Reflections on Flawless Consulting and Peter Block

by Johan Greeff

During April this year I had the privilege of spending five days in Redbank with three amazing, talented fellow South Africans; Nomatemba Sithole – our amazingly wise Elder; Chris Ahrends – the quiet, strong and spiritually anchored member of our team and Sharon Golding who brought passion, enthusiasm and her own unique meaningful insights. The Molly Pitcher Hotel in Redbank was our base and it can rightly be called “The Home of Flawless Consulting”. This is where Peter has been presenting Flawless Consulting courses for the past 20-odd years. It has a beautiful scenic view over the lake and this allowed for some open-minded thinking and open-hearted discussions.

But first a bit of background
I first came across Flawless Consulting in 1999 when I read the book. My opinion then - okay, but nothing really new. And then during 2009 things changed. I met Peter when I attended one of the Community Building Workshops arranged by Symphonia. In two days he managed to confuse me with many questions (‘Questions are empowering, opinions are impotent’ - Peter Block). During the two days Peter challenged me intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and socially. I left inspired-confused and in an effort to make sense I decided to read the book again. I am ashamed to confess – I never really understood the book the first time. This time I found immense substance in the content. It brings a powerful message to all experts, internal- and external consultants. It is really a guide to help you to get your expertise used and appreciated.

When Louise van Rhyn, Managing Director of Symphonia Leadership Development (http://www.symphonia.net/) asked me to become one of a handful of Flawless Consulting Facilitators in South Africa, I jumped at the opportunity.

A bit more about Symphonia and Louise: Symphonia is doing brilliant work in the field of Organisation, Leadership and Community Development. My opinion is that they are the current benchmark in South Africa in these fields. They work with an open-minded, highly skilled group of partners and are committed to making South Africa “A place of possibility”. To assist them in this process, they have invited global thought leaders like Peter Block and Ben and Ross Zander to South Africa. Their OD practice includes offerings like Nine Conversations in Leadership and their initiative ‘Schools at the Centre of Community’ is visionary and inspirational.

Training in Redbank
Our first day was spent with Phil Grosnick. Phil has been Peter’s partner for many years and is the Managing Director of Designed Learning. On Day 1 he coached and prepared us for what was to follow over the next 4 days. What a privilege! Phil’s wisdom, ability to relate, availability and deep respect for the process showed. He is an authentic individual and demonstrated deep insight into the consulting process. Phil does not only talk Flawless but he lives it.

On the second day Peter joined us and posed one of his favourite questions:

“What type of consultant are you?” Confronted with this as well as the question of “What expertise I bring to my clients” resulted in reflecting on my 27 years in the consulting arena. I realised that with the Treetops vision “Your partner in transformation” and some of our favourite statements like “The Leadership Partnership” and “Partnering clients to more exciting and rewarding futures” our efforts lacked a certain essence. Our consulting was not as ‘flawless’ as I thought.

I have since also learned that transformation is only possible with a confession. So herewith my confession: “I believe that I suffered from the worst possible consultants paradigm”. (Maybe it’s more correct to call it a disease)

I believed my task was to bring (quick) answers to the complex problems of my clients. I believed that as the objective, outside expert I had the responsibility to efficiently help clients with their deficiencies. My patient was the organisation and like a Doctor I had a Tool Bag full of remedial tricks. In selling my services, I had to eliminate resistance and the best way was through manipulation (if they resist give them another “benefit” or use “Third Party” references etc). I also believe that for the past twenty years I have been doing good work, I often received the praises and accolades of my clients. I did it with the right intention, but now know it could have been done differently.

Flawless Consulting allowed me to appreciate that consulting is about authentic partnering in a collaborative relationship, based on transparent contracting. With this we can express the terms, our needs and our wants. We meet as equals and humanity is at the centre. The relationship is open, honest and constructive and the aim is to solve problems permanently and to assist people to do business in a more meaningful and better way.

As to the question: “What type of consultant am I?” I realised that often I took on the cloak of Consulting Type 1: The Saviour rather than staying in the relationship of the “Facilitating Partner”.

