The Practice of Professional Consulting

The Four Roles of Consulting

Each stage of the consulting cycle requires a different role. Each role represents a set of behaviors required to perform a set of tasks that collectively are intended to achieve specific outcomes. By assuming the mind-set of each role and learning how to perform the requisite tasks of each role, consultants will be able to produce the outcomes needed at each stage of the consulting cycle. Figure 3.3 shows the four roles.

Role One: Designing. The science of this role requires carefully gathering facts, analyzing the client’s situation, and crafting a theory of the problem. The art of this role is a creative one; it requires well-thought-out questions, careful listening, and high emotional intelligence to arrest our ...