The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook & Companion, 2nd Edition

Chapter 13So, What’s Working Here?

Elizabeth McGrath

These observations from an interview with Elizabeth McGrath could also have been entitled “Everything Counts.” Elizabeth brings precision and order to her work. She is attentive to the detail of the moment and underlines the idea that the world is contained in the room you are in at the moment and that you, the consultant, are always part of the action, even if you may be participating in the illusion that you are an outsider. There are no outsiders in her view; everyone is a player. And Elizabeth gives you a sense of how she plays.

The two things that fascinate me most as a consultant are the strengths and value of “partnership,” which I would contrast with the promise of “teamwork,” and how powerful people become when they feel understood. I specialize in large-systems change and a lot of the work I do is with labor and management change partnerships. Whether or not they care for each other, both realize that they cannot make significant progress unless they work together. I think of partnership as a steppingstone to true teamwork. It takes a long time to become a team, and organizations tend to assume people can work as a team before they’re really ready. I’ve found that a good way to learn and practice how to be a team member is to first be a good partner.

I define partnership as two individuals who are involved in something in which each of us has a stake. We can either contribute to one another’s success or either one ...