Final Post: My Consulting Strategy

I thought about this last night when we were discussing this final post and I decided that I was going to do this exercise as if I were starting my own consulting comapny, so here goes!

Mission Statement
To work in a collaborative manner with all clients by exercising a spirit of authentisty whereby the clients problem is my problem. To ensure a spirit of communication whereby assumptions are left behind and a full scope of a problem is reviewed. To never jump to conclusions or to solve a problem with out all the facts and data. To own the problem with the client rather then place ownership all on the client.

Vission Statement
Consulting is a process, not destination. It takes thought to look beyong the real problem to find the deeper issue. Anyone can staple two sheets of paper together, but a process consultant understands why the two pieces of paper need to be stapled in the first place.

Core Values
Collaboration is the secret to solving all sorts of problem,
No problem is too big or too small, jumping to conclusions only makes the problem worse. Band aid fixes are like band aids, they need to be replaced often.

Mirror Post # 6: Dialogue and Wikis

First off, I thought we had a very interesting class discussion pertaining to dialogue last evening. I was really most interested in learning about Tacit Assumptions, those being the things we may be thinking about, but are not always voiced. I think those happen a lot for me. On a daily basis I think about things that I am unaware that I am thinking about and they usually fly through your head at a million miles a second. "What if I or maybe we should" seem to be how these phrases start. Another popular is "if only."

With that being said, how does one voice those assumptions without int erupting the dialogue. I think the point of the lesson is to first acknowledge them and in a polite manner figure our how to incorporate them. I believe "Chris" would ask that you phrase those assumptions in a manner conducive to saving the dialogue. Like fore example, maybe say, "have you considered." Block tells us when dealing with resistance it is important that you acknowledge the resistance, but in a more positive manner in which it is being presented.

This past weekend, I had an interesting discussion with an old friend about wikis. His comment was, "wikipedia is the devil." My question to him was how so. It is an excellent tool to disseminate knowledge in a collaborative manner. His argument was that anyone can go in and upload whatever they please. Be that as it may, there are a lot of fools in cyber space, but the responsibility for being good stewards of information must be that of those who wish to preserve it. After going around for a few minutes we reached a decision and perhaps and assumption that at some point a third party needs to verify information that goes into a wikis.

Mirror #5: When a presentation goes bad

So today at lunch, Suzanne and I are conducting a focus group with VAMAC employees for our client to obtain feedback on their Employee Assistance Program. I have just been writing down some questions and putting together an outline on how we will run this focus group. I did some you tube searches over the weekend to see what the best way to run a focus group would be and I was amazed at what I saw.

First off, I saw somethings not to do. For example, don't survey the group, instead make it a free flowing conversation. I think it is important to make sure your group is engaged at all times. I saw poor examples of moderaters asking for feedback using agree or disagree statements. In a focus group, it is important to make sure the comments you get back are thoughtful.

Second, try and be enthusiastic. These individual are giving up their time to help you, so don't make it painful. Enthusiasism is essential to obtaining a high quality of conversation. You must show your participants that you are excited about the material and that you honestly care about their responses. After all we are doing a service for our clients and we need to ensure we obtain a high quality of data.

And finally, be authentic. We talk a lot being open with our client, but in this case we need to be open with our participants.

Watching you tube was helpful. Some of the focus groups I saw were down well while other's were very painful. I have included a video of an individual to illustrate how enthusiasm can be very important. This is purely for humor, but it is a great eye opener.

Mirror post #4: Using what you learn

Last semester, I brought the idea of using a wetpaint site to help our division draft rules, procedures and guidelines for our new on-line giving system. It seems to be very successful and I am grateful that I was able to use the new skill/concept I picked up.

I have mentioned in class that I feel like an internal consultant on a daily basis and that some of things we are learning about being a process consultant are relevant to dealing with donors. Well, I decided to use what I learned on Resistance with a group of students I recently hired to conduct the School of Social Work phone-a-thon, and here's what I learned.

