRD IN OD
13. IMPLICATIONS OF OD FOR THE CLIENT

• ISSUES IN CONSULTANT –CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
• ENTRY AND CONTRACTING:-DURING THE FACE TO FACE MEETING,THE CONSULTANT EXPLORES WITH THE POTENTIAL CLIENT SOME OF THE DEEPER ASPECTS OF THE PRESENTING PROBLEM.WITH THE DISCUSSION WITH THE CLIENT WILL REVEAL THE PROBLEM AREA AND CONSULTANT WILL DESCRIBE HOW HE IS GOING TO SOLVE. IF BOTH ARE SATISFIED WITH EACH OTHER THEN A FORMAL CONTRACT IS SIGNED BETWEEN BOTH.
• DEFINING THE CLIENT SYSTEM:-INITIAL CLIENT MAY BE AN INDIVIDUAL OR A MANAGEMENT TEAM. BUT AS TRUST AND CONFIDENCE DEVELOP BETWEEN THE KEY CLIENT AND THE CONSULTANT BOTH BEGIN TO VIEW THE MANAGER AND HIS OR HER SUBORDINATE TEAM AS THE CLIENT AND THEN MANAGER’S TOTAL ORGANIZATION AS THE CLIENT.
• ISSUES IN CONSULTANT –CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
• THE TRUST ISSUE:-A GOOD DEAL OF THE INTERACTION IN EARLY CONTRACTS BETWEEN CLIENTS AND CONSULTANT IS IMPLICITLY RELATED TO DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP OF MUTUAL TRUST. FOR EXAMPLE: KEY CLIENT MAY BE FEARFUL THAT THINGS WILL GO OUT OF HAND WITH AN OUTSIDE INTERVENING IN THE SYSTEM  AND PEOPLE WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO CRITICIZE THEIR SUPERIORS. SUBORDINATES WILL FEEL THAT THEY WILL BE EXPLOITED. THE CONSULTANT WILL ALSO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE  CLIENT’S MOTIVES AND WILL WANT TO SURFACE ANY THAT ARE PARTLY HIDDEN.TRUST AND RESISTANCE PROBLEM ALSO CENTRE ON WHAT WE CALL THE GOOD GUY OR BAD GUY SYNDROME. CONFIDENTIALITY MUST BE MAINTAINED IF TRUST IS TO BE MAINTAINED
• THE NATURE OF THE CONSULTANT’S EXPERTISE:-AS THE CONSULTANT IS NOT VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE CLIENT’S SYSTEM AND CLIENT ASSUMES HE IS EXPERT IN EVERY AREA. THE CLIENT ASKS HIS EXPERTISE ON PERSONNEL POLICY/BUSINESS STRATEGY. OD CONSULTANT NEEDS TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION OF PLAYING THE CONTENT EXPERT AND WILL NEED TO CLARIFY HIS OR HER ROLE THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR GOOD REASON WHY THE CONSULTANT AVOID THE EXPERT ROLE:-

1. MAJOR OBJECTIVE IS TO HELP THE CLIENT SYSTEM TO DEVELOP ITS OWN RESOURCES
2. EXPERT ROLE ALMOST INVETIABLEY REQIURE THE CONSULTANT TO DEFEND HIS RECOMMENDATION
3. LARGELY AVOIDING THE EXPERT ROLE HAS TO DO WITH TRUST
4. DO WITH THE EXPECTATION
5. HE  SHOULD ACT IN EXPERT ROLE ON THE PROCESS USED BUT NOT ON THE TASK

