Humble Consulting: How to Provide Real Help Faster

By: Edgar H. Schein

Narrated by: Joe Bronzi

This book reveals what it takes for consultants of all types, as well as organizational leaders, to be really helpful in dealing with the complex, systemic, constantly changing organizational problems of today. They need to rapidly create a relationship of trust and openness that enables clients, subordinates, and team members to reveal what is really on their minds and to jointly develop a sense of what is the problem and what kind of adaptive response could best deal with it.

Schein first introduced some of these concepts in his foundational 1969 book Process Consultation, which is still in use today. But now clients don't have the time or patience for the endless questioning that characterized much of process consultation. And clients still expect consultants to hand them answers. But Schein has come to realize that answers from outsiders are useless, because they're often working the wrong problem, don't understand the client organization's culture, or ignore the fact that constant change makes today's solutions obsolete tomorrow.

To achieve a joint sense of what to do requires consultants and other helpers to develop a different kind of relationship with clients - a set of attitudes and behaviors that Schein calls humble consulting. Schein shows how helpers can display from the moment of first contact a level of caring and curiosity to move from relationships of professional distance to relationships of personalized trust and openness. And he gives many examples of the profound changes in mindset, behavior, and daily actions that flow from this new helpful consulting model.

©2016 Edgar H. Schein (P)2016 Edgar H. Schein

A must for the modern consultant

I like the way Ed Schwin brings the client to the forefront and brings him to solve his own issues. This method has you being a catalyst to bring a real results step-by-step that will stick, resolving are the clients main systemic issues by first having the client to find them.
It puts the consultant in the place of catalyst and a helper instead of a know it all.

easy to understand and apply.

Enjoyed it very practical. His distinction of his and that of a consultant resonates with me.As they always come in with a solution, resulting in the project failing if not detected earlier in the process.

Wonderfully Written

Edgar added so much color and context into the world of consulting in the leadership development space. Grateful it came highly recommended and moved up in my queue because of it.

Great information!

This book has changed the way I consult and has led to faster results with less conflict. Well done.

"The learning process is never finished..."

This is a practical guide to understanding how consultants grow in their craft as an organizational helper.

Amazing read - so much wisdom

This book is a must read for anyone in a consultative role. Simple and profound principles.

great book but first chapters a bit of a bore

I found this book very informative and would recommend it to any business coach. it does start off a little slow but the comparison and stories of very informative.