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Lippitt & Lippitt: Chapter 1 Consultation: An Expanding Process. Summary by Ivy Li 1.17.99. What is consultation?. Consultation is a two-way interaction: a process of seeking, giving, and receiving help.
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Lippitt & Lippitt: Chapter 1Consultation: An Expanding Process Summary by Ivy Li 1.17.99
What is consultation? • Consultation is a two-way interaction: a process of seeking, giving, and receiving help. • Consulting is aimed to mobilize internal and external resources to deal with problem confrontations and change efforts.
The Growing need • There will be an increase in the complexity of problems and the need for integration of different disciplines or sources of expertise. • Needs for help are accelerating faster than the preparation of professional helpers. • Top priority is to recruit and train the nonprofessionals in the skills of helping and supporting as part of the consulting teams.
Intervention Contexts • As consultants, we want to help the clients with the proactive posture of exploring readiness and potential for improvement than just focus on diagnosis of pain. • Some of the intervention contexts include: • downsizing situation • expansion situation • decentralization situation • merger situation • quality-improvement situation • demonstration and dissemination situation
Types of Client Systems • Client systems can be a person or a small unit such as a family. It can be a small group such as a team or a staff unit. It can also be a total organizational system, for instance, an agency or a company. • The size of the client system influences: • decisions concerning the credibility and competencies required of the consultant • the type and size of consultation design
Contracts and focuses • A helping relationship may vary in duration and sequence, for example: • a one-contract relationship • a single major contract with a sequence of follow-up supportive relationships • a defined series of session (e.g. a semester course) • an indeterminant helping contract • Helping effort may focus on: • functioning of a total system • one part of the client system • one function or problem of the client • relationship between groups
Expanding role of consultants • Develop the skills of co-consultants • Incorporate client representatives into the consulting team • Develop facilitators within the client system • Enhance consultant’s flexibility and variety • Offer opportunities to young professionals who want to grow