George Mason University
CONSULTING FOR
ORGANIZATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
AND CHANGE
LRNG 792-001
CONF 695-004, EDUC 600-001, ITRN 701-008, PUAD
729-001
Fall, 2000
Professor: Ann C. Baker, Ph.D.
Class Location: Enterprise Hall, Room 274
Class Time: Wednesday evenings, 7:20-10:00pm
Administrative Offices: Finley Building, Room 206, Fairfax, VA 22030
Professor Baker’s Office: Finley Building, Room 216, Fairfax
Telephone: 703-993-3805
Fax: 703-993-3788
e-mail: abaker1@gmu.edu
Office hours: By appointment
OVERVIEW
A primary goal of this course is to create a shared learning space for all participants to explore the various philosophical, theoretical, and ethical dimensions of consulting in ways that are fully integrated with development of the practical skills of “how to be” an outstanding consultant. In other words, the course is designed to develop and integrate your theoretical and practical perspectives, approaches, and skills as a consultant.
My emphasis throughout the course will intentionally stress the process, affective, and collaborative dimensions of consulting and the client-consultant relationship because the content, expertise-based, cognitive, and rational dimensions are too often overemphasized. My emphasis on consultants knowing themselves better and on the relationship building aspects of consulting grows out of the too frequent undervaluing of these phenomena implicit within the expert model of consulting that many of us consciously or unconsciously bring into consulting. The commonly used phrase of “the self as the instrument” in consulting grows out of Peter Block’s (2000) quote
Authentic behavior with a client means you put into words what you are experiencing with the client as you work. This is the most powerful thing you can do to have the leverage you are looking for and to build client commitment. (p. 37) [italics not added]
Unless consultants are highly aware of themselves and their own experience in the consulting engagement and are unusually attuned to the clients’ experiences, it is not possible to “put into words what you are experiencing.” Thus, time in the course will be spent on learning how to be more fully attuned to one’s self and to others, to listening astutely, to taking in cognitive and affective sources of data, and to knowing and monitoring ourselves as integral parts of developing that leverage and commitment that Block asserts above.
THE LEARNING PROCESS
My intention in the course is to jointly create with you a shared learning space within which the mutuality of learning among all participants is explored, drawing heavily on the integration of both informational and theoretical learning with experiential learning. This approach is used because it is the most effective form of adult learning and is congruent with effective consultation approaches (Kolb, 1984, Block, 2000).
Experiential Learning calls for a somewhat different role for both the professor and the student than does the standard lecture/seminar format. The analytical work will include the readings, presentation of information in class, and preparation of papers, both individually and as a group. The experiential component will include experiential learning exercises in class, in-depth conversations, working within a team, and completion of a team project. This combination allows for both cognitive and affective learning that increases your understanding of new ideas and the integration of ideas into your behavior and skill competency. This format also is intentionally used to model an approach often used in building collaborative consulting relationships with clients. The use of a team project is included to replicate the frequent use of teams in consulting.
This approach shifts my role as the professor from being primarily a purveyor of information to becoming more of a facilitator to create a receptive space and stimuli for learning. While there will be brief lectures and considerable emphasis on the reading assignments, each class will actively involve you and allow you to generate your own data about key concepts to be studied. The essence of serving as change agents in consulting is embedded in this concept of learning as a process grounded in experience with a focus on the ongoing process of learning more than an unswerving commitment to specific outcomes.
Since conversations are a fundamental medium for shared experiences and potentially a primary mode of learning, we will be attentive throughout the semester to how we are in conversation with each other and the kinds of conversation that might facilitate learning in consulting and in organizations generally.
Thus, part of your role in this course is as an active creator of your own learning - not as a passive recipient. Because your role involves shared leadership in the learning process and in creating a receptive space for learning, your attendance and full participation in all team and class meetings is essential. It is especially important that you come prepared to fully participate in whatever activities have been scheduled as the nature of experiential learning embodies learning through the experience at hand and cannot be “made up” later.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION
The last day to register for this course is September 12, 2000. The last day to drop without the dean’s permission is September 29, 2000. Course requirements include a combination of readings, attendance and full participation in all class and team activities, and preparation of individual and team papers. The two texts, which can be purchased in the GMU Bookstore, and additional required readings are listed below.
Block, Peter (2000).
Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your
Expertise Used. Second Edition, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Nevis, Edwin C. (1998). Organizational Consulting: A Gestalt
Approach. Cambridge, MA: GICPress.
Articles assigned for additional reading:
On Electronic Reserve Through the Library:
The link to
Electronic Reserves is
http://ers2000.gmu.edu/sql/OSCRsrchform.php3
To use the link, put in course name of LRNG 792-001, Instructor is Ann Baker, Password is social
Eisenhardt, Kathleen M., Kahwajy, Jean L., Bourgeois, L. J., III. 1997. Conflict and strategic choice: How top management teams disagree. California Management Review, Vol. 39, No. 2, pp. 42-62.