Consulting Type 1 – “The Saviour” (Expert)
Here you arrive from an absolute place of certainty. You are the ‘knowledgeable expert’. With your tools of surveys and competency models you focus on deficiencies and aim at diagnosing people and then fixing and treating them. Talent is never good enough as we should strive for a state of zero defects. The aim of leadership is to control (and to do it in such a way that people will not really mind it even maybe like it). As consultant, you feel obliged and are expected to give definite answers. In Peter Block’s: “If you feel obliged to be the saviour and give the answers, make it worth your while because you know you’ve been had” (Maybe that is why some of the bigger International Consulting firms charge such outrageous fees.) The end result of this type of consulting is often that we change structures, processes and systems, but don’t necessarily engage people and change their hearts and minds.

Consulting Type 2 – “The Facilitating Partner” (Collaborative)
Here the consultant brings his or her authentic self to the table and by doing this, allows the client to do the same. The aim is to listen and understand to enable trust to evolve in the process. As equals we share our needs and wants and through engagement you focus to make visible and celebrate what is right and what works. The aim is to create something that people can commit to, as it will have their fingerprint on it.

The consultant appreciates that the client is often caught up in the complexity of the problem. Rushing in to save them will only result in repackaging the same old dynamic. By listening and exploring at a deeper level, clarity evolves and the client now moves from complainant to agent of their own future. The focus is not on the fallacy of the individual as High Performance Hero, but on meeting and convening, appreciating that we need each other and that we cannot do it by ourselves. A sense of community is established where people become caring citizens instead of entitled consumers. In the words of Gary Hamel: “The workplace then becomes fit for human consumption”.

Consultant Type 3 – “A Pair of Hands”
Here the consultant’s main role is to execute the wishes of the client or Top Management. He or she is only used for a specific skill or deal with a specific part of a process. The client is not really interested in the consultant’s opinion or feedback and stays totally in charge of their destiny. They can mess up or fix problems without the consultant’s opinion. The engagement is transactional and the consultant is often a tool or the ‘Pimp of Management”.

In looking back, I know I’ve operated in all three roles with varying degrees of success. I also know that there is a time and a place for each of these, but I also know that the most effective, respectful, dignified and satisfying outcomes, come from being the “Facilitating Partner”. These are achieved through the following Flawless Consulting steps:

1. Entry / contracting: agreement
2. Data collection/diagnosis: clear picture
3. Feedback / decision-making: decision to act
4. Implementation: build commitment
5. Evaluation / termination: end or recycle to contracting

In following these steps a collaborative relationship is established that allows for commitment and creative excitement and not just mere compliance.

I can carry on about Flawless Consulting, but words will never do justice to the programme (It is similar to trying to give people the feel of the Grand Canyon by showing them photos. The Canyon is far too big to be captured in a two-dimensional image). Like the Canyon, Flawless Consulting must be experienced. Do yourself a favour and attend the programme.

A few other facts:
- Flawless Consulting is a Benchmark in Consulting in the United States of America and Europe. - People in the IT, HR, Financial and Engineering environments see it as a key foundational skill for professional efficiency.
- In many organisations it is also used as a module in their Leadership Development Programmes. Senior Consultants make an effort to attend Flawless Consulting 2, which is a 2-day laboratory experience where the principles are actively lived.
- The book, Flawless Consulting, published by Pfeiffer is the publisher’s bestselling book over the last 40 years.

In closure - a few last thoughts
After Redbank my life-partner Laura and I visited the Grand Canyon. We also spent a week in the tranquil and beautiful environment of Sedona. The beauty, open space, vastness and snow allowed me to peacefully reflect and integrate powerful concepts and I arrived back in South Africa with clarity to the question “What type of Consultant are you?”

The answer after asking the question to myself: “I know that I am authentically me, ready to listen to my clients and partner them and their organisations into a future of possibility”.

Some last thoughts from Peter
- Hierarchy is there to create order and structure; it makes things more predictable and controllable. It however takes creativity, uniqueness and individuality, in other words humanity, off the table.
- You cannot hold somebody accountable, only choice brings accountability.
- The aim of FC is to be powerful within hierarchy. It is to bring your expertise as a pocket of authentic relatedness into the workplace.
- Like-mindedness is the enemy of learning, creativity and democracy.
- As consultant, don’t jump in and feel you have to do something. If you do, rather get up and go to the bathroom and think about it, appreciate the world does not need your opinion right now.
- Time will not heal all wounds. In most cases it only makes it worse because we just postpone doing something about it.

