Skills

In the same way that it is impossible to define the right way to manage a change, it would be foolish to prescribe the right set of skills that a consultant needs. However, it is possible to take each of the seven stages in the framework and suggest what key competencies might be needed to ensure that the process is managed effectively. The seven core competencies in Fig. 13.2 can be expanded:

• Negotiation (Client): Create a situation where all interested parties are able to reach a mutually satisfying and collaborative agreement.

• Inquiry (Clarify): Use analytical skills to delve beneath the symptoms and dig out the real problem.

• Facilitation (Create): Support the client in taking a more imaginative approach.

• Influencing (Change): Be able to effect change without a formal power base.

• Decision making (Confirm): Take a reasoned and managed decision without being unduly influenced by any personal or group bias.

• Reflection (Continue): Help minimize the client's entrenched thought patterns by helping them be more proactive in the management of their own problems.

• Coaching (Close): Help the client get a clear focus on how they will use the change; what role they want to play in the new world and what their next steps might be.

The objective is not to suggest that these are the only skills to be used within each stage, rather to highlight the most dominant capability that might be called upon to manage that stage effectively. Once understood, you need to ensure that you either have the necessary skill set or have access to the skills via colleagues or other consultants.

One way to understand the skills in a deeper way is by considering them from three perspectives: cognitive, affective and behavioural (Thompson, 1996). A nice metaphor for these three aspects is the head, heart and hands, as described in Chapter 7. The heart is indicative of the passion and feelings that people will have for a subject; the head represents how they might feel logically about the topic; and the hands represent the practical aspect of a situation. It is crucial to consider these three aspects if the Seven Cs are to be applied effectively. This is because:

• Improving how a client "thinks" will not deliver performance improvement unless they change what they "do" and "feel";

• Changing what they "do" will not be sustainable unless they modify how they "think" and "feel";

• Changing how they "feel" will cause confusion unless they change what they "do" and "think".

While it is easy to improve how you manage the consultancy process, the hard thing is to hold the gain. Unless you are able to apply the Seven Cs on the levels of heart, head and hands, then at some point in the future, revision or frustration is likely to happen. For this reason, each of the seven skill areas has been considered from the three perspectives. Not necessarily to offer the answer, but to encourage you to reflect on your potential in each of the three areas.