“If we aspire to both the labels and the roles of helper, counsellor, adviser and supporter, using ourselves

as key
instruments, we must undertake a process of life-long discovery and of owning and refining our instrumentality.”

Self as an
The
Instrument–
A Cornerstone
for the Future of OD
By Mee-Yan Cheung-Judge

ARNER BURKE (1994) asserted that, “OD as a field

W
DIVERSE ROLES OF OD CONSULTANTS
has a bright future … The point is that OD, or what-
ever it may be labelled in the distant future, is here Although there are widely ranging definitions of OD, there
to stay.” is a surprisingly high level of agreement among practitioner-
Such a positive assertion of OD requires its torchbearers— theorists that the purpose of OD activities is to enhance organ-
we, OD practitioners—to affirm our passion for OD, our com- isational effectiveness. Consider the following characterisations
mitment to developing our consulting repertoire, and our desire of OD.
to continually develop our competencies. I believe among the  Planned interventions to increase organisation effectiveness
many competencies required of us, the use of self as an instru- and health (Beckhard, 1969).
ment is at the heart of our uniqueness and effectiveness.
This paper aims to demonstrate the importance for
OD consultants of establishing effective relationships with CONFERENCE CONNECTION
clients and the use of self as an instrument, or instrumentality, Mee-Yan Cheung-Judge is a pre-
in the work. The article builds upon the definitions of instru- senter at the 2001 OD Network
mentality developed by Warner Burke and Edwin Nevis in Annual Conference in Vancouver,
exploring key practices in owning and refining the use of self in B.C. at the following sessions:
our work. SS104 Integrating Our Tradi-
The premise underlying my approach is that OD consult- tions, Transitions and Dreams to
ing necessitates a high degree of self-knowledge and personal Enhance Our Instrumentality
development that must engage OD practitioners throughout Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 10 & 11
8:30am – 4:00pm
their professional lives.

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The Self as an Instrument—A Cornerstone for the Future of OD

 A process directed at organisation improvement (Margulies, ence” as the effective integration of knowledge and behaviour
1998). in Organisational Consulting: A Gestalt Approach as follows:
 Building and maintaining the health of the organisation as a Presence is the living embodiment of knowledge: the theo-
total system (Schein, 1988). ries and practices believed to be essential to bring about
 Organisation revitalisation achieved through synthesising indi- change in people are manifested, symbolised, or implied in
vidual, group and organisational goals so as to provide effec- the presence of the consultant. (p. 69)
tive service to the client and community while furthering The concepts of instrumentality in effective OD practice
quality of product and worklife (Lippitt and Lippitt, 1975). and presence in gestalt practice see the use of self as our prime
Within this context, the primary asset in achieving the helping relation-
role of OD consultants is to establish ship. It is not an option but the corner-
helping relationships with and among stone of our work. The OD consul-
individuals and groups within organisa- In practice, owning the self tant’s ability to fill a wide range of roles
tions. The form these relationships take depends upon this use of self.
depends on the nature of the task at means devoting time and So how do we develop our instru-
hand and may incorporate technical mentality?
advice in business processes, specialist
energy to learning about The answer lies in two concepts:
services relating to organisational who we are, and how issues owning and refining our instrumental-
design and functioning, process consul- ity. Each of these ideas and their
tation or variations thereof. Lippitt and of family history, gender, related practices are based upon a req-
Lippitt (1975) described these roles on uisite perception of our self as a key
a continuum defined by the degree of race and sexuality affect asset requiring both proper manage-
directiveness assumed by the OD con- ment and investment. Owning our
sultant. An overview of how authors in
self-perception. It means instrumentality relates to the develop-
the field describe the diverse consult- also identifying and ment of our self-knowledge and
ant roles appears in Figure 1 (page 13). expertise as consultants in the field.
This review of the literature illus- exploring the values by Refining our instrumentality implies
trates the degree to which the effec- regular maintenance work on self.
tiveness of the consultant necessarily which we live our lives, In practice, owning the self means
depends upon the quality of his or her devoting time and energy to learning
relationships with clients. McLagan
as well as developing our about who we are, and how issues of
(1989:7) stated this succinctly: intellectual, emotional, family history, gender, race and sexual-
Organisation development’s primary ity affect self-perception. It means also
emphasis is on relationships and physical and spiritual identifying and exploring the values by
processes between and among indi- which we live our lives, as well as
viduals and groups. Its primary inter- capacities. developing our intellectual, emotional,
vention is influence on the relationship physical and spiritual capacities. Own-
of individuals and groups to reflect the ing instrumentality can also be under-
impact on the organisation as a system. stood in terms of Cooperrider’s (2000) concept of identifying
Having established the centrality of relationship building to the “positive core” within and using it to achieve one’s dreams.
the work of OD consultants, the next question is, “what are the “Putting first things first” (Covey, 1995) in order to achieve bal-
key competencies and attributes essential for effectiveness?” ance between work and life can also be considered part of own-
ing one’s instrumentality.
In practice refining our instrumentality means dedicating
SELF AS AN INSTRUMENT time to the on-going maintenance of both self-knowledge and
technical expertise. Employing a shadow consultant, a mentor
Figure 2 (page 15) summarises competencies required for or even a therapeutic relationship to continually heighten our
effective OD consultation, as gleaned from a review of the lit- self-awareness. For others, it may mean using self-knowledge to
erature. build a package of self-care in order to ensure that instrumen-
Burke’s concept of instrumentality (1982) went beyond a tality is sustainable and lasting.
collection of interpersonal skills, attributes and technical knowl- The following is a partial list of activities relating to owning,
edge to encompass the use of self as an instrument in conduct- refining and integrating our self-knowledge. They are offered
ing interventions. This notion of instrumentality is akin to the here—in four categories—as a springboard for readers in consid-
emphasis of heightened self-awareness in a gestalt approach to ering your own self-work in four categories.
organisation consulting. Nevis defined the qualities of “pres-