In summary
As an evolving consultant I know I have taken some bold steps to becoming a more authentic partner to my clients.

Thank you Peter; thank you Phil; thank you Louise and thank you to my three fellow Flawless Travellers, Nomatemba, Chris and Sharon.

PS: If you want sign up for the next Flawless Workshop in your area, visit the Symphonia website or contact Johleen van Dyk at johleen@symphonia.net

What is Nine Conversations in Leadership?

by Lucille Greeff, Associate and 9C Facilitator

Nine Conversations in Leadership, generally refered to as 9C is a learning journey for leaders, future leaders and teams in a business. It was developed by Worldsview and it is being used globally to develop leadership and organisations. It combines the best of Organisation Development with the best of learning and training methodology to offer organisations maximum return on investment for their development spend.

9C consists of 9 conversations or contact sessions of 4 hours each. Groups, or cells, consist of 8 to 12 people each. The cell members can either be a cross-functional selection of leaders, intact team, executive team or managers from a specific organisation. There are different benefits to the different options and they all have value. Your 9C cell then go on a journey of learning and development together. Ideally the sessions are spread over 6-9 months as part of the journey requires project implementation after every conversation.

The journey has its roots in the methodology of conversation but these roots grow out of the rich soil of the latest and most up-to-date leadership theory and practices. It is however not a theory session – the material is provided as a backdrop to the conversation itself. The journey starts with the big picture and organisational vision and then progresses through other aspects of the organisation and team until you complete the journey looking at your development and energy as a leader.

The 9C journey is a process that encapsulates all three centres of intelligence – the head, heart and hands. It is therefore about allowing leaders to connect to thinking as well as feeling and action oriented aspects of leadership.

9C includes a 360 evaluation as part of the journey. It is also supported by an E-Learning platform to track projects and performance. Organisations and teams craft their reasons for going on the journey as a statement of intent which underpins each one of the nine conversations.

Organisation Development theory shows that most learning does not happen within a classroom context. The frustration with the lack of results from traditional management and leadership training supports this theory. So where and when do we learn? Most learning happens when we go and apply things. It therefore happens between contact sessions. If leadership development can be supported systematically over a period of 9 months, rather than over 2-5 days of training, the results become transformational. This bridges the gap between training and organisation transformation.

Treetops have trained 9C facilitators that would love to walk alongside your team and organisation in your development journey. Contact us to explore 9C and the benefits for your team further. It will change the way you think of leadership development forever!

2011 - A Year of Possibility

by Johan Greeff: MD Treetops Consulting

2010 World Cup legacy
Last year’s World Cup gave South Africa a focus point. In the year building up to this event, there was an immense and tangible excitement in South Africa. People could see and experience the changes in the South African Landscape.

Gauteng became one massive construction site given all the infrastructure development: stadiums, roadworks and the Gautrain. Great debate was sparked: “Are we in over our heads? Will we be able to deliver?”

Then it happened! We did it! Everybody stood in awe of the magic of our country as we ‘wowed’ the world. Some said the “best world cup ever”. But before we know it, the world cup had come and gone.

Post-World Cup a lot of us may have felt like a “dazed boxer” recovering from a punch. People still bathed in the euphoria, but we all felt a bit lost and unfocused too. The big question we are all faced with now is – “Where to from here?”

2011 is upon is!
We at Treetops are excited about this year and realise that everybody now appreciates that the World Cup was just an event and a springboard to a bright and more exciting future. The World Cup showed us that success will only come through hard work.

Before we look at the year ahead, I believe we need to honour the year that we left behind.

Highlights 2010
1.Director’s Forum:
In January 2010 we had 20 Managing Directors and Executives at Treetops for an MD Forum. It sparked immense debate and created shared appreciation of the mutual challenges leaders face. It was a great opportunity to network with fellow executives.

2.Organisational Resilience and Strategic Alignment:
During June and July we had the privilege to do some work with Norman Chorn from Australia on this important topic.

