Management Consulting Best Practices and New Challenges Jeffrey

Management Consulting: Best Practices and New Challenges Jeffrey R Harris, MA, MFT, CEAP Human Resourcefulness Consulting

Agenda • • Premise for the Workshop Review the Questionnaire Review the Best Practices Introduce the Innovations and Inspirations Recognize the Non-standard Practices Explore the New Challenges Integration through Audience Input Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Objectives • Adopt a standardized definition of management consultation and describe the EA Professional’s consulting role within the framework of the EAPA Core Technology • Describe the EA consulting skills that will mosteffectively assist managers in developing win-win solutions that meet the needs of the employee(s) and the business. • Develop consulting questions that draw managers into a broader review of the problem, helping managers understand the consequences of underor over-reaction, and providing a framework for managers to develop their own solutions. Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Goals • Validate the skills and framework you are already utilizing • Challenge you to take your consulting to “the next level” • Inspire you to advise or mentor new staff and CEAP candidates in a purposeful manner • Invite you to be an active contributor towards establishing a development plan Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Living Archive For Best Practices in Consulting • visit the resource page often • www. eapa-la. com/consulting • • continually updated bibliography tools lesson plans

The Interviews Transportation • Express. Jet EAP • United Airlines EAP Education • Los Angeles Department of Education EASE • University of Nebraska at Lincoln EAP • University of Southern California Center for Work & Family Life Government • City of Long Beach EAP • Federal Occupational Health Consortium EAP • Washington State EAP Finance • Bank of New York Mellon EAP • Merrill Lynch EAP • Wells Fargo EAC Healthcare • Concord Hospital EAP • Kaiser Permanente EAP • Partner’s Healthcare System EAP • Texas Children’s Hospital EAP Manufacturing / Processing • 3 M EAP • Chevron EAP • US Postal Service Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

The Interviews Science & Technology • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory EAP • Raytheon EAP • Sandia National Laboratory EAP Sports • San Francisco Giants EAP Law Enforcement • A Federal Law Enforcement EAP Utilities • Los Angeles Department of Water & Power EAP External EAPs/MBHOs • Aetna Behavioral Health • Concern EAP • Magellan Behavioral Health • United Behavioral Health Independent Consultants • 20/80 Workplace Consultants • Blair Consulting Group • Excello Workplace Behavioral Consulting • Gerald Lewis & Associates/Compass EAP • Kenneth R Collins & Associates • Masi Research Consultants Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

The Survey Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. How did you acquire the skills necessary for effective consulting? Would you describe your development path as formalized or informal? How is management consulting different from executive coaching, organizational development, team building or talent development? Are there consulting steps or a map from which you work? [philosophy of consulting] What would you consider to be the necessary skills of an effective consultant? What was your most effective consultation? What was your most challenging consultation? Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Development as a Management Consultant Consulting skills improve when development is planned Question: • How did you acquire the skills necessary for effective consulting? Would you describe your development path as formalized or informal? Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Development as a Management Consultant Consulting skills improve when development is planned • Majority of respondents were self-taught – On-the-job experience – Peer supervision • Purposeful development had some commonalities – Assessing the new employee / CEAP candidate for consulting skill set – Waiting period – Observation – Mentoring – Reading – External consultants Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Defining Management Consulting in an EA Role Having a standardized definition establishes our expertise Question: • How is management consulting different from executive coaching, organizational development, team building or talent development? Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Differentiating EA-based Management Consulting • Generic management consultants… – are experts in one field or line of business – address a single question – advocates for management • Executive Coaching. . . – Goals are related to the development of the manager and the success of his/her career – Advocates for executive • Organizational development consulting – Long term, grand plans – May not interact with or know individual employees – Advocates for organizational effectiveness, processes Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Defining Management Consulting in an EA Role Having a standardized definition establishes our expertise How EAPA Core Technology defines the consulting role: • Consultation with, training of, and assistance to work organization leadership (managers, supervisors, and union stewards) seeking to: – – manage the troubled employee, enhance the work environment, and improve employee job performance; and outreach/education of employees/ dependents about availability of EA services Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Defining Management Consulting in an EA Role Having a standardized definition establishes our expertise The EA Consultant… • works within a multi-client model • works within a defined role • is a specialist in the human side of business • provides support tailored for the manager • contributes to safety & risk management Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Defining Management Consulting in an EA Role Having a standardized definition establishes our expertise Most common consults –The “client dump” –Job Performance Referral –Problems of employee conduct –Reasonable suspicion of substance abuse –Employee health –Threat of aggression or violence –Conflict between coworkers Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Defining Management Consulting in an EA Role Having a standardized definition establishes our expertise Most common consults [continued] –Training request that masks a behavioral problem –Assistance with change management –Workplace tragedy or trauma –Policy consultation – usually proactively initiated by the EAPC Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

