This document discusses barriers that consultants may face and how to address them authentically. It outlines 10 common dilemmas consultants encounter, such as unclear client expectations, lack of cooperation from stakeholders, and issues with trust or authority. For each dilemma, the document provides examples and signs to recognize the problem, as well as options for how consultants can respond authentically to resolve the issues and improve their effectiveness. The overall message is that consultants must behave congruently, focus on relationships, and have the courage to confront problems openly and honestly with clients.

1. 10 CONSULTING
BARRIERS: AND HOW
TO ADDRESS THEM
(Consulting to Management Journal: 9/01)
• Experience as a Guide to Improving
Consulting Performance
• Effort to More “Flawlessly Consult”
• Applicable to Internal, External
Consultants

2. ‘Flawless’ Consulting?
Peter Block (1981)
 Putting into words what consultant
experiences (thinks/feels)
with the client.
 Using interpersonal and technical
consulting skills:
Reflecting;
Confronting;
Clarifying;
Inquiring

3. Introduces “Authenticity:”
Congruence between thoughts,
feelings, actions.
 Focuses on relationship with
client – not tasks or problems.
 Absence/use of authentic behavior
impacts consultant effectiveness.

4. “ AUTHENTIC :”
•Manager says: “I want people to work
collaboratively.”
•Consultant observes: low participation
in management meetings + Manager
verbal criticisms of subordinate ideas
during meetings.
•Consultant response: “There seems to
be a discrepancy between saying you
want teamwork, and your criticisms of
others’ comments during meetings. Do
you think there’s a gap between what
you say and what you do?”

5. “INAUTHENTIC:”
•Manager says: “I want people to
work collaboratively – in teams.”
•Consultant observes: low
participation in management meetings
and Manager verbal criticisms of
subordinate ideas during meetings.
•Consultant response: Ignores
interaction .

6. WHY DO FLAWLESS
CONSULTING?
(Block)
• Have expertise better utilized.
• Have recommendations
implemented.
• Develop internal client
commitment.
• Increase leverage you have on
clients.
• Solve problems, once & for all.

7. EFFECTIVENESS
AUTHENTICITY CREDIBILITY

8. “DILEMMAS:”
A Checklist to Help Consultants
Re-define – or Abandon – the
Relationship

9. #1: “Not Sure Who is the Client?”
Example: Manager contracts your services
but V.P. makes all the important decisions
about your scope of work, reporting
relationships, stakeholders to be involved in
the project, etc.
How to Recognize: Manager cannot make
timely decisions because has to check with
boss; client cannot easily explain scope of
work or other key elements of the project;
client acknowledges other "players"
involved, but are not available to meet with
you.
Options: (a) Withdraw from project; (b) Show
client contact the advantages of meeting with
key stakeholders in the project; (c) Convince
H.R. Director to form Steering Committee, with
some key stakeholders as members, to guide
consulting project.

10. #2 : “Client is Passive-Aggressive”
Example: Client says, "Everything is fine,"
while others tell you that client puts up
barriers to successful project completion.
How to Recognize; Project team members
tell you they cannot get required resources
from client; or, project activities are being
"sabotaged" by the client.
Options: (a) Confront client and spell-out
alternatives to this behavior; (b) Practice
active listening with client to demonstrate
understanding of his/her position, and to
clearly define mutual expectations; (c) If
dilemma cannot be resolved, withdraw
from project .

11. #3 : "People Are Unwilling to Cooperate
with Your Interventions."
Example: People who should be involved
with the project, but are not in decision-
making “loop." They respond by overtly or
covertly resisting the project.
How to Recognize: Needed resources are
unavailable because Office Manager thinks
she can contribute to project, but is not
invited to meetings; or, people involved say
they do not have enough authority to make
needed decisions relating to the consulting
effort.
Options: (a) Work with client to identify
people who can "stifle" the project, and
solicit their opinions; (b) Ask client to
substitute other people for those who are
resisting progress of the project

12. #4 :
"Your Client is Being
Deceptive or Evasive."
Example: Hidden agendas, issues about
mutual trust that negatively affect your
presence there.
How to Recognize: key decisions are
delayed; client not behaving authentically
(per definition, above); client unavailable
for meetings; key agreements with client
not being honored.
Options: (a) Model authenticity to client
and actively listen for problems, barriers,
and hidden agendas; (b) Re-state project
goals, and request the client to re-commit
to them; (c) Withdraw from project.

