Spotlight
On Consulting Issues
Becoming A Trusted Advisor:
Moving From Theory to the Real World
Steve
Kincaid,
Ph.D.
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Jagdish
Sheth, Ph.D., author of Clients For Life and The
Power of Three, offered a compelling keynote speech at
the 2003 SCP Mid-Winter Conference entitled "Becoming
A Trusted Advisor." Building on Dr. Sheth's
ideas, Bill Amberg, Diana Gordick, William Horst,
Laurie Moret and Andrea Wieland offer insights
into their efforts to become a trusted advisor. Each
of these SCP members is at a different stage in his/her career and
brings a unique perspective on what works in the real
world.
Back
to The Consulting Psychologist™
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Dr. Sheth began by suggesting that professional service
providers, including consulting psychologists, should expect to
see an increasing commoditization of our services. Have you
found this to be true in the marketplace? How?
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To
the extent that a consulting psychologist is already connected to
a client system, is seen as credible, and is linked to their corporate
strategy,
I believe that there is less of a need to commoditize the work.
Laurie Moret
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Diana
Gordick
I have seen an increasing
push for quick deliverables that can be easily and inexpensively
used across organizational levels. I consider assessments,
brief training, one-day teambuilding workshops, etc., as
commodities, and these continue to have some popularity.
However, firms have often used these methods prior to working with
a psychologist, and found their needs remained unmet. It is
important to create a dialog with clients to gain a clear
understanding of problem areas and provide insight regarding past
pitfalls. This dialog can then be used to create an overall
strategy, rather than simply plugging in a quick solution.
It’s difficult to have this conversation when you restrict
yourself to a commodity perspective.
William
Horst
Yes, there is an increasing commoditization of our services.
This occurs more at the mid- and lower levels than at the
executive and senior executive levels. Technology increases
the ease and accessibility of services but makes the relationship
and context more difficult to establish. As Dr. Sheth
emphasized, it is up to us to make our services unique and
customized in order to establish a deeper trust with the client.
Laurie
Moret
I agree with Dr. Sheth’s observation as it relates to consulting
psychology, however, I think it varies by what level of an
organization you are working at and to what extent you are already
engaged. To the extent that a consulting psychologist is
already connected to a client system, is seen as credible, and is linked to their corporate strategy, I believe that there is less
of a need to commoditize the work. However, in a new relationship,
I believe there is an increased tendency to view the consulting
psychologist as a vendor and the work as a transaction. Some
specific areas where I anticipate clients desire to commoditize
the work will accelerate are coaching, survey and assessment, and
training and development initiatives.
Andrea
Wieland
Commoditization may occur due partially to the psychological
tendency of consumers to lump, categorize and blur differences of
products and services that seem to offer similar features.
We are in an age of information overload and it may seem to some
that significant effort would be required to research and detect
differences; time they may be unwilling to spend. I find
myself spending about 25% of my time “selling” potential
customers how my services are different than what they may have
received in the past, or correcting or affirming their perceptions
about my services. It seems natural to have to do this as
credentialing for “consulting” work does not exist (i.e.,
anyone can be a “consultant” or call themselves an
“executive coach”), and the definition of our field is not
uniformly defined and agreed upon.
Bill
Amberg
As the economy waivers more and more, experienced individuals who
are often untrained in psychology find their way into
“consulting” or “coaching” roles that are sometimes beyond
their scope. Also, expense control practices often cause
companies to buy the “cheapest” professional service, without
sufficient regard for the qualifications of the provider.
To avoid being seen as simply a vendor of a commoditized
service, Dr. Sheth says consultants must move from being viewed as
expert for hire or even a steady supplier to being a trusted
advisor. What do you find are the critical issues for
earning the trust of your clients?
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Listening
closely and asking the right questions rather than immediately
framing packaged solutions lets my clients know their goals are my main priority.