Social Workers deal with clients as well, even though their clients have greater social issues than say a corporation, but never the less they totally got resistance and what a "client" is really saying. One of my students quoted Block and never even read him. She said, "resistance comes in many forms but what makes us successful as social workers, fund-raisers, etc is how we react to resistance." I was quite impressed and even more enthusiastic with our phone-a-thon program.

On another note, I had an interesting discussion with my dad Thursday evening. He had recently attended a modeling and simulation conference hosted by Senator Warner at the Va Beach pavilion. He explained that several of the speakers came from various fields with extreme ties to education. The point of the conference was to think about news ways modeling and simulation can work to help make better, Doctors, Dentists, Teachers, and Military leaders. Perhaps the most interesting take a way was for my dad and of course me, was our discussion on Medical training. The philosophy for medical training since the inception of medicine has been see one, do one, teach one. But wouldn't it be better for a student to learn first in a simulated environment? Or for a teacher to do the same? When considering adult education these are all important questions.

As a side note, my dads company deals primarily with the military aspect of modeling and simulation with the intent of teaching Marines about various scenarios before they even encounter them on a battlefield.

Mirror Post #3: Heros and ah hah moments

Last night with the Hero's exercise I had each of you do in small groups, I neglected to share completely what my point was. Consultants often times are sterotyped as being heroes. Despite the fact that consultants can save the day or help with an end result, by no stretch of the imagination are they the be all. Block points out to us through out the readings that the relationship between client and consultant is 50/50 and that a mutual collaboration is paramount to a consulting intervention ending successfully. Maybe to be a real hero, one must look with in and take a real risk and say no. We'll see then who the real heroes are and who are the thrill seekers!

I had a real ah ha moment concerning consulting. I touched on it briefly last night when I said, "somedays I feel like an internal consultant here at my job." In truth, in fund-raising we dealw ith rsistance all the time and it really does come in many forms.

I appreciate everyone participating last night. Thanks for another good class!

A video to help us learn

I thought this video was appropriate relating to our conversation from Monday night concerning communicating. The link is a you tube video of 5 commercials for Ameriquest.



We discussed how various factors may impede the ORJI cycle, but in this example we see how witnessing an external event can be judged without knowing all the details.

This video helped me to understand that we do sometimes jump the shark and without really knowing the whole story, jump to conclusions. Our discussion Monday gave me much to reflect upon when dealing with my own home life. When I hear my son cry in the next room, I automatically assume my daughter has done something to make him cry. After Monday, I learned not to judge so quickly or react too dramatically. Tuesday evening, the both of them got into it in the next room. I went in to find my son crying. Instead of reacting or judging to quickly, I decided to try a little active inquiry. What I discovered is my son hit my daughter first. When she retaliated he learned by my reaction that if he cries she gets in trouble. In this particular case I was able to observe and obtain a better description of the situation; react appropriately to the whole story; evaluate and make a correct judgement; and finally intervene and make a better decision.

Flawless Consulting isn't just for the work place senarios. We can apply it to everything we do. Parenting sometimes feel like a process consulting job in that everyday one is a parent, more of the proverbal onion gets peeled back. It's a big onion, yes and sometimes it will make you cry. Thanks for reading!

Mirror post 2: Is it just me...

So it has taken a few classes, but I think I get this process consulting concept. Two weeks ago, I thought Block was wrong in his assessment that each step throughout the consulting intervention should be 50/50. That didn't make since to me. I thought about it from the 35,000 feet approach and said, maybe it could be 50/50 as a whole and that some accepts of the project would be more client and others more consultant. That really doesn't work either. I think the point that Block makes is that the project or intervention is just as much the client's as it is the consultants.

