The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook & Companion, 2nd Edition

Chapter 15One Woman’s Wisdom: Balancing Competence with Consciousness

Rosemarie Barbeau

When I started on this book, I thought I wanted to have a whole section on women’s issues in consulting. It became a forced fit. As the contributions from women came in, there was too much overlap between men and women in the roles and functions they serve and in their range of frustrations and satisfactions. There is something unique, though, about the way many women tend to see and experience the work of consulting. They more easily and naturally appreciate the importance of emotion, relationships, compassion, intuition, and care. I have come to think of that perspective as an expression of the feminine side of all of us, which is at the heart of real change and so the task of all who consult.

Rosemarie’s story is about the shift within her of what we prejudicially call the “softer side.” Her learning is common to us all. Where we began by betting on our minds, our rationality, and our capacity to be right, over time we discover that our heart and its capacity for surrender and its willingness to be true is where our most valuable offer resides.

After a number of years as an organization development practitioner, I have recently begun to attend to what I have learned as a woman in this field. I have become intrigued about what it is that I bring to my work as a result of these learnings and how this informs my practice. This essay is comprised of a series of lessons that illuminate for ...