Diana Gordick |

William
Horst
A full commitment to giving the time to understand and anticipate
the client’s needs is essential to earn trust. This can
include understanding their products, customers and industry.
Going beyond their expectations to understand the context of their
leadership allows the consulting psychologist to recognize areas
of development and prepare them for the future. Synthesizing
information, as well as taking the risk of giving feedback that
others withhold, creates the openness that is needed for a trusted
advisor.
Laurie
Moret
To earn the
trust of a client means to not always take the safe route in
offering what they want to hear but offering what you believe to
be true. This means being willing to take risks and speak the
truth, even when it hurts. Executives often have few trusted
colleagues at the top with whom they can be vulnerable. A
consulting psychologist who is able to hear their concerns and
fears and respond in ways that add value and offer new opinions
and insights can be a unique resource. To do this, a consulting
psychologist must have integrity and self-confidence and work
flexibly and with high tolerance for ambiguity and
process-oriented work.
Andrea
Wieland
The key issues are:
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Availability/accessibility
(emotionally, physically, mentally)
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Consistent
and persistent contact/Follow-up—saying what you said you’d
do
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Positive,
Authentic
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Openness
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Non-judgmental
attitude
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Keeping
clients’ best interest/well-being in mind
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Expertise-offers
information, perspective that expands client’s
thinking/capacity
Bill
Amberg
An in-depth understanding of the organization’s purpose, people
and structure; values, norms, and traditions; and its cultural and
integrating forces are necessary in order to provide an accurate and
timely consulting prospective. This takes thorough, in-depth
understanding, the essentials of a trusted advisor, too often
overlooked in providing immediate cause-effect solutions.
Regular contact, in various venues over time, is the key.
Diana
Gordick
For me, it usually works best to close my mouth and let the client
educate me a bit. They are well versed in their business
challenges and provide information that helps me understand their
situation. Sometimes listening to what they are not telling
me is important. Listening closely and asking the right
questions rather than immediately framing packaged solutions lets
them know their goals are my main priority.
Dr. Sheth believes a key behavior of trusted
advisors is what he calls selfless independence, meaning the
ability to balance a deep commitment to meeting client needs with
an intellectual, emotional, and financial detachment. This
often requires the willingness to make short-term sacrifices in
order to maintain long-term integrity. What situations have
you found yourself in where you needed to say “no” to a client?
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Repeatedly,
almost daily, the consultant must ask “is this in the
best
interest of the client, over my own?”
Bill Amberg |
Laurie
Moret
In
entering a new client relationship, setting clear expectations is
important. When a client has unrealistic expectations for the
outcome of the work or any other aspect of the engagement, the
decision to proceed must be taken seriously. For example, in one
instance a client’s request for executive coaching for a Sr. VP of
a line division was posed as a request to further develop this
individual. Through dialogue with the President, it became evident
that the desired predetermined outcome of the coaching was to
separate the individual. This is inconsistent with a developmental
coaching assignment and also impacts our work when the outcome is
predetermined. As a result, I determined not to move forward with
the work. The client came back and we reanalyzed the situation and
their needs and agreed to a different piece of work to develop this
individual.
Andrea
Wieland
Situations that come to mind are maintaining confidentiality and
boundaries around “Who is the client?” I have had
to say “no” to leaders who were interested in specific
feedback from a specific team members which would have compromised
my relationship with the leader, the team member, the team and the
relationship between team members and leaders. For the sake
of all the relationships involved, and to develop long-term trust
and respect, I had to say “no” to the client who was paying
the bill.
Bill
Amberg
Integrity in ethical applications is critical. Knowing ones
limits is crucial. Repeatedly, almost daily, the consultant
must ask “is this in the best interest of the client, over my
own?” I have brought in more specifically trained
psychologists, referred work which I “could have done,” but not
probably as well. Most important is to establish your
integrity by saying “no” or taking a contrary position when
necessary. It validates that the client’s best interests
come first, over politics.
