Effect of Culture on Consultation in an Organization

Feedback and Organizational Culture

As a consultant, providing effective feedback to clients is crucial to help them improve their performance and achieve their goals. However, delivering feedback that is both helpful and received as intended can be challenging, especially in an environment where feedback may not be valued or respected. To ensure that one’s feedback is effective, it is essential to build a positive organizational culture that values feedback and to follow best practices for providing specific and actionable feedback, using appropriate language and tone, following up, and emphasizing the benefits of feedback. By doing so, the consultant can create a culture of continuous improvement and help your clients succeed (Block, 1999; Bolman & Deal, 2017). This paper will discuss the topic of feedback and organizational culture with respect to consulting and with regard to best practices.

When it comes to providing feedback to clients as a consultant, there are several best practices that can ensure the feedback is both helpful and received as intended, as Block (1999) and Bolman and Deal (2017) point out. Some key pointers before even getting started are as Block (1999) notes: do not collude and do not project; rather, give support to the client’s expectations, and confront the client with understanding of self-defeating practices, as this will help—for it is better to confront than to ignore on important trouble areas. Here are a few of their other various suggestions:

First, the consultant should focus on and emphasize the importance of fostering and maintaining a positive organizational culture that values feedback: As a consultant, one needs to ensure that the organizational culture values feedback. This means that one should create an environment where clients feel comfortable providing feedback, and that the consultant himself is open to receiving it. It is essential to create a culture where feedback is seen as a way to learn and grow, not as criticism (Block, 1999).

A second key practice is to be sure to provide specific and actionable feedback: this can take place in the structured meeting, for instance, when the consultant is going over the various issues that should be addressed (Block, 1999). But when giving feedback to clients, the consultant should be specific and provide actionable suggestions for improvement—and the consultant should also be aware of organizational signs and symbols that will indicate how the client is likely to react, likely to think, and likely to feel (Bolman & Deal, 2017). Awareness of organizational signs and symbols also shows awareness of organizational culture, which is important when giving feedback. Culture will affect how information is received, especially when it touches on both positive and negative feelings. Moreover, specific and actionable feedback, when considered in this context, helps the consultant to avoid using ambiguities and generalizations or criticisms without providing solutions. This will also help the client understand what he needs to do to improve and make the changes they need to make (Block, 2016).

Another point that Block (1999) makes is to use appropriate language and tone: the consultant should be mindful of the language and tone used when giving feedback. Avoid using language that is too technical or complicated, and be sure to use a respectful and constructive tone. This will help the client feel more comfortable receiving the feedback and reduce any defensive reactions. Assertive language is far different from aggressive language, and the consultant should be able to tell the difference and also understand how aggressive tones might come across as hostile.

Furthermore, depending on the structure of the meeting and how the consultant lets the session flow, there should be a strong follow up session or point where everything can be gone over again to see how well information has been received and what the key thoughts are going forward based on actions taken. After providing feedback, it is essential to follow up with the client to ensure that they understand the feedback and are taking steps to implement any changes suggested. This will help to reinforce the feedback and demonstrate your commitment to helping the client succeed.