Smith, Roger C. 1995. Consulting Across East-West Boundaries. Journal of Management Consulting, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 3-6.
In Copy Packet to be purchased through the Copy Center, Johnson Center, Room 117.
Duck, Jeanie Daniel. 1993. Managing change: The art of balancing. Harvard Business Review. November-December, pp. 109-118.
Lacey, Miriam Y. 1995. Internal consulting: Perspectives on the process of planned change. Journal of Organizational Change Management. Vol.8, No. 3, pp. 75-84.
Copy Made Available in Class:
Kimball, Stephanie L. & Garrison, Jim. 1999. Hermeneutic Listening in Multicultural Conversations. In Affirming Diversity Through Democratic Conversations, (Eds.) Victoria R. Fu & Andrew J. Stremmel, pp.15-27. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill, an imprint of Prentice Hall.
Course Assignments:
Self as a Consultant Paper - Based on a journal that you will keep during the course reflecting on your experiences and your own knowledge of yourself, reading assignments for this class and other relevant reading, class conversations, exercises and inventories completed in class and previously in your life, feedback from others, etc., you will be writing an individual paper. Because the paper requires considerable reflection and integration of multiple sources of learning, it is strongly suggested that you take seriously the keeping of a journal and that you focus on the paper early in the semester.
Your paper should include:
· personal reflections of your personal and professional development thus far in your life, going back at least briefly to your early life (15%),
· reflections on your experiences relevant to consulting (10%),
· exploration of your values, beliefs, priorities, and philosophy relevant to consulting (15%),
· exploration of consulting roles, work, and relationships you can imagine for yourself in the future and why you have selected these as appropriate, and they are appealing to you (20%),
· assessing your strengths and shortcomings relevant to consulting and areas of priority for future personal and professional development (20%),
· references and citations interwoven throughout to readings, concepts, models, and theories that support various sections of the paper (20%).
The percentages following each item indicate the weight the item will be given in the evaluation of the paper. The paper should be approximately 12-20 double-spaced, word-processed pages, 11-12 c.p.i. only.
DUE DATE:
November 1, 2000.
Team Project Presentation and Paper - You will self-select into teams of approximately four people with similar interests for in-depth learning about one facet of consulting for your team paper and presentation. The topic can be a consulting tool or philosophy or approach in which you have a particular interest to pursue extensively for this project. Each team should provide the names of their team members on October 4th and a one-page description of the topic on October 18th. Attached to the one-page description will be a list of the criteria your team will use for peer evaluation as described below. On October 25th, your criteria sheets are dues, also described below. Please confirm appropriateness of the topic with me just before or just after a class session prior to preparation of this one-page description.
The Team Project Paper should include:
· a full description of the consulting tool, approach, etc. that has been approved for the team project (20%),
· the historical and conceptual foundation, heavily supported by citations and content that under gird the tool, approach, etc. (30%),
· recommendations for appropriate use and appropriate contexts for its use, again supported by references (20%),
· observations of and insight into the team’s work together (processes of interaction, communication, decision-making, research, allocation of responsibilities) and the implications the team’s process would have if this had been a consulting project, assuring that both the constructive and less constructive interactions are included (30%).
The percentages following each item again indicate the weight the item will be given in the evaluation of the paper. The paper should be approximately 15-22 double-spaced, word-processed pages, 11-12 c.p.i. only.
DUE DATE - November 29th.
The Team Project Presentation should include:
· a full description of the consulting tool, approach, etc. that has been approved (20%),
· an interesting, engaging demonstration or elaboration of the tool, approach, etc. for the class (25%),
· recommendations for appropriate use and appropriate contexts for using this tool, approach, etc. (25%),
· presentational efforts that engage the audience fully in learning and inquiring about the tool, approach, etc. as a part of the presentation (20%),
· participation by all members of the team (10%).
Team members will select one of the 2 dates on the syllabus
for the presentations (November 15 or 29) and have the date cleared by the
professor given the need to allocate enough class time. As indicated above, the team papers
will be due on November 29.
Team Member Evaluation
In the last class of the course, you will evaluate the team members with whom you have worked on your team project. To learn more about the process of peer feedback and peer evaluation, as important aspect of consulting work and ongoing learning and development, your team will decide collectively early in your work together the criteria and process that will be used for team member evaluation. Attached to your one-page topic description due on October 18th, will be a list of the criteria that your team will use for your peer evaluation. We will spend time in class preparing you for this process. In the final class, you will be evaluating both your own contributions and those of your teammates in your team project as a portion of your grade for the course. The following are given to you as a guide and are the kinds of criteria that are often used:
· Responsibility - amount of work the team member took on during the project
· Follow-through - completion of the work the team member agreed to perform
· Teamwork - degree to which the team member cooperated and collaborated with other members to get the task done
· Creativity - amount and quality of unique/novel contribution to the project
·
Contribution - overall evaluation of the contribution
of the team member
Evaluation criteria sheets may use a qualitative, narrative
kind of evaluative comments, a quantitative scale, or a combination of
both. Your team will develop these
sheets and get them approved by the professor by October 25th. You
will fill out an evaluation form on yourself and on each member of your team during
the final class of the semester. These forms should not be filled out
prior to that class.
