On our April 14th Change Forum Faculty Panel we held a great discussion about consulting and leadership with three faculty who in addition to teaching, are active outside Milano in the professional field of consulting.
One of the questions during the panel discussion was about creation. A student reflected on how everything we see and do has been created by someone before. So, in that context, the question was about what the panelists believe they have created.
They talked about the creation of a safe and learning environment, as well as creating tools, ideas, and philosophies for people to use in communicating.
One the most powerful changes that we can do in organizations is to create a learning environment, that is a space where clients learn something new about themselves or their organization. This only happens if the relationship established is based on trust and authenticity, since that is what creates a safe space that allows the client to be authentic and take risks that are necessary for change.
So now, the question is what would each of us like to create as consultants? How would you like to create a safe and learning environment?
As a consultant, I want my ciient to be in a better position after having worked with me, than before. So i try to create an environment for that happen. This starts by working on crafting a relationship between consultant/client that's built on trust.
Each project brings with it a new set of individuals and challenges, but the recurring theme is the consultant's ability to influence their client to be able to handle what the consultant proposes and manage the inevitable change on their own.