Dynamic Consultation In A Changing Workplace

The authors examine the role of the consultant in assisting leaders to understand change from a dynamic systems perspective and to manage that change strategically. The case examples they present emphasize the need for consultants to connect the internal psychological landscapes of executives. managers, and employees with their external manifestations during times of organizational transformation, while remaining attuned to the impact of these issues on the consultant's own lives and work.

As a follow-up to a 2010 volume on organizational change-related consulting, the book continues to push our thinking about the dynamics involved in consulting with change leaders and intervening in the change process. Consulting for organizational change is a special type of consultation, with its own complex set of conditions and needs for a broad range of skills and competencies, which include distinct needs for the client-consultant relationship, superior consulting/facilitation skills, an expertise in human and organizational systems, and, as emphasized in the volume, the masterful “use of self.” As with our prior edited collection, this volume is a joint publication in the Research in Management Consulting and Contemporary Trends in Organization Development and Change book series. The dual focus is intended to reflect the importance of quality consulting for change across both the management consulting and Organization Development (OD) fields. It follows a long history of interest in how consulting affects organization change, what works, and, perhaps most importantly for generating theory and insight into the change process, why it works. The book contains fourteen chapters that frame the changing nature of the organizational change challenge, explore the use of self in intervening in organizations, and examine different change frameworks and perspectives, sharing various reflections and personal insights into the underlying challenges of consulting to bring about organizational change. Our underlying goal is to advance the theory and practice of effective organizational change consultation, stimulating thinking and discussion among change practitioners and researchers so that this work and profession continue to grow and evolve. ENDORSEMENT: “Consultation for Organization Change Revisited offers a clear map of the dominant thinking about how consultants intervene to help organizations create an alternative future. It nicely answers the question of "What is Organization Development." It also has a memory so that you see the arc of the field over time, which gives an important perspective. Organization change is complicated work, this book makes it clearer.” ~ Peter Block Author of Flawless Consulting

Unique resource detailing the day-to-day activity of doctors who work on “the coal face” of psychiatry in an acute setting Dynamic Consultations With Psychiatrists is the outcome of a collaboration between the psychiatrists of a certain hospital and the author, which has continued successfully for more than ten years, containing a number of patient consultations and cases where psychiatry was used successfully to solve a patient’s problem. The presentation of each case, and particularly of the consultation, is meant to demonstrate the process by which insights were gained. Each consultation is written in plain English with the deliberate avoidance of terminology and especially psychoanalytic jargon. Naturally, all identified features of the patients have been deleted or changed so that the patients’ privacy is not compromised. The format is near to a transcript so that the work demonstrates how the understanding evolves and emerges from the process. The structure of the book is not according to a diagnosis but according to “presenting problem” (in other words, the most prominent feature), allowing for easy and efficient accessibility. Sample concepts and learning resources covered and included in Dynamic Consultations With Psychiatrists are as follows: How a doctor is faced with a patient who is suffering in their own particular way and how the clinician gets to develop a deeper understanding of their predicament Difficulties the “coal face” doctors encounter and the challenges they will face in their personal emotional wellbeing Relationships with the other professionals both within their hospital and other agencies Curtailed histories so that there is a seamless exposition of how the conclusions of the consultation have been reached Psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and students/instructors in related programs of study can use Dynamic Consultations With Psychiatrists to gain valuable insight into the thought process of practicing psychiatrists in relation to a myriad of patient problems, allowing them to learn vicariously and become better at dealing with their own patients’ problems.

Offering a primary focus on North American cultural and ethnic diversity while addressing global questions and issues, Counseling Across Cultures, Seventh Edition, edited by Paul B. Pederson, Walter J. Lonner, Juris G. Draguns, Joseph E. Trimble, and María R. Scharrón-del Río, draws on the expertise of 48 invited contributors to examine the cultural context of accurate assessment and appropriate interventions in counseling diverse clients. The book’s chapters highlight work with African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos/as, American Indians, refugees, individuals in marginalized situations, international students, those with widely varying religious beliefs, and many others. Edited by pioneers in multicultural counseling, this volume articulates the positive contributions that can be achieved when multicultural awareness is incorporated into the training of counselors.

This book, the second in a series on Tavistock Group Relations Conferences, contains the collection of papers presented at the second Belgirate conference plus four additional papers reflecting on and making sense of several participants conference experiences. Taken together, these papers offer an exciting picture of the Group Relations enterprise as it continues to adapt and innovate its approaches to the practice of Group Relations conferences globally. It will be of interest to members of the group relations community as well as others who are agents of change and development in their professions and organisations, and who might use group relations thinking in their research, management, consultancy or educational roles.

Human nature, in all its complexity, is the single most powerful factor in the workplace. Any effort at organizational diagnosis and change must incorporate the social and psychological dynamics of the operation to have a chance at success. Drawing on in-depth psychoanalytical theory, and written in clear, easy-to-understand language, this practical text introduces a dozen insightful perspectives for understanding organizational dynamics, and synthesizes them into an integrated approach to organizational diagnosis and change. Each perspective views the workplace from a different vantage point. Together they provide a panoramic view of the true complexity found in the workplace, and a foundation for changing organizational dynamics that will be equally useful for students and professional managers.

The industry of management consulting is vast and extremely diverse. The scope of expertise and provisions encompassed by this designation is vast. The distinction between the work of the most expensive strategy agencies and that of a project management consultant is of such magnitude that the two may fail to identify one another as practitioners of the same field. Certain publications aim to discuss particular aspects of this industry. They frequently describe a variety of consulting instruments and methods. Knowing the most effective tools and techniques does not automatically transform one into an effective consultant, as their applicability is contingent upon specific circumstances. Regarding the provision of services to the client, national management consultancy institutes and professional associations, which are entrusted with and encouraged to uphold the utmost level of accountability, should prioritise accountability for the performance of management consultants in numerous respects. The consulting approaches and methodologies utilised for a wide range of management and business problems, organisations, and environments are detailed in this book. A vast array of consulting approaches, techniques, methods, modalities, and styles exist. This variety is among the most stimulating aspects of management consulting. This implies that even clients who possess highly specific issues and personalities can typically locate a consultant who is a good match for their organisation and persona. On the contrary, consulting also demonstrates specific shared principles and methodologies. Certain ones are indispensable and are employed by an overwhelming majority of consultants.

Organizational change is often insider-led and supported by internal consultants and change agents. Most of what is written about change comes from the perspective of external consultants or from academics researching the activities of those with insider change roles. Changing Organizations from Within is unusual in providing a range of authentic insider accounts. The editors define 'insiders' as employees who lead and support change efforts within their own organizations, and those psychoanalytically aware external consultants - external 'insiders' - who work closely with organizations and use the dynamics of transference and projection in their relationships with clients to illuminate organizational issues. Each chapter is written by an author with experience of different kinds of insider relationships with their client organizations. Some work 'inside' as employees. Some are external consultants whose work involves developing insightful insider perspectives. The book’s editors and several of the authors are graduates, or have been faculty members, of London's Tavistock Institute Advanced Organizational Consultation programme, with experience of running development programmes for consultants and of coaching insiders. Changing Organizations from Within examines the pulls on role and identity that can easily undermine competence and practice. Understanding the system psycho-dynamics present in organizations helps consultants and change agents to make use of an insider perspective without becoming enmeshed in the client organization's regressive and inertial dynamics. The authors provide practical advice to help insiders navigate organizational space, make sense of tricky situations, and work more mindfully to help organizations change.