13. #5 : “Client
Expectations Are Too High
or Too Low."
Example: Client expects you to "fix" everything,
or “turn things around;” may want you to go
through the motions of providing service because
of need to spend down budget, satisfy legal
requirements, etc. Or, consultant may have
unrealistic expectations of client - for example,
expecting project to be completed within
unrealistic time frame.
How to Recognize: Project participants quick to
decide without sufficient discussion among project
stakeholders; client's expectations don’t match
your expertise; client has successful experience
with previous consultant, and expects you to
behave in exactly the same way.
Options: (a) Negotiate realistic expectations
with the client before beginning work on the
project, and include these in the consulting
contract; (b) Periodically meet with client &
review progress against expectations.

14. #6:“Client is Disorganized and/or
Confused”
Example: Project is stymied and
responsibilities for task completion are
unclear, or absent.
Ways to Recognize: Client and/or other
project stakeholders have difficulty focusing
on the topic at-hand; project priorities
suddenly shift; decisions are reversed, or put
on-hold; decision-makers can’t be identified.
Options: (a) Offer to help client decide on
priorities, responsibilities, time frames for
task completion, etc.; (b) Re-negotiate time
frames, priorities, responsibilities, etc.; (c) If
feasible, work with client to strategize how
to obtain widespread organizational
commitment to key priorities and tasks.

15. #7: “Project Priorities Conflict With Each
Other.”
Example: Client, other stakeholders may not
agree on the priorities for the consulting
project. This conflict will likely generate
confusion and unnecessary resistance to
project.
Ways to Recognize: Key people absent from
project meetings, and/or do not follow-through
on agreed-upon assignments; people engage in
"backstabbing" and other inauthentic
behaviors; "finger-pointing" when key tasks
not accomplished.
Options: (a) Authentically confront
observed behaviors with the people
involved, & try to gain commitment to the
project; (b) Meet with the key stakeholders
to brainstorm priorities, and secure their
contractual commitments to these priorities;
(c) Withdraw.

16. #8: “ You Don’t Have Authority Over the
Project.”
Example: Purchasing Dept. Director makes
all the important decisions, and treats you
more as an employee than a consultant.
Ways to Recognize: Client is telling you
what to do, how to do it; client tells you to
"Check with me first" before you make any
decisions; you FEEL you are more an
employee than a consultant.
Options: (a) Make sure your contract with the
client spells out limits of your authority; (b)
Confront client with what you are
experiencing about your role, and negative
consequences of being an "employee;" (c)
Use situation to negotiate respective roles and
responsibilities with client.

17. #9: “ You
Don’t Trust Your Own
Judgement.”
Example: Drives to get paid, to build a client
base, to succeed, to be seen as effective are
reasons to forge ahead with a project, even
though you know that all is not well. In spite
of this, you ignore better judgment and go
forward.
Ways to Recognize: Consultant dismisses,
minimizes, serious problems with client or
project; consultant finds him/herself adopting
some of the inauthentic behaviors of the client
organization; you are simply not providing the
results you promised, and are unwilling to
confront this.
Options: (a) Ask colleague to review
situation with you, the consultant, and help
you decide what to do; (b) Split project into
phases - give parts of the project to others
who can do a better job than you; (c)
Withdraw.

18. #10:“Consultant Lacks Courage
to Deal With # 1-9 ”
Example: The issue of personal integrity surfaces
whenever consultant deliberately chooses to
behave and communicate INAUTHENTICALLY
with the client; to please client, or to maintain
consulting relationship, consultant knowingly
does and says that which he or she knows is
wrong, or ineffective.
Ways to Recognize: Client expresses confusion
over consultant's behavior; consultant experiences
cognitive dissonance with respect to his/her
relationship to the project; others confront the
consultant about his/her inauthentic behavior.
Options: (a) If external consultant, withdraw from
the project and from consulting work; (b) If either
external or internal, learn from and adopt the
courageous and risk-taking behaviors of others; (c)
Take small steps toward behaving authentically,
building up to more courage and competency.

19. THANK YOU!
Teamworks
“Measurable Improvements in
Performance Through Consulting
and Training”
(909) 784-9330
www.teamworks1.com