1UnderstandingResistanceThehardestpartofconsultingiscopingsuccessfullywithresistancefromtheclient.Asweconsult,itisnaturalforustofeelthatifwecanpresentourideasclearlyandlogically,andhavethebestinterestsoftheclientatheart,ourclientswillacceptourexpertiseandfollowoursuggestions.Wesoondiscover,though,nomatterhowreasonablywepresentdataandrecommendations,clientspresentuswithresistance.Resistancedoesn'talwayshappen,butwhenitdoes,itispuzzlingandfrustrating.Inthefaceofresistance,webegintoviewtheclientasstubbornandirrational,andweusuallyendupsimplypresentingthedataandjustifyingtherecommendationsmoreloudlyandmoreforcibly.Thekeytounderstandingthenatureofresistanceistorealizethatresistanceisareactiontoanemotionalprocesstakingplacewithintheclient.Itisnotareflectionoftheconversationwearehavingwiththeclientonanobjective,logical,rationallevel.Resistanceisapredictable,natural,emotionalreactionagainsttheprocessofbeinghelpedandagainsttheprocessofhavingtofaceuptodifficultorganizationalproblems.Resistanceisapredictable,natural,andnecessarypartofthelearningprocess.Whenasconsultantswewishresistancewouldneverappearorwouldjustgoaway,weare,bythatattitude,posinganobstacletotheclient'sreallyintegratingandlearningfromourexpertise.Foraclienttolearnsomethingimportantabouthowtohandleadifficultproblem,thefeelingsofresistanceneedtobeexpresseddirectlybeforetheclientisreadytogenuinelyacceptandusewhattheconsultanthastooffer.Theskillindealingwithresistanceisto:BeabletoidentifywhenresistanceistakingplaceViewresistanceasanaturalprocessandasignthatyouareontargetSupporttheclientinexpressingtheresistancedirectlyNottaketheexpressionoftheresistancepersonallyorasanattackonyouoryourcompetence.Thisishardtodoandiswhatthischapterandthenextareallabout.2TheFacesofResistanceResistancetakesmanyforms,someofthemverysubtleandelusive.Inthecourseofasinglemeeting,youmayencounteravarietyofforms.Asyoubegintodealwithitinoneform,sometimesitwillfadeandreappearinadifferentbody.Fortechnicallyorientedconsultants—likeengineers,accountants,computerandsystemspeople—resistancecanbeveryhardtoidentify.Ourtechnicalbackgroundssoorientustodata,facts,andlogicthatwhenweareaskedtoperceiveanemotionalorinter-personalprocess,itisliketryingtoseethepictureonabadlyout-offocuspieceofmoviefilm.Thefollowinglistofcommonformsofresistance,thoughincomplete,isintendedtohelpbringthepictureintofocus.GiveMeMoreDetailTheclientkeepsaskingforfinerandfinerbitsofinformation."Whatdopeoplewhoworktheeleven-to-sevenshiftthink?""Whenyouputthenumberstogether,whatworksheetsdidyouuseandwerethenumberswritteninredorblueink?"Theclientseemstohaveaninsatiableappetitetoknoweverythingaboutwhatishappening.Nomatterhowmuchinformationyougivetheclient,itisneverenough.Eachconversationleavesyoufeelinglikenexttimeyoushouldbringevenmorebackupdatawithyou.youalsogetthefeelingthatahugeamountoftimeisspentgatheringinformationandtoolittletimeisspentdecidingwhatyouaregoingtodo.Somequestionsfromtheclientarereasonable,theyneedtoknowwhatisgoingon.Whenyoustarttogetimpatientwiththequestions,eventhoughyouareabletoanswerthem,thatisthemomenttostartsuspectingtherequestfordetailisaformofresistanceandnotasimplequestforinformation.FloodYouwithDetailAcorollarytotherequestfordetailistobegiventoomuchdetail.youaskaclienthowthisproblemgotstartedandtheresponseis,"Well,itallgotstartedtenyearsagoonaThursdayafternooninS...
