Management Consulting: Best Practices and New Challenges Jeffrey R Harris, MA, MFT, CEAP Human Resourcefulness Consulting

Management Consulting:Best Practices and New Challenges

Jeffrey R Harris, MA, MFT, CEAP

Human Resourcefulness Consulting

Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Agenda

• Premise for the Workshop• Review the Questionnaire• Review the Best Practices• Introduce the Innovations and Inspirations• Recognize the Non-standard Practices• Explore the New Challenges• Integration through Audience Input


Objectives• Adopt a standardized definition of management

consultation and describe the EA Professional’s consulting role within the framework of the EAPA Core Technology

• Describe the EA consulting skills that will most-effectively assist managers in developing win-win solutions that meet the needs of the employee(s) and the business.

• Develop consulting questions that draw managers into a broader review of the problem, helping managers understand the consequences of under- or over-reaction, and providing a framework for managers to develop their own solutions.


Goals

• Validate the skills and framework you are already utilizing

• Challenge you to take your consulting to“the next level”

• Inspire you to advise or mentor new staff and CEAP candidates in a purposeful manner

• Invite you to be an active contributor towards establishing a development plan

Living Archive ForBest Practices in Consulting

• visit the resource page often

• www.eapa-la.com/consulting

• continually updated • bibliography• tools• lesson plans


The InterviewsTransportation

• ExpressJet EAP

• United Airlines EAP

Education

• Los Angeles Department of Education EASE

• University of Nebraska at Lincoln EAP

• University of Southern California Center for Work & Family Life

Government

• City of Long Beach EAP

• Federal Occupational Health Consortium EAP

• Washington State EAP

Finance

• Bank of New York Mellon EAP

• Merrill Lynch EAP

• Wells Fargo EAC

Healthcare

• Concord Hospital EAP

• Kaiser Permanente EAP

• Partner’s Healthcare System EAP

• Texas Children’s Hospital EAP

Manufacturing / Processing

• 3M EAP

• Chevron EAP

• US Postal Service


The InterviewsScience & Technology

• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory EAP

• Raytheon EAP

• Sandia National Laboratory EAP

Sports

• San Francisco Giants EAP

Law Enforcement

• A Federal Law Enforcement EAP

Utilities

• Los Angeles Department of Water & Power EAP

External EAPs/MBHOs

• Aetna Behavioral Health

• Concern EAP

• Magellan Behavioral Health

• United Behavioral Health

Independent Consultants

• 20/80 Workplace Consultants

• Blair Consulting Group

• Excello Workplace Behavioral Consulting

• Gerald Lewis & Associates/Compass EAP

• Kenneth R Collins & Associates

• Masi Research Consultants


The Survey Questions

1. How did you acquire the skills necessary for effective consulting? Would you describe your development path as formalized or informal?

2. How is management consulting different from executive coaching, organizational development, team building or talent development?

3. Are there consulting steps or a map from which you work? [philosophy of consulting]

4. What would you consider to be the necessary skills of an effective consultant?

5. What was your most effective consultation? What was your most challenging consultation?


Development as aManagement Consultant

Question:• How did you acquire the skills necessary

for effective consulting? Would you describe your development path as formalized or informal?

Consulting skills improve when development is planned


Development as aManagement Consultant

• Majority of respondents were self-taught– On-the-job experience– Peer supervision

• Purposeful development had some commonalities– Assessing the new employee / CEAP candidate for

consulting skill set– Waiting period– Observation– Mentoring– Reading– External consultants

Consulting skills improve when development is planned


Defining Management Consulting in an EA Role

Question:• How is management consulting different

from executive coaching, organizational development, team building or talent development?

