REPLY "Flawless Consulting" and SD (SD6640)

[SDMAIL John Voyer]

Posted by  "John Voyer" <voyer at usm.maine.edu>

I have found this discussion's emphasis on data to be interesting.  I
have taught from Peter Block's "Flawless Consulting" for many years, and
one of the things he emphasizes is the emotional aspect of consulting. 
He talks a lot about how clients have issues with consultants because of
concerns about control and vulnerability.  He goes so far as to say that
"emotion is data," meaning that if you sense unease as you deal with a
client, it may be the same feeling that the client's co-workers get as
they deal with her/him, and it may therefore be part of what has created
the problem.

Block puts a lot of stock in data, as people on this list have
discussed it, but he puts equal or maybe greater stock on the emotional
aspects of the work.  In doing so, he gives an answer, of sorts, to
Bob's second question below.  Implementation will be more successful if
clients feel that they have (1) valid data, (2) free choice of
solutions, and (3) commitment to the change process.  Items two and
three on that list come more from the emotional side, less from the
"rational" side that we so often emphasize in the SD community.

John Voyer

----------------------------------------------------------

John J. Voyer, Ph.D.
Associate Dean and 
Professor of Business Administration
School of Business
University of Southern Maine
Posted by  "John Voyer" <voyer at usm.maine.edu>
posting date  Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:05:23 -0400