4. Process Consultation
No organization operates perfectly. Managers often sense that their unit’s performance can be improved, but they’re unable to identify what can be improved and how it can be improved. The purpose of process consultation is for an outside consultant to assist a client, usually a manager, to perceive, understand and act upon process events with which the manager must deal. These might include work flow, informal relationships among unit members and formal communication channels. It is similar to Sensitivity Training in its assumption but it is much more task oriented.
According to Edgar Schein
Process consultation is the set of activities on the part of the consultant which help the client to perceive, understand and act upon the process events which occur in the client’s environment.
Objectives
i. To bring desired change in the various organizational processes like leadership, communication, roles and functions of group members, group decision making and problem solving, group norms and inter-group cooperation and conflict.
ii. To understand how various organizational processes can be linked to objective achievement in the organization.
Process
Schein has suggested the following specific steps which the consultant should follow in a Process Consultation of OD:
i. Initiate Contact
This is the beginning stage of Process Consultation in which the client makes initial contact with the consultant with a view to solve the problems faced by the organization which cannot be solved by existing processes or resources.
ii. Define the Relationship
At this stage, client and consultant enter into agreement covering various aspects of consultancy services like fees and spelling out services, time etc. at this stage, it is also decided the client’s expectations and hoped-for-results.
iii. Select the setting and the method
It involves a clear-cut understanding of where and how the consultant will do the job that is required. At this stage, the consultant is introduced to the organizational members and basic objectives of the process consultation are communicated to them with a view that they cooperate with the consultant.
iv. Gather data and make a diagnosis
Information is collected from various sources through the use of questionnaires, observations and interviews about the problems spelled out at the initial stage. The data gathering occurs simultaneously with the entire consultative process. Information collected is processed to diagnose the problems and their underlying causes.
v. Intervene
At this stage, the consultant intervenes in the organizational processes by using different interventions like agenda setting, feedback, coaching and/or structural change.
vi. Reduce involvement and terminate
When the work of process consultation is completed, the consultant disengages from the client organization by mutual agreement but leaves the door open for future involvement.