Purposeful consulting

Purposeful consulting can teach managers to take control and create the future they want. While traditional consulting is motivated by managers' desires to solve problems, purposeful consulting focuses on results. The basic structure of purposeful consulting is based on Fritz's (1984) idea of creative tension. The assumptions and goals of purposeful consulting are different from those of traditional consulting, and the 2 approaches take different steps to reach these goals. Steps involved in purposeful consulting include: 1. entering and contracting, 2. reframing the existing situation as an opportunity to create, 3. helping the organization focus more consciously on what it wants to achieve, 4. leading the organization to a deeper understanding of its current situation, 5. undertaking organization design and transition planning, 6. offering valuable coaching on implementation, and 7. striving for achievement of the organization's purpose. The purposeful consultant must improvise to accommodate each unique set of circumstances.