For this assessment, you will use the case study that you developed in Assessment 1 as a backdrop to describe, compare, and contrast two distinct approaches to the discovery phase of consultation that are appropriate for the specific case-study scenario.

Industrial and organizational consultants must be able to select the most appropriate methods for a situation in discovery.

Prepare a 7 page paper that meets these requirements:

• Summarize the case study you developed in Assessment 1. Your summary should provide enough details about the consulting situation; for instance:
  • What are the issues that you expect to address?
  • Who are the key people involved?
  • What kinds of behaviors are involved in the situation?
  • What are the key goals of the potential consultation and the challenges to be addressed?
• Describe two approaches or models for the discovery phase of consultation. Be sure to cite peer-reviewed journal articles on each selected model or approach to discovery.
  • How do you plan to apply them to your case study?
  • What makes them valuable, relevant, and applicable to your case study?
• Evaluate two approaches or models for the discovery phase of consultation as they apply to your case study scenario.
  • What are the general strengths and limitations of each model or approach?
  • What are the specific strengths and limitations of each model or approach?
• Develop a set of guidelines you would use for the discovery phase of your case study scenario.
  • What guidelines did you derive, after synthesizing the best elements from each model?
• List at least five consulting competencies needed for this consultation.
  • What makes the consulting competency important for your case study?
• Evaluate the strengths and potential challenges you may have as an individual that are found in your case study scenario.
  • As you prepare to move forward with this consultation, what are those potential challenges?
  • What are the legal, ethical, cultural, and professional factors relevant to your case study scenario?

Be sure to cite peer-reviewed journal articles in support of your analysis. Additionally, incorporate your own research of scholarly literature, experiences, and elaborate with concrete examples.

Use the following subheadings in your paper and format your subheadings in APA style.

• Subheading 1 – Case Study.
• Subheading 2 – Discovery.
• Subheading 3 – Consulting Guidelines and Competencies.
• Subheading 4 – Conclusion.
• Subheading 5 – References.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current edition APA style and formatting guidelines.
• References: At least seven peer-reviewed journal articles or other scholarly articles written within the past five years.
• Length of paper: Approximately 2,000 words or about 7 typed, double-spaced pages.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Case Study to use in paper:

Darrian is the director of a non-profit organization that offers services to children in foster care and families in need. He is the head of the organization and is the leader for several managers throughout the company. However, his main focus is on evaluating the skill-building programs that the organization offers to families and children. Darrian reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and the board of directors. Due to increased competition of federal grant funding, the organization has been reluctant to hire many new people. However, there is a high turn over rate within the organization, as three high level managers have left, along with several direct care workers. Darrian has a very busy schedule that requires him to travel a lot so he is not always available to his employees. Darrian is also a single father to three children and takes care of his elderly aunt. Over the past few months, his home life has been super demanding, which has caused his leadership skills to decline drastically. Darrian supervises the Residential Programs and Clinical Services Manager, Danny, and the Community Programs Manager, Ann. Danny and Ann both supervise five staff members each. Darrian is often times not engaged with Danny and Ann because he has to deal with unforeseen family issues, is required to respond to over 200 emails daily, works eleven hour days, and does not engage in self care. When Darrian’s employees need his assistance he does not do well with giving clear direction or delegating tasks and often times adds unnecessary issues onto his own work load. Darrian’s home life requirements have also impacted Danny and Ann, as they have had to take on more responsibility to compensate for Darrian’s absence. Because Darrian does not do well with providing learning opportunities to Danny and Ann, they have not thrived well as managers and are not very supportive of their staff. Unfortunately, these issues have trickled down to the direct care staff, as they do not feel supported and are often times left with large tasks to complete. Many of the direct care workers and their supervisors eventually experience burn out and either perform poorly or resign. The organization lacks policies that strictly enforce behavior expectations or competencies. This often results in miscommunication that leads to misunderstandings and risky situations that could jeopardize the livelihood of the organization. Darrian is aware that the organization needs major improvements, but he does not know where to start. He has decided to reach out to an outside source to receive leadership consultation.

Here are some resources that can be used for this assessment:

Deciding on the Focus: Problem or Possibility?

• Block, P. (2011). Flawless consulting: A guide to getting your expertise used (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
  • Chapter 12, "Discovering Gifts, Capacities, and Possibilities," pages 183–199. This chapter suggests that a thoughtful emphasis on possibility and capacity may be a superior approach to problem-solving than immediately diagnosing and attacking a problem.
  • Chapter 13, "Get the Picture," pages 201–216. This chapter focuses on the consultant's choice to be problem-focused or possibility- and asset-focused.

Implications of Diagnosis and Discovery

• Marshak, D. (2013). The controversy over diagnosis in contemporary organization development. OD Practitioner, 45(1), 54–59.
• Lambrechts, F. J., Bouwen, R., Grieten, S., Huybrechts, J. P., & Schein, E. H. (2001). Learning to help through humble inquiry and implications for management research, practice, and education: An interview with Edgar H. Schein. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 10(1), 131–147.

Organizational Culture Considerations

• Fung, K., Lo, H-T., Srivastava, R., & Andermann, L. (2012). Organizational cultural competence consultation to a mental health institution. Transcultural Psychiatry, 49(2), 165–184.
• Schein, E. H. (2003). Five traps for consulting psychologists: Or, how I learned to take culture seriously. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 55(2), 75–83.

Additional Resources for Further Exploration

• Cataldo, C. G., Raelin, J. D., & Lambert, M. (2009). Reinvigorating the struggling organization: The unification of Schein's oeuvre into a diagnostic model. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 45(1), 122–140.
• Gilpin-Jackson, Y. (2013). Practicing in the grey area between dialogic and diagnostic organization development: Lessons from a healthcare case study. OD Practitioner, 45(1), 60–66.
• Green, C. H., & Howe, A. P. (2012). The trusted advisor fieldbook: A comprehensive toolkit for leading with trust. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.