3.Lecture to Wits MBA Alumni:
During August I was invited to lecture to the Wits MBA Alumni on Executive Coaching. It was a wonderful evening with fellow professionals.

4.Lecturing at Wits Economics and Management Faculty:
Lucille was invited to guest lecture on Reinventing Management with 3rd year and Honours students in Marketing and Management Science

5.Assessment Centre Study Group:
In March we presented a ground-breaking paper on ‘Enabling Assessment Centres for People with Disabilities’ – suggesting ways in which Assessment Centres can be made more accessible to people with disabilities.

6.Mentorship Publication:
The SABPP (South African Board of Personal Practitioners) is publishing a book on ‘Lessons from 40 Senior Members’ and I was invited to participate.

7.Aurecon LDP:
Aurecon is now truly an international player in the Consulting Engineering environment. Our continued involvement with their Accredited Leadership Programme is an honour and privilege.

8.Networking:
Our association with Symphonia is growing Treetops and Symphonia share the belief that South Africa needs opportunities for different generations to share their wisdom. Watch this space for Inter-Generational Wisdom Sharing.

9.Nine Conversations in Leadership:
Lucille is now an Accredited Facilitator for this wonderful Leadership, Team and Organisation intervention.

10.Khula Project:
This is an exciting project that enhances Business Acumen for workers and managers on all levels in the form of a business simulation. We are especially excited about the results within Agriculture

Personal Front
On the personal front Judy was successful in passing her HPCSA Board Exam. We wish Alene good luck with her exam this February!

Laura is again the Lady’s Champion in the Porsche Time Trials Series. Johan managed to win his class and is one of the Top 5 in the Driver of the Year competition.

2011 Year of Possibility
1.Treetops Network Day:
We kicked off the year with the Annual Treetops Network Day and were privileged to host more than 30 of our colleagues at Treetops. The World Café facilitation process allowed for intense and meaningful debate around HR and OD in South Africa.

2.Flawless Consulting:
This is the topic I am most excited about. I will be spending time with Peter Block in the USA during April to complete the final steps to becoming a Flawless Consulting Facilitator. This is truly an amazing product that empowers people to communicate and contract more meaningfully within specialist roles and matrix organisations.

3.BSSA partnership for Treetops MDP:
Our MDP will be running as a registered and accredited programme with the Business School of South Africa this year. Contact us if you would like more information about this!

4.Lucille is embarking on her PhD studies in Organisation Behaviour with the UP focusing on Reinventing Management.

At Treetops we look forward to partnering you and your team in your journey of transformation. May this year hold as much excitement and Wow! For you as 2010 did, even if it is a year without a Soccer World Cup:)We also look forward to opportunities to connect, not least of all at the regional SAODN meetings every month.

How do I prepare for a Psychometric Assessment?

by Alene Edson, Treetops Consultant and Intern Psychometrist

Part of preparation is knowing what to expect...

When going for psychometric testing as part of the selection process, you can never be 100% sure about what tests you may be given. It is however highly likely that you will be given a combination of ability tests complemented by a personality test, EQ test or a trait-specific test. Start by asking what kind of tests you will need to do when the company books you for testing and how long this will take. These days most testing is done on the computer, but you may be asked to do some pen-and-paper exercises as well.

Ability/cognitive tests often have a time limit. These types of tests are designed so that most people don’t finish every single question. That doesn’t mean you should take it easy, but don’t stress too much if you missed those last few questions. Before each test you will commonly be given a series of examples. Take these slowly and learn from your mistakes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions as it will definitely help you when you complete the actual test.

The best technique is to practise answering questions a day or two before starting the assessment process. Taking sample tests on the internet is a great way of gaining experience about what may be expected on the day. If you know you will be doing a test that measures numerical reasoning, even doing a couple of Sudoko puzzles will help to activate the brain! Practise also boosts your confidence. There are books available that help you prepare for assessments with sample questions etc. but this may just be overdoing it. You can simply practice doing sums in your head – ask a family member or friend to give you some basic calculations to do.

Most importantly, prepare for psychometric testing with a good night’s sleep and eating before the assessment to make sure your brain has fuel to think. Arrive early, not just in time. Having a couple of minutes to familiarise yourself with your environment will help calm your nerves while rushing headlong into the assessment normally has the opposite effect.