Diana
Gordick
After having a longstanding relationship providing pre-selection and
employee development assessments for a well-known consulting firm,
one of the principles asked me to provide Myers-Briggs assessments
for he and his future wife. Although this work would have
brought the additional charges required for a rapid turnaround (it
was Thursday when he asked and he wanted it Sunday), I thought it
best not to delve into it for several reasons. Two of the main
reasons are similar to what Dr. Sheth discusses. First, I
encourage my clients to take a long-range view rather than becoming
deeply absorbed in day to day firefighting. Immediately
reacting and solving this problem would not reinforce this message.
Sometimes it’s difficult to detach from the client’s pull for an
immediate reactive solution, but in the long run they have more
respect for my ability to maintain a balanced perspective of our
work together. Second, I was aware that he already had a
relationship with his pre-marital counselor who was also able to
deliver the assessment. We settled the boundaries by having
the counselor provide the assessment and address his personal life,
while I maintained the role of a psychologist addressing
organizational issues.
William
Horst
It is important to say “no” when the services could be provided
with higher quality by someone else.
This could be by internal resources or by other consultants.
Also in situations such as coaching, it is best to advise the
client when the coaching assignment would be a poor investment.
The criteria should be based on what is best for the client.
Consultants who are able to develop client relationships
that extend the length of their professional careers are those Dr.
Sheth described as deep generalists who consistently integrate
diverse areas of learning into their core expertise. What
ways have you found to be effective in broadening the base of
knowledge you draw on to help your clients?
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I listen for diverse perspectives that
expand my current thinking, or which may throw a wrench into my
system of thinking all together, which forces me to consider whether
my current beliefs are functional or limiting.
Andrea Wieland |
Andrea
Wieland
I
find that I have interests in other areas of study such as
anthropology, philosophy, languages, athletics, spiritual/religious,
nature, and animal behavior that help me think broadly about how
natural processes, people, contexts may work or how they evolved.
Moreover, I also learn by asking questions, and engaging in dialogue
with persons of diverse backgrounds to attempt to understand their
human experience. I listen for diverse perspectives that
expand my current thinking, or which may throw a wrench into my
system of thinking all together, which forces me to consider whether
my current beliefs are functional or limiting. Having a thirst
for knowledge and desiring diverse learning experiences result in my
consistently seeking opportunities (reading broadly, attending
cultural events, traveling, watching movies, attending
presentations/lectures) to grow, expand and to share with others.
Bill
Amberg
I have been the coordinator among different consultants. I
have called upon colleagues for their expertise and in
“staffing” client situations. I have continually asked for
detailed feedback about my services, and I have frequently learned
about my client’s broadly, including various aspects of their
personal lives. Once I flew to a “neutral” city to meet a
president and discuss a subject he felt was too sensitive to discuss
except at a hotel in a different state.
Diana
Gordick
I
enjoy reading across a wide variety of areas. Building
friendships with individuals with different backgrounds and
interests provides a great perspective that could easily be missed.
Keeping up with world events and economics - I’m a stock market
nerd, so I love to keep up with the latest market news.
Awareness of events and how they may affect clients helps broaden my
understanding of the client’s world. All of these help me
participate in conversations with my clients that further deepens my
understanding of how business issues impact them directly.
William
Horst
It is
important to read constantly in areas that impact the client.
I’ve read marketing and manufacturing reports as well as talked
to consultants in these areas. I try to keep abreast of what
issues the industry associations are addressing. Studying
annual reports and listening to analyst calls are also helpful.
Laurie
Moret
Constant
participation in community events, subscription to relevant
periodicals, continuing education, and forging of new
relationships all help to expand a broader knowledge base I can
bring to my clients. Also, a willingness to connect my clients to
other relevant resources when my expertise does not extend to a
need they may allow me to stay connected and help the client meet
a need.
