Ignorer la navigation
Humble Consulting
Book

Humble Consulting

How to Provide Real Help Faster

Berrett-Koehler, 2016 plus...

Buy the book


Editorial Rating

7

getAbstract Rating

  • Analytical
  • Applicable
  • Well Structured

Recommendation

Consultants can no longer operate as they once did: Assume the role of corporate doctor, diagnose organizational challenges and provide detailed prescriptions. Traditional consultancy is inadequate for today’s daunting business environment, says Edgar H. Schein. He believes a fresh consultancy model is in order, and so he delivers it. The “father of process consultation,” he spent 50 years teaching and researching organizational culture. His “humble consulting” model helps consultants parse complex issues and help their clients institute small, productive fixes. Schein believes the client and consultant, without being too chummy, must develop “an open, trusting relationship” to be effective working partners. getAbstract recommends his insightful, instructive manual to consultants, counselors, coaches and even parents.

Summary

Organizational Problems

The problems that confront organizations today are complex, ambiguous and confusing. They don’t yield easily to technical solutions and they often involve different cultural tropes, constituent groups, assumptions, unaligned goals and disconnected silos. These problems are generally unstable and in constant flux. Companies often try to gather the right people to coordinate their thoughts and actions to fix things quickly. Even getting these people into the same room can be difficult, if not impossible. Many times, they can’t communicate. Almost always, they won’t agree.

Complex problems don’t yield to standard consultative diagnosis and intervention. This time-wasting strategy often targets the wrong issues. Most organizational problems require a fresh approach to consulting, coaching and thinking. The approach is “Humble consulting” (HC). It’s called “humble” because it acknowledges the complexity of the problems clients face, as well as the difficulty of moving ahead productively. The goal of HC is to have the consultant – or “helper” – assist the client in achieving something the client can’t accomplish alone. It’s up to...

About the Author

Social psychologist Edgar Henry Schein, PhD, is an organizational development expert. He formerly taught at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He also wrote Humble Inquiry.


Comment on this summary

More on this topic

Related Skills

Advance Your Career
AI Transformation
Be Emotionally Intelligent
Become More Adaptable
Become More Productive
Communicate Effectively
Convert Prospects
Develop Team Members
Digital Transformation
Discover AI Use Cases
Consulting Industry
Legal Services
Drive Team Performance
Entrepreneurship
Execute Digital Operations
Foster Team Culture
Human Resources
Innovate Strategically
Lead Ethically
Lead Yourself
Leverage AI for Leadership
Live Well
Make Good Decisions
Manage Learning and Development
Market Insights by Industry
Navigate Leadership Challenges
Personal Growth
Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Sales
Understand Innovation
Understand Organizations
Workplace Skills
Consulting Case Studies
Executive Leadership
Facilitate Group Ideation
Navigate Difficult Conversations
Soft Skills
Practice Servant Leadership
Leadership
Manage Employee Relations
Dare to be Vulnerable
Challenge Assumptions
Strengthen Team Collaboration
Drive Change Without Authority
Ask Questions
Legal Services Challenges
Manage People and Talent
Navigate Office Politics
Excel at Conversations
Listen Well
Shape Organizational Culture
Collaborate Across Functions
Build Psychological Safety
Manage Change
Develop the Organization
Streamline Your Workflow
Master B2B Sales
Career
Manage Teams and Departments
Engage in Intrapreneurship
Implement Coaching Programs
Mentor Employees
Champion New Ideas
Discover AI Use Cases in the Consulting Industry
Management
Facilitate Discussions
Foster a Culture of Innovation
Guide Teams Through AI Transition
Develop Innovative Products
Enhance Employee Experience
Embrace Change
Enhance Physical Workspace Design
Lead through Change
Build Strong Relationships
Generate Ideas
Leverage Ambidexterity
Increase Your Cultural Awareness
Be Creative
Implement Executive Coaching
Support Team Members’ Careers
Promote Creativity
Apply Design Thinking
Master Interpersonal Skills
Enhance Team Agility
Implement Agility
Innovation
Influence Others
Take Group Decisions
Collaborate Creatively
Build Prospect Rapport
Master Collaboration
Solve Problems
Understand Organizational Change
Consulting Challenges
Show Empathy and Compassion
Foster Collaboration