Briefly explain how you might use process consultation in your personal life.
Personally, I really love the concepts of process consultation, and I am not just saying that to curry favor or as a vapid statement to provide words for an assignment
I really think that Schein was ahead of his time. His espoused principles and methodologies reflect both the common sense that many of us have from our own life experiences, but also his wisdom after years in the field. For example, his concept of involving the client at every step is reminiscent of the modern concept of “design thinking” (centering the design of a product, service, or process around the end user); his principles of listening and observation jive with everything I have learned about neuroscience, empathy, and building a positive rapport; his concepts of timing, reading the situation, and learning to question our own assumptions and baggage, while seeking to hear out others’ perspective, rings true for any of us that has been in a long term romantic relationship.
The way he expresses process consultation as a comprehensive approach and methodology, and really almost a r’aison d’etre for all relationships and situations of carrying oneself to reflect it, really gives it “legs” for me in the sense that I feel it can be applied outside of just a consulting context. It is based on truths with relationships, after all, and relationships are something that our life is chock full of; it sounds a bit trite to say, but even the relationship with ourselves.
More tangibly speaking, as this could easily be a 10-page paper, one major aspect (to choose just one) is the concept of observing, listening, and treating everything as data. In conjunction with understanding the context, timing, relationship, consideration of perspective of others, etc. I can use any one of these mindsets to help cultivate the self that I want to cultivate (which in itself kind of reflects a Schein principle – I’ll only change in a way I want to change!) – someone who is more patient, analytical, and empathetic, and speaks at the right moments with the right things to say.