Take for example the time my division enlisted the help of a consultant. We spent about $25,000 for this individual to audit our back end processes. What was interesting is we spent all that money for the guy to tell us what we already knew. I don't discount what the gentleman does, but his approach was not so much to really us, but rather affirm what we knew. Knowing a little bit more about Block and understanding that to achieve a satisfactory result, a full investment from both parties is essential.

In this specific example, you can see that neither the client or the consultant had very much of a clue as to an end result. For $25,000 I could have said the same thing. What we needed on our team (client) was an individual with a good understanding of process consulting or a consultant who could help us help ourselves. I think that's what Block is trying to get at is working with the client to help them solve an issue. I love it when the light goes on upstairs.

Mirror Post 1: Consulting experience

Block says consultants "work at the pleasure of the client." It is the responsibility of a consultant to assure that the needs of the client are met. But how is this truly measured, needs being met? Last Monday we were given the opportunity to take on the role of a process consultant. I thought it was going to be easy. But the process itself was difficult to follow at first. My immediate response when a questions is asked is to immediately answer it. I think we all have that problem. This process has us listen, ask follow up question and than try to offer feedback.

I think most of my job requires me to be a consultant. My business card doesn't say as such, but when I reflect on the process of consulting, I feel that that best defines my roll. For example, I am considered an expert in Annual Fund operations at VCU. Whenever someone has a question pertaining to Annual Fund, they call me, and it is usual not as a hands on person, but for advice or best practices. I find it easier to make recommendations based on my expertise than to tell the person how to do something. This allows the "client" to get back to you to let you know how everything worked out.

This last week has been an incredible week. Thursday was out annual advancement retreat. I spent the better part of last week doing last minute items to ensure the event was a success. I volunteered to be on the committee and serve as a table facilitator. It was a great opportunity to use skills I have learned in the adult learning program.

But perhaps the greatest take a way from our retreat was the creation of an expertise guide. We collected information from each of our attendees asking them to respond in a number of areas of fund-raising their experience in years. Our plan is to develop a book of "who to call" if a question arises. I think we have set of a whole division of consultants. I will post again how the process turned out. Thanks for reading!

Introduction into Consulting Skills

How many times have I heard when I ask the question, "what do you do?" "I'm a consultant." My thought to that usually connotes "I'm currently unemployed, so I am offering my skills to those who need it." I'm sure others have had that thought as many are not very clear what a consultant really is.

That is my thought in a personal setting maybe sitting around drinking a cold beverage at a picnic, but professionally my experiences with a consultant have been someone who helps our organization hire a person so we don't have to do all the work. Maybe it is an individual who has a better pulse on who is available in the job market.

Sometimes I wonder if even an individual who claims he or she is a consultant understands what one is. The word itself seems to be thrown around without too much thought and seems to look pretty good on a business card.

Sunday afternoon I met an individual who actually did say "I am a consultant." And he had a fancy business card too. As I listened to him explain that "we help companies make decisions about people issues...", It dawned on me that this guy really didn't know what a consultant really was either.

I found myself reflecting on that first night of class where I came to the conclusion a consultant is not a noun (whereby it is a person), but rather a verb (in that it represents a process). After reading the course objectives it occur ed to me that we will delve deeply into the process of consulting focusing on how we can use consulting skills to further enrich our roles as adult educators.

It's hard to believe one hour managed to erase a career's worth of negative connotation.

Faciltation exercise

What an exciting exercise!!!!!!

I thought every group did a fantastic job at this exercise. My only wish was that we could have had more time. In hind sight, as an individual facilitator, I should have focused my exercise to more specific points, instead of concentrating on the macro concepts of dealing with a ineffective boss. I engaged the group in good conversation, but had a difficult time with the time management aspect of the exercise. My evaluations were very clear on that point. Still, it was a great exercise and I had fun.

I was pretty amazed with how each topic (chapter) at some shape or form related to one another. What is most interesting about the text is how it references to another part or chapter with specific details how it relates. It really is a handbook, a how to manual of group facilitation.