Dr. Sheth noted that clients seek out advisors who have a
clear sense of what they stand for, both as an individual and as a
professional. If a client were to directly ask you, how
would you define your mission as a consulting psychologist?
Bill
Amberg
My
mission is to do everything ethically possible to foster the success
of the enterprise and its people. In my view, the single most
reliable indicator of a psychologically healthy workplace is a
successful company, successful in meeting its objectives; then
keeping that plow firmly in the ground over time.
Diana
Gordick
My mission
is to help clients maximize their personal, interpersonal, and
organizational effectiveness. This becomes more clearly
defined with individual clients as we discuss the scope of the
work we will do together.
William
Horst
My
mission is helping organizations, teams and individuals be more
effective through a consulting partnership with the
organization’s leaders.
Laurie
Moret
My
mission is to meet clients where they are at, identify their
stated concerns, as well as
additional areas in need of attention, and to offer my best skills
in partnership with them to achieve desired results.
Maintaining consistency of character, integrity, and quality of
service in each relationship is a goal I strive for in conjunction
with the work.
Andrea
Wieland
My
mission to
help individuals, teams (groups), and organizations increase their understanding
of themselves and how they affect the "Bigger System," so they can
make positive choices to benefit themselves, shareholders, and the world around
them. My ultimate mission is to lend a hand in creating greater harmony on the
planet by learning to think systemically, and act with integrity, and
authenticity. Outcomes may include healthier relationships internally and
externally, greater wealth and enjoyment, balanced and productive lives, a
cleaner environment, and respect for all living things.
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Bill
Amberg, Ph.D.
William
F. Amberg, Ed. D. is President of Management &
Organizational Psychologist, Inc. He is licensed in
Arizona, and is Board certified in Industrial and
Organizational Psychology by the American Board of
Professional Psychology. Bill's firm works with
companies in all business areas focusing on individual and
organizational assessment and development.
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Diana
Gordick, Ph.D.
A recent
graduate, Diana has formed Gordick & Associates and is
in the process of building a service portfolio and
developing client relationships.
As an individual practitioner, she manages all
aspects of client care and service delivery, focusing on
individual assessment and development, team development,
and organizational assessment.
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William
Horst, Ph.D.
Dr. William Horst joined RHR International in 1986.
He has worked extensively in the areas of
leadership development, executive assessment and coaching,
customer relationship development, change management,
organizational studies, team development and merger
integration. He
has consulted at the top levels of organizations, both
domestically and globally.
His consultation has involved a broad range of
industries, including manufacturing, high tech, utilities,
financial services, health care, construction, education
and not-for-profit organizations.
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Laurie
Moret, Ph.D.
Laurie
Moret is a Senior Organizational Consultant with Right
Management Consultants, working to help business leaders
craft the solutions they need in the areas of
organizational development, leadership development, and
talent management. Laurie focuses on enhancing
individual and team performance to produce business
results. Laurie aids clients in clarifying their
present state, their ideal goals, and how to bridge the
gap to achieve their vision. Laurie’s approach is
highly collaborative, with the intent of utilizing a
company’s culture and establishing relationships to
accomplish change objectives and leadership effectiveness.
She
holds her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis,
her M.A. in Community Counseling Psychology from the
University of Georgia, and her Ph.D. in Counseling
Psychology from Arizona State University.
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Andrea
Wieland, Ph.D.
Dr.
Andrea Wieland
is finishing her pre-doctoral internship at the U. of
Texas at Austin Mental Health and Counseling Center.
She plans to graduate from The University of Iowa
Counseling Psychology program in August 2003,
complementing the MBA she earned from Iowa in
2002. Andrea competed on the 1996 Olympics in
field hockey team, has played international competition
for 13 years, and is the owner of Winning Systems,
Inc., a consulting company focused on coaching
intercollegiate athletic coaches on how to be more
effective leaders, helping athletes with mental
performance plans, and building athletic teams for
championship performance.
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