• DIAGNOSIS AND APPOPRIATE INTERVENTION:- ANOTHER PITFALL FOR THE CONSULTANT TO APPLY AN INTERVENTION TECHNIQUE HE OR SHE PARTICULARLY LIKES AND THAT HAS PRODUCED GOOD RESULT IN TH PAST. BUT MAY NOT SQUARE WITH A CAREFUL DIAGNOSIS OF THE IMMEDIATE SITUATION. INTERVANTION SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE ACCORDING TO ORGANIZATION;S REQUIRMENT.
• DEPTH OF THE INTERVENTION:-DEPTH OF INTERVENTION CAN BE ASSESSED USING THE CONCEPT OF ACCESSIBILITY AND INDIVIDUALITY. BY ACCESSIBILITY MEANS THE DEGREE TO WHICH THAT DATA ARE MORE OR LESS PUBLIC VERSUS HIDDEN AND EASE WITH THE INTERVENTIONS CAN BE LEARNED. INDIVIDUALITY MEANS THE CLOSENESS TO THE PERSON’S PERCEPTION OF SELF AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE INTERVENTIONS ARE IN THE INDIVIDUAL IN CONTRAST TO THE ORGANIZATION. HE HAS TO DECIDE WHETHER TO LEAD AND PUSH,OR TO COLLABORATE AND FOLLOW.

·         ON BEING ABSORBED BY TH CULTURE:-INTERNAL CHANGE AGENT MAY EVEN MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ABSORPTION BY THE PREVAILING ORGANIZATION CULTURE THAN EXTERNAL CHANGE AGENT.

·         THE CONSULTANT AS A MODEL: WHETHER THE CHANGE AGENT ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO PARTICIPATE WHAT THEY PREACH.

·         THE CONSULTANT TEAM AS A MICROCOSM:-THE CONSULTANT KEY CLIENT VIEWED AS A TEAM OR CONSULTANT WORKING AS A TEAM CAN PROFITABLY BE VIEWED AS MICROCOSM OF THE ORGANIZATION THEY ARE TRYING TO CREATE, THE CONSULTANT TEAM MUST SET AN EXAMPLE OF AN EFFECTIVE UNIT IF THE TEAM IS TO ENHANCE ITS CREDIBILITY. PRACTIONEER NEED THE EFFECTIVENESS AND THE QUALITY OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIP WITH IN THE CONSULTING TEAM.

• ACTION RESEARCH AND THE OD PROCESS:-A RELATED ISSUE IS WHETHER THE OD PROCESS ITSELF WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE ONGOING ACTION RESEARCH BEING EXPERIENCED BY THE CLIENT SYSTEM. THE ISSUE OF CONGRUENCY IS OF COURSE IMPORTANT BUT THE VIABILITY OF THE OD EFFORTS AND EFFECTIVENESS MAY BE AT STAKE. FEED BACK PROCESS USED SHOULD BE SIMPLE.
• THE DEPENENCY ISSUE AND TERMINATING THE RELATIONSHIP:-IF THE CONSULTANT IN THE BUSINESS OF ENHANCING THE CLIENT’S ABILITIES IN PROBLEM SOLVING AND RENEWAL,THEN THE CONSULTANT IS IN THE BUSINESS OF ASSISTING THE CLIENT TO INTERNALIZE SKILLS AND INSIGHT RATHER THAN TO CREATE A PROLONGED DEPENDENCY RELATIONSHIP
• ETHICAL STANDARD IN OD:-

1. MISREPRESENTATION OF THE CONSULTANT SKILL
2. PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INEPTNESS
3. MISUSE OF DATA
4. COLLUSION
5. COERCION
6. PROMOTING UNREALISTIC OUTCOME
7. DECEPTION AND CONFLICT OF VALUE

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• IMPLICATIONS OF OD FOR THE CLIENT:-

1. TO ENLARGE THE DATABASE FOR MAKING MANAGEMENT DECISIONS
2. TO EXPAND THE INFLUENCE PROCESS
3. TO CAPITALIZE ON THE STRENGTH OF INFORMAL SYSTEM AND TO MAKE FORMAL AND THE INFORMAL SYSTEM MORE CONGURENT
4. TO BECOME MORE RESPONSIVE
5. TO LEGTIMATIZE CONFLICT IN AN AREA OF COLLABORATIVE MANAGEMENT
6. TO EXAMINE ITS OWN LEADERSHIP STYLE AND WAYS OF MANAGING