Out of all the exercises we participated in, I took the most a way from Karen's exercise on interruptions. I am currently faced with a co-worker who constantly interrupts me and I felt this exercise gave me some tools to overcome this object able behavior. It comes down to a risky conversation on getting my voice heard!!!!!

Wiki at work cont.....

Yesterday we had our first on-line meeting using instant messenger and the wiki simultaneously. It was not a disaster, but the powers that be made some assumptions about our team members. That assumption was the team as whole would understand using the technology. The assistant vice president is an IT whiz. She understands technology extremely well. I would say about half the team did not and were completely lost. Those of us who consider ourselves technocrats had no problem. Those who barely understand were annoyed.

Where did we go wrong? We made assumptions about the team. In the adult learning world, you can not make assumptions about your learners, an educator has to assess his or her learners.

I almost think we needed to have a face to face meeting first to assess the team's comprehension of the wiki tools as well as the IM chat feature. Though our team are not learners, they are adults and the same rules apply.

On a lighter side I have deemed our web 2.0 venture as WikiKintera. I thought it was funny.

Using what I learn and applying it...

Recently, I was asked to join the implementation team for a database application we are putting into production for our alumni. The majority of our work will focus on creating policy and procedure for the use of the application. The assistant vice president for our advancement services division approached me for some ideas on how we can collborate as team without having too many meetings. We would be creating content that people would need to contribute to on an constant basis. I suggested we use a WIKI.

The AVP loved the idea and we will conduct our first meeting this afternoon using the WIKI. I am very excited. More to follow!!!!!

Learning about a Paradox is a Paradox

What a class last night. I mean, talk about Philosophy 101. I think I now know less about a paradox than before the class. No really, just a really bad paradox joke.

Seriously, certain aspects of group dynamics can certainly be a paradox. I think for example the the paradox of disclosure. How much do you really want to disclose? Will it be too much or not enough? When do you disclose? What do you disclose? I suppose if it were easy it wouldn't be a paradox. So one thinks.

In the example of Julius and Gary sharing their real feelings with one another is an example of disclosure. Their brutal honesty with one another allowed for the first steps in a long season of the Titans becoming a true team. By disclosing their feelings without holding back, they opened up a door to true team unity.

But that sharing could have had the opposite effect. Perhaps that exchange could have made things worse. I remember as a kid, maybe 12 or 13, I had a similar exchange with a team mate about the team member not pulling his weight and missing key plays (soccer). I said to the team mate, "Come on Ned, get with the program." I was the team's goalie which is very much a team leader outside of the team captain, which was Ned. Ned played defense and often times thought he was right. Sometimes his stubbornness made him a bad captain. I remember it was practice and Ned was doing what Ned needed to do, which wasn't what I needed. His lack of field placement (being in the wrong place at the right time) cost our practice squad a goal. I was angry and so I shared my frustration with Ned. Ned and I got into a fist fight and therefore spent the rest of the practice running laps and were benched next Saturday.

Here you had two leaders on the team out of an important game because of disclosure. After that exchange Ned and I were no longer friends and our team suffered. I blamed myself for that, but also thought I did the right thing. The next season, I returned and Ned moved to another team. My coach the next season approached me (he was the assistant coach the season prior) and eventually commended my actions to standing up to Ned. You see need was a cancer on the team. I quit blaming myself for that incident and only just remembered it when reflecting on disclosure.

Debate...what better way to understand conflict!

I have two items I wish to reflect on this morning. First, my experience in my group presentation and second the reflection activity the Yellow birds had us participate in Monday evening.

Personally, I thought our group did a fantastic job. We sort of put ourselves out on a limb using debate as our main instructional strategy. There was a bit of resistance at first, but once we worked through how it would work that anxiety subsided. In addition to our group, the class did an excellent job as well. I'm certain the anxiety level amongst the class was at an all time high, but you could tell they were into it after the initial nerves went away. Some after thoughts to the project: I wish we had just a bit more time. A. It would have been nice to allow more discussion time amongst the group members and B. I think the exercise would have benefited greater with a bit more time spent on learning debate. All in all, i think the class got a lot out of the exercise. Debating is a great way to immerse learners into interaction with other learners.