Interestingly, people perform better in reasoning tests in the morning. If HR gives you a choice of times, early in the morning is better than late in the afternoon when you are tired from a day’s work.

Personality tests are much harder to prepare for as they commonly assess relatively stable behavioural tendencies. The best technique is to be completely honest. Don't think about any one particular question for too long. With that said, your first response is your best response.

If, on the day, you feel a little bit of adrenalin it may help you perform but take care not to become too stressed. If you feel overwhelmed, ask for a quick bathroom break or take a couple of sips of water. Slow your breathing by focusing on your out-breath. Most importantly, maintain a positive attitude throughout the process. It's not the end of the world if you're finding a test difficult. Remember it is only one section of the entire recruitment process and a decision is never made solely one assessment criteria. You are being assessed against the needs of one organisation, which does not mean you are not suitable at all for this type of job or this organisation, should you not be successful in the application or promotion.

Remember to disclose andthing that may impact on your testing to the Psychometrist or Psychologist that is testing you. This includes things like diabetes, dyslexia or if you've recently been going through a particularly difficult time in your life. If they know where you are at, it helps them interpret the results. If you are asked what your home language is, also be honest. If you are not a first language English speaker being asked to do a test in English, there may be different norms that apply to you so being truthful will actually benefit you in terms of scoring.

And finally, remain calm and do your best.

Good luck!

What is an Assessment Centre?

by Judy Latell - Treetops Consultant and Psychometrist

Assessment Centre is a term that describes a particular approach to assessing individuals. It often forms part of recruitment, selection and personal development in organisations. Assessment Centres use a number of assessment tools and activities, including such things as work-sample tests, group discussions and simulations, in which candidate performance is observed and rated by a team of assessors. In South Africa, assessments also frequently incorporate psychometric testing which uses standardised and registered psychological tests to complement the simulation exercises.

Assessment Centres can seem confusing and intimidating for people who do not necessarily know or are exposed to Psychological/Psychometric jargon. Being told you have to go for an Assessment Centre can be quite scary, especially when your boss or future employer wants you to do something like this.

As Psychologists and Psychometrists, we have seen very anxious and tense people show up for an Assessment Centre. This fear and anxiety normally stems from a belief that this is a pass or fail exam, which will forever make or break their careers. Essentially, Assessment Centres are competency based and therefore have a limited lifespan and will never be valid indefinitely into the future. Your results on an Assessment Centre should change and show positive improvement as you gain knowledge, skills and experience in your profession. They also become much easier when approached as an opportunity for personal growth and development.

Assessment Centres are a PART of the selection process, in which organisations try to ascertain whether you are the right candidate for the position they have advertised. It therefore increases the fairness of the selection process. Their selection will however never be based solely on the assessment that you undergo, Employment Equity legislation protects you against that. An Assessment Centre is therefore not like a matric-, university- or board exam which you can pass or fail.

When you undergo an Assessment Centre, the process will include a variety of tests, which range from personality, cognitive ability, EQ, sensory intelligence, work stress related tests, interviews, group discussions, case studies, presentation and inbox exercsies. These exercises make up a holistic assessment, from which our report is then compiled.

If you are attending a full day Assessment Centre with Treetops in the near future, this is what you can expect:

Our holistic Assessment Centre focuses on certain areas, such as Drive, Thinking Skills, Leadership Skills, Interactive Skills and the competencies within these areas. The specific competencies range from Initiative, Analytical thinking, Judgment and Customer Orientation to Decisiveness. Your performance across the exercises is integrated into a Competency Profile and detailed report which normally includes a development plan. Don't worry if all of this doesn't make sense now, the process will always kick off with a detailed and transparent introduction and orientation session that will allow you to ask all the questions you may have.

An Assessment Centre varies in length from a couple of hours to a full day. It allows you to discover more of yourself and helps you map your development journey according to your strengths and challenges.

Some of the quotes from clients who have been assessed by Treetops:

“Wow, thanks this was really not as bad as I expected it to be!”

“Doing this has helped me discover more about myself, even things I have known but have not wanted to admit to myself.”

“Thanks for advising me and making me understand that if I want to go forward in my career I need to know my current reality and where I can still develop.”