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Client-Centredness in Turbulent Times.
Recently we experienced one of our most difficult
and most rewarding assignments. We were scheduled to run a
Client-Centred Consulting Programme for a mixed group of Process
Improvement and HR people working in the automotive industry.
We were looking forward to the week. It was the final programme
in a series of in-house events with people who had all been
a pleasure to work with .
The week before, however, the company announced
wholesale changes. The result would be widespread job losses
and the plant we were working with looked likely to close.
We were shocked. It was a company we had been very involved
with. We had worked with a lot of their people, many of whom
had become friends.
We approached the programme itself with a great
deal of trepidation: would they turn up? How would they feel
about being there? In the event we were met by a group of
shocked, even traumatised people. As we anticipated, some
of their colleagues had decided not to attend. The important
positive element was that those who did turn up really wanted
to be there. This was verbalised very early by one member
of the group who said:
"Last week when I heard the news I felt
like cancelling the programme. Then I decided that I could
really get something out of this for me, so I decided to come
for my own benefit"
This sentiment was echoed by others, so we
had a group who were even more committed to their own learning
than might have been the case.
What followed turned out to be a very emotional
and rewarding experience. In Skills Practice, when clients
were asked to work on real, current problems, they had no
difficulty identifying issues to work on. Indeed they all
had the same issue – how to cope with what was going
on back in the organisation.
A number of significant learning points emerged
from this programme. The first was about the difficulty of
working with clients whose problems echo your own. Several
times we had to intervene when consultants were unable to
continue after a few minutes. Trying to help someone with
a very emotional issue that you are involved in yourself can
be very difficult. Another powerful learning point was how
important it is to maintain the balance between being supportive
and becoming over-involved in difficult emotional situations.
The week also demonstrated how important it
is for people in the throes of ambiguity, uncertainty and
stress, to have colleagues around who are able to listen and
support them. This doesn’t necessarily have to come
from trained outside counsellors. The irony is, of course,
that the more stressed people are the less they are able to
support each other. By the end of the programme, our group
were more prepared for whatever lay ahead. They had dealt
with a lot of their own fears and anxieties. This made it
easier to offer time, empathy and support to their colleagues.
Out of this programme we were able to develop
a simple strategy that would help any organisation facing
widespread change, an uncertain future and inevitable employee
stress. The Consulting Skills Programme proved itself to be
a very robust model for preparing people to manage change
and support others through the process. We found that this
help is particularly appreciated when it is offered by people
who are perceived as "being in the same boat". Of
course individuals undertaking this counselling role will
themselves need ongoing supervision as they continue to deal
with their own issues.
So what did our group say about their
own quite unique experience of "Client-Centred Consulting".
These comments are a selection of the feedback
we received:
"I found the course useful in terms of
making decisions and establishing options for myself. It built
my confidence and my self- awareness. It provided a safe environment
in which gain listening and helping skills"
"I have worked for the company for 10
years. I joined straight from college. I have been able to
explore my skills and gain genuine feedback on my ability
to further my career elsewhere"
"It renewed my confidence and provided
me with a process to improve and maintain my self esteem.
I recognised that the current situation at work is not in
my control, but my own situation is, and I need to concentrate
on that.
"I learned some useful techniques and
the importance of listening to and considering human feelings
and building relationships. I acknowledged where I was in
my life and what I need to do to build on my skills and relationships"
The tremendous disappointment I felt at hearing
the news was eased by the experience of this programme. It
gave me the opportunity to confront my personal anxiety about
the future"
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