The Yellow Birds reflective exercise was AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Great job guys. What an interesting way to think about what we as the learners got out of your presentation. I was a bit hesitant at first, but once I dropped my apprehension to creativity, it was off to the races. Thank you for sharing that activity!

You Tube and me

Monday night was very interesting and it wasn't so much the content, but more so on how the content was presented. Levi does an excellent job discussing Groupthink, but when a video was presented further illustrating groupthink, I was able to grasp the concept.

This made me think about you tube for a minute. My wife and I use the sight as a form of entertainment. We look for funny videos and even videos to entertain the children. But, it occurred to me that you tube can also be used as a teaching tool.

Adult learning (I suppose learning in general) has come along way. It was mentioned that training videos can cost an organization upwards of $1,000. But with you tube an instructor can search content that he or she believe would suppliment a class room instructional period saving time and money. With you tube you can use what is available, not worrying about taking too much time with a long drawn out video.

I am glad I saw an alternative use of you tube. Be assured our group will use you tube in our next presentation.

Using film as instructional method

I have to say, that the concept of using film in our class to understand group and team dynamics is an exceptional idea. I remember in high school we used to joke that "movie day" meant the teacher had a "hang over" or did not feel like teaching that day. I never really thought of film as an effective instructional tool until now.

Thus far we have watched 3 films, all relative to group and team dynamics. It is rather interesting to me to watch these films as I have seen all of them at least once before. I will mention that 12 Angry Men was used in my Senior Government class as a demonstration of the how the jury process worked. I didn't make the connection until I watched the same film in an acdemic environment again, but instead we used the film to under stand Tuckman's staging model.

So, back to the films. What is most curious to me when watching these films and noticing things I never considered. I watched these films the first or second time for enterainment, but never would I consider the academic implications. For example, Levi discusses that groups and teams have many different charateristics. This is very clear in the film, Apollo 13, where a number of different teams are present.

Is having a deviant on a team a bad thing?

On February 2, 2009 I had a realization about what it means to be a part of team. The nature of my work requires my division to act in a very team like manner. For example, at the end of the day the goal is the same, to advance the mission of the University. We do that by raising private funds and engaging alumni in activities that brings them closer to their University.

Our class discussion that evening centered on the Paradox's of teams. We discussed in great detail what happens when you have deviant on your team and whether or not it is a bad thing. I say absolutely not, especially when that individuals agenda works towards achieving the end goal. I thought about two people on our our team who are relatively new to our team. These two have been labeled by others as being pot stirrers. According to our literature, they would be called deviants.

In a University setting, things have a bad habit of being siloed. For example, Student Affairs works in its sandbox and Advancement works in its own sandbox. One of these individuals does not believe in silos. I kid with this person that he came here with a bulldozer and he is tearing those silos down. It occurred to me that this individual who as I mentioned has been labeled a deviant is in fact doing a lot of good and helping us achieve our end goal. Dispite the denotation of the word deviant, in this particular case and maybe in most cases a deviant connotes a good thing.

But in life, everything has twos sides, so when is a deviant on a team a bad thing? I would think when a particular person acts in a deviant manner with only his or her agenda in mind. Like perhaps a class clown who disrupts a class displays deviant behavior and that behaviour does absolutely nothing for the class. Maybe a class isn't a team and might be more of a group. I'm sure we could debate that at a later time.

The best idea of 2009

This class looks to be a lot of fun and the group I was assigned too, is great. We have a wide variety of back grounds which I beleive will translate into a fresh perspective for me in this learning environment

I have two goals for this semester:

1. Develop a practical knowledge base regarding group and team dynamics

2. Decide if I am ready to start work on a PhD.