EAP Philosophy of Consulting Having a philosophy or belief-system of consulting leads to a framework or roadmap for each consultation Question: • Are there consulting steps or a map from which you work? Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

EAP Philosophy of Consulting Having a philosophy or belief-system of consulting leads to a framework or roadmap for each consultation The EA consultant… • provides role clarification • coaches on effective communication • assesses the manager • assesses the request for consultation • assesses the problem through the system Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

EAP Philosophy of Consulting Having a philosophy or belief-system of consulting leads to a framework or roadmap for each consultation The EA consultant… [continued] • works from a strengths-based framework • provides a framework through which the manager approaches solutions • tailors interventions and resources to the style of the manager • builds networks with internal resources Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Essential Skills for Effective Consulting Effective consultants employ these skills as best practices Question: • What would you consider to be the necessary skills of an effective consultant? Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Essential Skills for Effective Consulting Effective consultants employ these skills as best practices • Possesses business acumen • Understands how organizations function • Draws upon own business or management experience • Builds rapport • Builds trust • Is able to solve complex problems in a stressful environment Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Essential Skills for Effective Consulting Effective consultants employ these skills as best practices [continued] • • • Models effective communication Utilizes facilitation skills Possesses professional self-esteem Harnesses clinical intuition Sets Expectations Sets Boundaries Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Essential Skills for Effective Consulting Effective consultants employ these skills as best practices [continued] • • • Maintains a neutral, objective position Takes a history of the problem Provides follow-up Seeks, and gives, feedback Initiates outreach and proactivity Consumes research Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Inspiration & Innovation • Merrill Lynch’s account executive training • Aetna’s use of Leader-Member Exchange • Concord Hospital & Kaiser Permanente’s emphasis upon contracting • Jung’s “Even development” at Raytheon • Blair Consulting Group’s “Fundamentals of Employee Assistance Programs” • United Air Lines “EAP Monitoring Committee” • The EAPC often functions as the “heart” of the organization Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Non-Standardized Practices • Conflict resolution & mediation services • Executive coaching & manager development • Converting manager consults to EAP consults (customer to client) • Fitness For Duty • Return to Work screening Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

New Challenges • Business Continuity Planning – Enhanced role for EAP since 9/11 and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita • • Terrorism Avian flu pandemic Disasters Power grid blackouts – Opportunities for EAP consulting: • • Business Continuity Planning for employee needs Emotional hardiness and resiliency Personal preparedness Complicated grief in the workplace Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

New Challenges • Global presence means: – diversity of needs – diversity of norms, morés – diversity of management and communication styles • Multi-generational workforce – Creating solutions for managers who seek to engage all four generations uniquely • High Concept/Low Resource – Disconnect between leader’s lofty vision and lack of development time/resources for staff – Results in contrived performance issues Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Audience Expertise Three development scenarios • A union steward who transitions to a consultant role in a Member Assistance Program • A CEAP candidate in advisement • A seasoned EA professional – How would you assess each EA professional for… • their readiness for consulting? • the strength of their consulting skills? – How would you develop each person uniquely? – How would you build their business acumen for your customer organization? Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Development Resources The following resources for developing management consulting skills may be found at http: //www. eapa-la. com/consulting/ • • Bibliography Manager survey tools “Do”s and “Don’t”s list ABCs of Management Consultation • P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E consulting workflow • Links to related web sites • List of survey participants Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

An Invitation to Keep the Dialogue Alive… • • • Complete the Skills Survey in your packet Share tools for the web resource page Suggest lesson plans for CEAP advisement Contribute titles for recommended reading Mentor others Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges

Contact Info Jeffrey R Harris, MFT, CEAP PO Box 20420 Long Beach, CA 90801 (562) 704 -0636 jeffharris@humanresourcefulness. net http: //www. eapa-la. com/consulting Management Consulting: Best Practices & New Challenges