Therefore, your attendance at the final class is critical.
Effort and Approach Used
The professor will complete this part of the evaluation after the final class based on observations and interactions in and out of class over the semester. The criteria will include attendance and participation in class with an emphasis given to the importance of differing kinds of participation. For example, speaking in class will need to be carefully self-monitored in ways that support the mutuality of learning by all class members both in the amount of speaking time in balance with consideration of the need for all class participants to have air-time, the quality of listening and building on previous contributions, and the contributions made to the creation of a mutual learning space.
Evaluation
Late submissions and significant variance in the recommended length of papers can substantially influence grades and should be discussed with me before or after a class prior to the date they are due. When final course determinations are borderline between two grades, final grades will be determined based upon class attendance and effort and participation as described above. The course requirements are weighted as follows:
Self as a Consultant paper (Due November 1)..............................................35%
Team Project Presentations (Due November 15 or 29)………….…..............20%
Team Project Paper (Due on November 29).........…………………………......20%
Team Evaluation (to be completed on December 6)......................................15%
Effort and Approach Used (to be completed by professor after the final class)................................................................................................................10%
COURSE OUTLINE
FALL, 2000
Class 1: Wednesday, August
30
Agenda
Introductions and Expectations
Overview of the Course, Review of the Syllabus
Anticipating and Creatively Coping with Organizational Change
Organizational Learning
Self as a Medium in Consulting
Relevant Reading - to be read by September 6
Block, Chapters 1-3; Nevis, Chapters 1-2
Class 2: Wednesday,
September 6 (Last day to register, Sept.12)
Read Prior to Class
Syllabus
Block, Chapters 1-3; Nevis, Chapters 1-2
Article
by Duck and chapter by Kimball & Garrison
Agenda
Revisit Syllabus
Building for Sustainable Change
Fundamental Approaches to Consulting
Context Sensitivity
Conversation as a Consulting Medium
Ethics of Consulting
Class 3: Wednesday,
September 13
Read
Prior to Class
Block, Chapter 7; Nevis, Chapters 3-5
Article by Lacey
Agenda
Types of Consulting and Consulting Roles
Facilitation & Listening
Feedback - Giving to be Heard and Receiving to Learn
Class 4: Wednesday,
September 20
Read Prior to Class
Block, Chapters 4 and 5; Nevis,
Chapters 6 & 9
Agenda
Elements of the Consulting Process - Part I
Contracting, Entry, and Assessment
Open
Space Technology
Class 5: Wednesday,
September 27
Read Prior to Class
Block, Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14; Nevis, Chapter 10
Agenda
Elements of the Consulting Process - Part II
Gathering Data
Making Meaning of the Data
Giving the Client Feedback
Learning more about Oneself
Class 6: Wednesday,
October 4 - Team Member Names Due
Block, Chapter 6; Nevis, Chapter 7
Articles by Grimsley and by Eisenhardt, et al.
Conflict as a Resource in Consulting
Knowing Oneself in Conflictual Situations
Peer Feedback and Peer Evaluation
Team Work/Working in Small Groups
Mid-Course Reflection
ONE-PAGE TEAM PROJECT
TOPIC DESCRIPTION AND TEAM EVALUATION CRITERIA DUE
Block, Chapters 8, 9, 10; Nevis, Chapter 8
Article by Smith
Peer Feedback and Peer Evaluation
Class 8: Wednesday,
October 25 – Criteria Sheets Due
Read
Prior to Class
Block, Chapters 15-17; Nevis, Epilogue
Complete unfinished readings
Implementation Approaches
Consulting Tools - Introduction
SELF AS A CONSULTANT PAPER DUE
Agenda
Panel of Consultants
Class 10: Wednesday,
November 8
Block, Chapters 18 & 19
Complete unfinished readings
Agenda
More Consulting Tools such as
Assessment Instruments
Cultural Analysis
Coaching
Others as guided by class interest
Ethics and the Shadow Side of
Consulting
Class 11: Wednesday,
November 15
Agenda
Time for previous agenda items as guided by class interest
Team Presentations
Agenda
Team Meetings
Class 13: Wednesday,
November 29
TEAM PAPERS DUE
Agenda
Team
Presentations
Class 14: December 6
Agenda
Implications for Future Work
Team Member Evaluations
Course Closure
Course Evaluation