Having a standardized definition establishes our expertise


Differentiating EA-based Management Consulting

• Generic management consultants… – are experts in one field or line of business– address a single question– advocates for management

• Executive Coaching...– Goals are related to the development of the manager

and the success of his/her career– Advocates for executive

• Organizational development consulting– Long term, grand plans– May not interact with or know individual employees– Advocates for organizational effectiveness, processes



How EAPA Core Technology defines the consulting role:

• Consultation with, training of, and assistance to work organization leadership (managers, supervisors, and union stewards) seeking to:– manage the troubled employee, – enhance the work environment, and – improve employee job performance; and – outreach/education of employees/ dependents

about availability of EA services




The EA Consultant…• works within a multi-client model• works within a defined role• is a specialist in the human side of business• provides support tailored for the manager• contributes to safety & risk management




Most common consults

–The “client dump”

–Job Performance Referral

–Problems of employee conduct

–Reasonable suspicion of substance abuse

–Employee health

–Threat of aggression or violence

–Conflict between coworkers




Most common consults [continued]

–Training request that masks a behavioral problem

–Assistance with change management

–Workplace tragedy or trauma

–Policy consultation – usually proactively initiated by the EAPC



EAP Philosophy of ConsultingHaving a philosophy or belief-system of consulting leads

to a framework or roadmap for each consultation

Question:• Are there consulting steps or a map from

which you work?




The EA consultant…• provides role clarification• coaches on effective communication• assesses the manager • assesses the request for consultation• assesses the problem through the system




The EA consultant… [continued]• works from a strengths-based framework• provides a framework through which the

manager approaches solutions• tailors interventions and resources to the style

of the manager• builds networks with internal resources


Essential Skills forEffective Consulting

Question:• What would you consider to be the

necessary skills of an effective consultant?

Effective consultants employ these skills as best practices



• Possesses business acumen• Understands how organizations function• Draws upon own business or management

experience• Builds rapport• Builds trust• Is able to solve complex problems in a

stressful environment




[continued]

• Models effective communication

• Utilizes facilitation skills

• Possesses professional self-esteem

• Harnesses clinical intuition

• Sets Expectations

• Sets Boundaries




• Maintains a neutral, objective position

• Takes a history of the problem

• Provides follow-up

• Seeks, and gives, feedback

• Initiates outreach and proactivity

• Consumes research

[continued]Effective consultants employ these skills as best practices


Inspiration & Innovation

• Merrill Lynch’s account executive training• Aetna’s use of Leader-Member Exchange• Concord Hospital & Kaiser Permanente’s

emphasis upon contracting• Jung’s “Even development” at Raytheon• Blair Consulting Group’s “Fundamentals of

Employee Assistance Programs”• United Air Lines “EAP Monitoring

Committee”• The EAPC often functions as the “heart” of

the organization


Non-Standardized Practices

• Conflict resolution & mediation services• Executive coaching & manager development• Converting manager consults to EAP

consults (customer to client)• Fitness For Duty• Return to Work screening


New Challenges

• Business Continuity Planning– Enhanced role for EAP since 9/11 and

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita• Terrorism

• Avian flu pandemic

• Disasters

• Power grid blackouts

– Opportunities for EAP consulting:• Business Continuity Planning for employee needs

• Emotional hardiness and resiliency

• Personal preparedness

• Complicated grief in the workplace


New Challenges• Global presence means:

– diversity of needs – diversity of norms, morés– diversity of management and communication styles

• Multi-generational workforce– Creating solutions for managers who seek to engage all

four generations uniquely

• High Concept/Low Resource– Disconnect between leader’s lofty vision and lack of

development time/resources for staff– Results in contrived performance issues


Three development scenarios• A union steward who transitions to a consultant role

in a Member Assistance Program• A CEAP candidate in advisement• A seasoned EA professional

– How would you assess each EA professional for…• their readiness for consulting?

• the strength of their consulting skills?

– How would you develop each person uniquely?

– How would you build their business acumen for your customer organization?

Audience Expertise


Development ResourcesThe following resources for developing management

consulting skills may be found athttp://www.eapa-la.com/consulting/

• Bibliography• Manager survey tools• “Do”s and “Don’t”s list• ABCs of Management

Consultation• P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E

consulting workflow• Links to related web sites• List of survey participants


An Invitation to Keep the Dialogue Alive…

• Complete the Skills Survey in your packet• Share tools for the web resource page• Suggest lesson plans for CEAP advisement• Contribute titles for recommended reading• Mentor others


Contact Info

Jeffrey R Harris, MFT, CEAPPO Box 20420

Long Beach, CA 90801

(562) 704-0636

[email protected]

http://www.eapa-la.com/consulting

Documents

Management Consulting: Best Practices and New Challenges Jeffrey R Harris, MA, MFT, CEAP Human Resourcefulness Consulting