Process Consultation Revisited: Building the Helping Relationship

by Edgar H. Schein

A new member of the renowned PH OD Series! The latest addition to the author’s well-loved set of process consultation books, this new volume builds on the content of the two that precede it while expanding to explore the critical area of the helping relationship. Process Consultation Revisited focuses on the interaction between a consultant and client, and explains how to achieve a healthy helping relationship. Whether the advisor is an OD consultant, therapist, social worker, manager, parent, or friend, the dynamics between advisor and advisee can be difficult to understand and manage. Schein creates a general theory and methodology of helping that will enable a diverse group of readers to navigate the helping process successfully.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction, Psychology, Management

272 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 1998

About the author

Edgar Henry Schein is the Society of Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus and a Professor Emeritus at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Schein investigates organizational culture, process consultation, research process, career dynamics, and organization learning and change. In Career Anchors, third edition (Wiley, 2006), he shows how individuals can diagnose their own career needs and how managers can diagnose the future of jobs. His research on culture shows how national, organizational, and occupational cultures influence organizational performance (Organizational Culture and Leadership, fourth edition, 2010). In Process Consultation Revisited (1999) and Helping (2009), he analyzes how consultants work on problems in human systems and the dynamics of the helping process. Schein has written two cultural case studies—“Strategic Pragmatism: The Culture of Singapore’s Economic Development Board” (MIT Press, 1996) and “DEC is Dead; Long Live DEC” (Berett-Kohler, 2003). His Corporate Culture Survival Guide, second edition (Jossey-Bass, 2009) tells managers how to deal with culture issues in their organizations.

Schein holds a BPhil from the University of Chicago, a BA and an MA in social psychology from Stanford University, and a PhD in social psychology from Harvard University.

From:http://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/detai...

Reviews

[Pamela Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a degree and reading books like Block and especially Schein you can build a strong foundation for consulting. We all have a good start as many have consulted family, friends, and on the job unprofessionally, but you still have other competencies to explore.

This book by Schein goes a little more into the models than Blocks. It gives steps that are similar, but of course you build your own way of consulting or even for coaching.

Schein steps (compare to my review on Blocks)written to develop my own coaching practice. Later, to become effective as needed in my pursue as an I/O psychologist. The idea is to blend in your professional area of expertise the right way to consulting.

process consultation

• To engage in an initial contact and entry (the intensity of pleasantness and unpleasantness aroused by their thoughts in the roles and styles of management).

• Formulating a contract and establishing a relationship that is based on helping as a professional.

• Identify problems through diagnostic analysis (helping the client to own the problem).

• Setting goals and planned actions at each evaluation.
• Action (intervention); is required upon the affects of feedback (the outcome will show impact in any system that will set the right principles as seen in the wholeness of the organization).
• To complete the contract this may require continuity, support, or termination of the project.

This is my favorite author, but still yet another good book to consider along with this understanding of consultation would be "The Change Handbook" by Peggy Holman, Tom Devne, and Steven Cady.

See my review on this book and it has 700 pages of techniques and theorectical information. As does Scheins because one outstanding emphasis is consultants have a lot of stories from their learning experiences.

[Rachel Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for one of my PhD courses. This is a good primer on establishing relationships with other leaders and organizations for engagement in change management, strategic planning, or other similar professional interactions. The book is a little dated and could use a new edition that addresses diversity and equity factors in some of this work, but for the most part, I found it easy to read and helpful.

[Gernot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I now understand why this is called a classic book.

Schein has developed a system of helping without becoming to formal.

What i really liked was that there are a few main thesis which lead through the book which can help me to remember the ideas and experiences from Schein.

[trinity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I concede this was a title I read as assigned by my graduate studies program. The fact that it was prescribed and not chosen notwithstanding, I enjoyed it greatly. Schein writes with the ease of a consultant who has spent many years in his profession. I see myself returning to Process Consultation Revisited as a reference guide to aid in constructive dialogue and productive interpersonal relationships.

[Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely helpful read. I feel like I've learned more about communication from Process Consultation, than all the other popular self improvement books on the topic. If only it wasn't written in such a boring manner. I knew that the information is helpful but getting myself to read it was a hustle every time.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I found this a bit repetitive having already read Humble Consulting, it was still remarkably useful and applicable to the work I do with leaders and organizations. Schein knows his stuff, and his insights gained from both successes and failures are fantastic to learn from.

[Hannu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not interested in process consultation per se, but this is a good book about interpersonal communication and relevant psychological processes.

[Sachin · Rating 5 out of 5]

a book written by a foremost social psychologist (retired MIT prof) and organisational consultant and pioneer in group processes that helps us take a deeper and broader view of the helping relationships (professional as well as personal) we have. I'd say anyone dealing with clients (in any kind of work) can benefit from it. A very accessible style of writing. Especially helpful if you are exploring how to structure your practice.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read AUG 2001

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Mårten Andersson]

Att vara facilitator. Hamburgar-modellen. Lorentsberg-föreläsning 2016.