Cooperation, consulting and Fads LO7305

Julie Beedon (julie@vistabee.win-uk.net)
Wed, 08 May 1996 18:00:49

OK Folks

Here is something I am really wrestling with today....

(and I am in a bad place and I am struggling to think about why - maybe I
just want to be in unilateral control!!)

How does the consulting community function??

Often as advocates of Deming etc.. we espouse cooperation... we recommend
collaboration ... we suggest people look at the whole system ....

... and we have clients...

... who want things...

possibly the latest fad...

I heard a story today about someone who was asked to do something for
which they have no experience or expertise (although they have some energy
to learn) They plan to read a book and do it... even though there are
other consultants around (and you guessed it - not just me!) who have
considerable experience and understanding ...... they are not thinking of
collaborating with them (or even asking their advice?)

I wonder if those same people will be critical of senior managers in
systems who move from fad to fad... and never really do the things they
start with any rigour??

Do we perpetuate the very systems we criticise....

How many people are doing things in organisations with superficial
understanding of what it is they are doing and leaving the system thinking
- 'well that did not work'

So we create the fads - by dreaming up new ones and trying to use other
people's when we barely understand them??!!

Am I on another planet???

Why can't we create a community of consultants that really make a
difference in organisations and act ethically in the process - now I
*know* there are lots of them out there.... so please don't shout at me
and say you are one... I want to create something recognisable... I have
only been an external consultant for a year and I am continually wrestling
with the pain of being part of a community which has such a terrible
reputation.. and which acts in such strange ways... at times (I can't
think of any other profession where people are happy to take on things
which other professionals do - like a tax lawyer taking on divorce
cases!!)

Oh dear - this is all top of the head - please help...

Julie Beedon
VISTA Consulting - for a better future
julie@vistabee.win-uk.net

-- 

Julie Beedon <julie@vistabee.win-uk.net>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>