12 O D P R AC T I T I O N E R
 Fi g u re 1 : RO L E O F O D C O N S U LTA N TS

Authors Roles of OD Consultants

Burke, 1982 One who provides help, counsel, advice and support.

Schroeder, 1974 One who serves as a sounding board, an adviser, a confidant for the consultant who is working
directly with the client. (Shadow consultant with other consultants as clients)

Lippitt & Lippitt, 1975 Outline eight roles along a continuum with Directive and Non-Directive at either end of the con-
tinuum. The eight roles are advocate, technical specialist, trainer or educator, collaborator in prob-
lem solving, alternative identifier, fact finder, process specialist, reflector. These roles are not mutu-
ally exclusive. The OD Consultant may play different roles simultaneously depending on tasks /
assignments.

Schein, 1988 Key role defined as process consultation, i.e., a set of activities that help the client to perceive,
understand and act upon process events in the client’s environment in order to improve the situa-
tion identified by the client.

Tichy, 1974 Outlines four change agent key roles:

 OP (Outside Pressure) — advocating certain changes, planning strategies for advocacy;
 AFT (Analysis for the Top) — conducting a study for a client organisation and providing a report
for top management;
 PCT (People Change Technology) — providing a service for individuals within the organisation;
 OD (Organisation Development) — serving as external consultant to develop systems.

Beer, 1980 Lists two consultant roles: 1) as Generalist with an organisational administrative perspective, and
(2) as a Specialist “in the process of organisational diagnosis and intervention.”

Ferguson, 1968 Lists 18 roles of OD Consultants ranging from capturing data to promote a proper psychological
climate to assisting in the management of conflict, serving as plumber or obstetrician in-between,
etc.

Nevis, 1987 Outlines five basic roles / activities of a Gestalt-oriented consultant:

1. To attend to the client system, observe, and selectively share observations of what you see,
hear, etc.
2. To attend to your own experience (feelings, sensations, thoughts) and selectively share these,
establishing your presence in doing so.
3. To focus on energy in the client system and the emergence of or lack of issues (common fig-
ures) for which there is energy: to act to support mobilisation of energy (joining) so that some-
thing happens.
4. To facilitate clear, meaningful, heightened contacts between members of the client system
(including contact with you).
5. To help the group achieve heightened awareness of its process in completing units of work,
and to learn how to complete units of work so as to achieve closure around problem areas
and unfinished business.

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The Self as an Instrument—A Cornerstone for the Future of OD

