Organization Development: A Process of Learning and Changing, Third Edition

12. The Organization Development Consultant

A consultant is one who provides help, counsel, advice, and support, which implies that such a person is wise and would offer sage advice. Although the label consultant usually conveys an image of one who provides help, there are obviously many different types of consultants. The purposes of this chapter are to provide a context for the unique role and function of an organization development (OD) consultant, to consider the different roles and functions of an OD consultant including the integration of OD competencies into other organization roles, to explore the kinds of personal characteristics that are needed for OD consultation, to suggest ways for those who want to become OD consultants to do so, ...