Comments for The Howick Associates Blog

Comment on Internal Consulting in a Virtual Environment by mark

mark — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:47:11 +0000

Very interesting site, Hope it will always be alive!

Comment on Lessons Learned #1 by NIckole Milhaupt

NIckole Milhaupt — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:02:22 +0000

I could not agree more with the statement that trust and rapport develop over time and just how important it is in any relationship. While I was reading this post it brought me back to a conversation that I had earlier this morning with one of my service model partners. Our discussion was centered around an issue in one of our departments. As I sat listening to my service model partner describe the situation, I was repeatedly telling myself the story that the foundation of trust was never built. When the facts were all given I posed the very question to my service model partner, “What story are you telling yourself is the root of these issues?” My service model partner, without hesitation, responded that the trust was never built. And our action plan now will be centered around wokring to build the trust and rapport in their department to make them even more effective than they are already.

Comment on Lessons Learned #1 by Cindy

Cindy — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:29:26 +0000

Since taking this course I realized that while I did use many of these ideas in the past, I wasn’t always consistant. After a few weeks of making a conscious effort to put these skills to use, they are now becoming a habit. I am reducing calls, meeting time and emails by asking the right questions up front, setting boundaries and following thru. My customers get better service from me and I save time.

Comment on Lessons Learned #1 by Linda Steadman

Linda Steadman — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:19:40 +0000

Never assume anything. No matter how many times I am reminded or remind myself of this, I still fall into the trap of assuming. Questions, detailed and direct, are the only way to assess a situation accurately. That is what enables us to be an effective consultant.

This is particularly true in the ‘little’ situations, where the desired result seems so obvious. I’m finding that there is always more to a story than what you are first told. Getting beyond differences in word usage, discovering the true outcome desired, and probing for possible solutions sometimes takes hours instead of minutes and often ends in a place you never saw when you ‘assumed’ to know the answer.

Comment on Welcome to the Howick Associates Blog by Drew Howick

Drew Howick — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:28:15 +0000

I recently used a tool/process that HOWICK introduced to me called the KNOW/FEEL/DO. Although it can be used as a communication tool, I utilized it to help a group of people plan a large group meeting (over 100 participants). I asked the planning group what they would like the participants to KNOW as a result of the meeting; ditto FEEL and DO. Once these were identified, I was able to design a meeting agenda with a cleaer end-in-mind, and the planning group was able to review the proposed agenda with these clearly articulated ends. Following the session, the identified KNOW/FEEL/DO outcomes were used to evaluate the meeting and plan next steps.