1. Develop Life Long Learning Habits choices about the work you do and how you intervene in
 Continually develop and enhance competencies in order to client systems.
move flexibly among the various roles required of the OD  Develop habits for managing anxiety about the accuracy of
consultant. perceptions and efficacy of interventions.
 Develop relationships with peers and professionals with  Acknowledge the potential power of intuition in managing
whom to check perspectives, talk decisions and risks, even in the face of
through challenges and strategies, clear opposition.
and align values and practices.  Face your lack of effectiveness with
 Actively seek feedback from clients … if we fail to engage in certain projects and clients. Have the
and colleagues. courage to stop working for clients
 Build a knowledge base in the field self-work activities, it is who offer good money but at a per-
even when this seems neither urgent sonal price.
nor critical.
certain that high
 Take responsible risks that stretch 4. Commit to Self-Care
your professional comfort zone and
performance will entail  Organise your calendar to include
proficiency. a high personal cost, both time for reflection and integration,
and a recharging of your intellectual
2. Work Through Issues of to our clients and ourselves. and emotional energy.
Power  Book regular time off to cater to
 Acknowledge personal issues around Through time, this will eat body, mind, and soul.
power and control and attune your-  Have an effective self-care package,
self to recognise their emotional trig- into our sense of well being. knowing that—like a machine- we
gers. cannot keep delivering a long-haul
 Develop strategies to manage your
Many of us have become service without maintenance work.
own and others’ power dynamics.  Use meditation or other practices to
 Develop effective habits for estab-
aware of the personal cost, develop and maintain inner aware-
lishing and maintaining appropriate and have learned never ness and knowledge.
boundaries with colleagues and
clients. again to be put in that Over the past ten years, as I have
 Clarify personal values and what is supervised and mentored OD consult-
important in life. Practice “putting situation unwittingly. ants and witnessed the working of
first things first.” instrumentality, I have concluded that
they fall into three groups:
3. Build Emotional and Intuitive Self-Awareness 1. Consultants whose effectiveness is inconsistent.
 Integrate your personal and family history and turn it into a 2. Effective consultants who experience burn out because their
source of strength. high performance is costly and unsustainable.
 Get to know your fears, blind spots and comfort zones. Use 3. Effective consultants who are in optimal condition most of
your emotional comfort (or discomfort) as data in making the time.
The first group of OD consultants often convey a highly
AU T H O R professional image. They are even likely to invest money and
time updating their technical expertise. They can be quite effec-
MEE-YAN CHEUNG-JUDGE, Ph.D., since 1985 has tive in some projects. However, they are much less effective
been the Director of Quality & Equality, an OD Con- when projects require the use of self as an intervention beyond
sultancy Services Group based in Oxford, United their technical expertise. Many have not accepted that an effec-
Kingdom. Mee-Yan held various academic positions in tive OD consultant must understand and deal not only with
the USA before moving to the UK. She has over technology, but also with human processes such as trust,
dependency, and ethics.
twenty years of OD experience, supporting top teams
The second group of consultants, like the third, is commit-
across various industrial sectors in attaining optimal ted to their mission as OD professionals, highly skilled in
health and high performance. She is committed to many types of OD intervention, and well respected by
coach and mentor other OD consultants, sharing her clients and colleagues. But they differ significantly in three
insights of how the roles and competencies evolve ways:
through time. 1. The amount of time and energy they spend working on
knowing themselves better.

14 O D P R AC T I T I O N E R
 Fi g u re 2 : O D C O N S U LT I N G C O M PE T E N C I E S

Authors Required Competencies

Burke, 1982 1. The ability to tolerate ambiguity.
2. The ability to influence.
3. The ability to confront difficult issues.
4. The ability to support and nurture others.
5. The ability to listen well and empathise.
6. The ability to recognise one’s own feelings and intuitions quickly.
7. The ability to conceptualise.
8. The ability to discover and mobilise human energy.
9. The ability to teach or create learning opportunities.
10. The ability to maintain a sense of humour.
11. A sense of mission.
Argyris, 1962 1. Self confident.
2. Interpersonally confident.
Beer, 1980 1. Be credible.
2. Be neutral.
3. Ability to stay marginal.
Sullivan and Sullivan, Based on McLean and Sullivan’s earlier study, they involved over 2000 OD practitioners in
1995 defining essential competences of internal and external consultants. Listed the required 187
McLean and Sullivan, competences under ten categories of OD activities.
1990 1. Marketing Phase (3 competences).
2. Initial Contactivity Phase (20 competences).
3. Start up Phase (10 competences).
4. Assessment and Feedback Phase (45 competences).
5. Action Planning Phase (16 competences).
6. Intervention Phase (12 competences).
7. Evaluation Phase.
8. Adoption Phase (13 competences).
9. Separation Phase (13 competences).
10. General competences (40 competences).
Nevis, 1987 Outlined the skills required to be effective in using a Gestalt approach based on the Cycle of
Experience as an orientation for both client and self. Organises skills in terms of consultant’s
major tasks.
1. Ability to stay in the present and focus on the ongoing process, with faith in natural develop-
mental sequence.
2. Considerable sensitivity to sensory, physical functioning of self and others.
3. Frequent tuning into your emotions.
4. Ability to separate data from interpretation and to emphasise non-judgmental observations.
5. Awareness of your intentions, of what you want to do or say, together with the ability to be
clear in letting others know what you want of and from them.
6. Ability to see where the client is at any time, and to respect that in working with the system.
7. Ability to face and accept emotional situations with a minimum of personal defensiveness.
8. Ability to make good contact with others.
9. Ability to present self as a highly attractive yet non-charismatic presence.
10. Capacity to be both tough and supportive during the same work session.
11. Ability to help the client system draw meaning or understanding from its experience with the
consultant.
12. Appreciation of the significant contextual issues involved in System Intervention.
13. Awareness of the aesthetic, transcendent, and creative aspects of working as a consultant.

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The Self as an Instrument—A Cornerstone for the Future of OD

2. Their commitment to take time to pursue a robust self-care REFERENCES

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