Failure in Consulting: Consultation Cannot Fail!

Abstract

Whenever I speak of “consulting” in the following article, that term is meant to cover all consultation formats concerned with processes, i.e. any form of consulting that is not an expert consultation. Process consulting makes use of reflecting on social systems, individuals, small or large groups, as well as organizations. Clients reflect on themselves, analyse the situation and/or various possible solutions for problem situations, and finally arrive at conclusions and decisions. If that constitutes the core of consulting processes, then consultation cannot fail, unless no consultation has taken place.

Consultation means working with and working at relationships. Relationships are subject to change. In the course of a consultation process, the relation between clients and consultants undergoes a transformation. Nevertheless, a balance between distance and closeness needs to be kept if the consultation is to be a professional one. Consultation is thus fluid rather than fixed, but still solid, and stable in its flexibility.

Relationships can fail. They may fail to come about, they may be interrupted, they may be ended. The end of a relationship is not equal to the consultation having failed, because the end has been thought about, reflected and decided on. Consulting means working with and within contradictions. Distance and closeness, methodological handles and method-free actions, dependency and freedom, knowledge and curiosity, potency and withdrawal. The following text describes and discusses these contradictions.