Warm-up Activity
Research suggests that the consultation relationship is affected by differences in the relational approach and the characteristics of the consultant, the consultee, and the client. Because these differences are a factor in the efficacy of the consultation relationship, consultants need to be flexible and adaptive to the characteristics of the other people. Often these different relationships call for different approaches. The following activity highlights the importance of resource consultants reflecting on the relationship and context within which the consultation takes place, knowing when to prioritize certain stages over others, as well as being aware of how they as individuals affects the relationship.
Instructor information: Ask students to fill in the blanks below each column heading using the words provided in the table beneath. You can ask them to do this to the best of their knowledge or based on their own beliefs. Because there are more words than spaces in the table, they will have to make choices. They may put some of the words in different columns than where they are below (and that is ok!). The table below shows some characteristics of consultants, consultees and consultation relationships that are found in the literature.
Have the class divide into smaller groups to discuss their choices and then come back together with the whole group to discuss.
In this activity, you can share the following table:
| Characteristics of a Good Consultant | Characteristics of a Good Consultation Relationship | Characteristics of a Good Consultee |
|---|---|---|
What makes a good consultation relationship?
| Characteristics of a Good Consultant | Characteristics of a Good Consultation Relationship | Characteristics of a Good Consultee |
|---|---|---|
| Consultant has expertise about particular impairments | A direct relationship between consultant and client | Consultee is compliant |
| Consultant is knowledgeable | Clear goals | Consultee has curiosity |
| Consultant is collaborative | Inclusive of the family | Consultee is open minded |
| Consultant is experienced | Inclusive of many professionals | Consultee has confidence |
| Recognition of the triadic model | It is voluntary | Consultee is independent |
Discussion Questions
- Why did you choose the words you chose?
- You left some words out, why?
- Did you think some of the words you left out were important too?
- Why did you think the words you chose were the most important?
- What strategy did you use to select the words? (i.e., ranking, democratic process, deferring to others, etc.)
Probing Questions
- Would you change the words you have chosen for specific situations?
- Are there certain words that you feel you would keep in all situations?
- Can you think of a time from your placement or work experience where you prioritized certain characteristics over others?