Go Ahead, Make My Day Easier: Consultation Strategies for Effective Teaming, Leadership

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Go Ahead, Make My Day Easier Consultation
Strategies for Effective Teaming, Leadership
Collaboration

• Maureen Melonis, M.N.S., CCC/SLP
• Conference Training Coordinator
• Assistive Technology Partners
• www.uchsc.edu/atp
• 303-315-1280
• 1-800-255-3477

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What is a consultant?

• The story of the shepherd

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Consultant - What Is It?

• -What do you think of when you hear the word
  consultant?
• -Are you or have you ever been a consultant?
• -What are some of the skills a consultant should
  have?
• -Are there any tricks to consulting?

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Today's Agenda

• Definition of Consultant
• Roles of the Consultant
• 8 Phases of Consulting
• Difficulties with Consulting

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Consultant - What Is It?

• - A person in a position to have some influence
  over an individual, group, or an organization,
  but who has no direct power to make changes or
  implement programs, (Block, 1981, p.1)
• -A two-way interaction, a process of seeking,
  giving, and receiving help

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Skill Practice - Consultation
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Consultation - Whats My Role?

• Expert
• Pair-of-hands
• Collaborator

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Expert Role

• Expert goes in and gives the information
• Decisions on what to do are made by the expert
• Two-way communication is limited.

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Expert Role Strengths Challenges

• STRENGTHS effective when purely technical
  problems
• PROBLEM relies on the consultants skills and the
  decisions being accepted

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The pair-of-hands consultant

• Pair of hands consultant is there to help
• Control rests with the teacher/contract holder
• Collaboration is not necessary
• Two-way communication is limited

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Pair-of-Hands RoleStrengths Challenges

• STRENGTHS effective when all parties agree on
  methods/details
• PROBLEMdepends on teachers diagnosis of the
  problem, if it doesnt work, consultant is blamed

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Collaborative Role

• Meet goals by joining expert knowledge with the
  organization knowledge
• joint undertaking
• help the teacher solve the problem

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Collaborative Role - Strengths Challenges

• STRENGTHS effective when clear expectations
  communication
• PROBLEM interpreted as foot dragging or
  insubordination depending upon the history

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Phases of Consulting

• Referral/Entry
• Expectations/Negotiation of contract
• Problem Diagnosis
• Agenda/Goal setting
• Implementation
• Review/Evaluation
• End It/Termination
• Do It Again/Possible renegotiations
• -(Jaffe, E. Epstein, C. (1992)

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The Cycle of Consultation
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Phase One Referral/Entry Into System

• Planned
• Opportunistic
• Uninvited
• Invited

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Phase Two Expectations Negotiation of Contract

• Formal or informal
• Might include/discuss
• Preamble
• Scope of services
• Compensation
• Accountability
• Renegotiations
• Marketing

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Phase Three Problem Diagnosis

• Initial collection of data
• Development of methodology
• Preliminary diagnosis

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Phase Four- Agenda Goal Setting

• Mutual respect is the key
• Need awareness of politics
• Identify key power figures
• Understand decision making process

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Phase Five Implement It

• Develop communication network (both within and
  without the system)
• Confront resistive forces
• Develop alternate strategies
• Provide staff training

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Phase Six Review Evaluation

• Ongoing feedback
• Provides data to clarify goals, refine or revise
  intervention strategies, and develop future plans
• Different methods
• Informal and formal

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Phase Seven End It/Termination

• Early termination
• Late termination

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Phase Eight Do It Again/Possible Renegotiations

• Reason for new contract
• New problems identified
• Changes in the system
• Changes in the activity

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Difficulties With Consulting

• Communication breakdowns
• Influencing without authority
• Low control high risk

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Difficulties With Consulting

• Proving yourself constantly
• Dealing with resistance
• Exercising restraint in making clients decision
  for them
• Ambiguity
• (Jamieson Wyman, 1987)

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What to Think About When Consulting

• Whats my role?
• What phase are we in?
• Is communication open?
• What should happen before, during, and after

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Summary

• Definition of Consultant
• Roles of the Consultant
• 8 Phases of Consulting
• Difficulties with Consulting