Three Flavors of Consultant

Three Flavors of Consultant

I have the rare opportunity in  my communities to observe consultants consulting with each other—offering advice, asking questions, engaged in mutual and constructive improvement. I’ve noticed that in virtually zero cases do these very high powered consultants in the room arrive at a solution or improvement as fast as I would.

There are apparently three modes of consulting that take place:

1. Modeling. In this mode, the consultant provides a construct or methodology into which the concern is placed (sometimes forced). It’s as if one is trying to work a computer operation, so I call this “programming.”

2. Experiential. Here, the consultant thinks about how he or she has dealt with a similar issue successfully, and retells the story, on the supposition that the other person can adapt the procedure to the current case. I call this “historian.”

3. Diagnostician/Prescription: This consultant applies a process and questioning set to diagnose the issue, and only then arrives at a selection of prescriptions. The questioning seeks key distinctions to narrow the search. I call this, of course, “physician.”

The third is fastest, most efficacious, and most relevant in  most cases. Think about it. Would you rather have someone present you with a methodology, tell you a story, or assess what’s happening to you in the moment and offer customized solutions? And guess which is the least labor intensive!

© Alan Weiss 2012. All rights reserved.