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Humble Consulting: How to Provide Real Help Faster by Edgar H Schein
EDGAR Schein’s last book, Humble Inquiry, reviewed in this column, introduced the value of humility in engaging staff.
READ: The art of questioning
The humility he is referring to, both in his earlier book and in this one, is not a perception of oneself as unworthy or inferior. On the contrary, it is a clear understanding of what you do in fact know; and even pride in that knowledge. Equally, it is a clear understanding of what you do not know.
The leader who is humble in this sense is more likely to get more input from staff in their areas of expertise than the arrogant leader. Arrogance, in this context, is the belief that position confers an overarching expertise that none below this position possesses.
When faced with this arrogance, staff learn fast that their opinions are not valued or even wanted, and so they refrain from ever offering them. This inevitably hurts the organisation, and limits the effectiveness of the leader. Knowing how to talk so that staff listen, and how to listen so that staff talk, is a necessary leadership skill.
In this book, which is best read in conjunction with Humble Inquiry, Professor Shein turns his attention to consulting, and the necessity of humility in this context. It is not only professional consultants who consult, but leaders play the consultant role to their colleagues and staff, more often than many are aware. As such, this book has wide application.
Consulting today is significantly different from what it was in years past. The primary reason is that problems today are “messier”, Shein explains. Consider that technical fields have become more complex, and groups that interact are occupationally and culturally more diverse.
Everything is faster and more urgent than it was a decade ago (or certainly appears to be!), making the environment in which we operate more unstable. Add to this that an intervention produces unknown effects, requiring new skills to manage. As such, business problems do not have a technical solution.
Consider coaching an executive and it will be apparent “that what worries her has implications for others in the organization, so that the problem formulation has to be systemic”, Shein explains. “Whatever adaptive moves are considered have to take into account the systemic consequences which, paradoxically, may be unknown.”
In this changed context, Humble Consulting provides a very different way of relating to those who seek your counsel. It is predicated on the belief that you are committed to being helpful, that you have an honest curiosity about the client’s issue, and have a genuinely caring attitude.
All three are necessary throughout the intervention, but never more so than at the beginning when finding out what is really on the client’s mind. Humble Consulting provides a better helping relationship for dealing with a complex, messy problem.
Parenthetically, if your primary motivation is earning a fee or scoring political advantage, there is some serious introspection required before the benefits of Humble Consulting are possible.
Since requesting help is perceived by many as being in a needy position relative to another, the quality of the relationship will either help or hinder the value you can provide.
For a relationship to work, there must be a feeling of comfort with the other person, best based on knowing that both of you are working towards a common goal. A staff member who believes her manager sees her requests for help as a normal part of their common aspiration, will be open to assistance. The alternative is risking failing at her work, in the attempt to protect her self-respect.
‘Relationship’ is an interactive concept, and the consultant can adopt one of these postures.
A Level One relationship, Shein explains, traditionally connotes helping in the role of the expert (such as a doctor,) who provides his expert diagnosis and prescription for the remedy while, above all, keeping a professional distance. “What rarely works, is the recommendation that the consultant has worked out on her own after a period of so-called data gathering,” Shein explains. This is why clients so often have the overwhelming sense that the ‘expert’s’ suggestion is so clearly flawed that someone who claims expertise, should know that.
This type of expert prescription worked well, and probably still does, in stable situations with clear problems and clear solutions. “The first real help is my enabling them to see the true complexity and messiness of the problem situation, and help them to abandon quick fixes and/or knee-jerk reactions,” says Shein.
Working things out together
A Level Two relationship is one that is more personal, more trusting and more open. With this presumption on the part of the consultant, his task is to help work things out together, not to take over the problem and run with it. “I call it Humble Consulting, because I am in awe of the complexity of the problems and of the difficulties that clients face, in trying to move forward,” Shein explains.
The client and the consultant need to engage in a dialogue to identify a feasible move, knowing that this may not solve the problem, but will provide some comfort. This will also reveal new information on the basis of which they are able to identify the next move. It is a joint effort in an iterative process.
This requires two levels of empathy. The first is listening curiously to identify the actual situation or problem that the client is describing. The second level of empathy is listening curiously to what is bothering the client.
The example Shein uses is a client who says: “I am concerned about the level of engagement of my employees. Could you help me build a culture of engagement?” Empathy at level one must explore what he means by “engagement” and “culture” by asking for examples. Empathy at level two is to ask: “What is it that is concerning you; why are you worried about this?”
Humble Consulting is the appreciation that you can only know what you know, and do not know what you do not know. ‘Arrogant consulting’ in contrast is believing that you know all, and you understand the subtle but powerful nuances of the culture within which the client operates. You also understand what is troubling the client after only a cursory explanation.
This humble position starts and ends with constant questions and prompts for clarification. So often these questions point to the answer the client requires. To be really helpful, is to do something for your clients that they cannot do by themselves.
Both books on humility are essential reading for all managers and management consultants.
Readability: Light --+-- Serious
Insights: High -+--- Low
Practical: High -+--- Low
* Ian Mann of Gateways consults internationally on leadership and strategy and is the author of Strategy that Works. Views expressed are his own.
