Understanding the impact of a consultant’s worldview: the use of metaphor in a diagnostic exercise

This action research study seeks to identify the barriers to effective organisational consulting, and to understand the choices consultants make in working with clients. In the first stage of the research the consultants’ experiences, their educational qualifications, and their knowledge of the consultancy literature were identified as important factors in leading to successful client assignments. However, the consultants concluded that the most important influence on the way in which they planned client projects was the way in which they “saw” organisations. This notion provided the basis for the final cycle of the project. Here, the researcher and the consultants sought to describe their organisational metaphors for organisations, and assess the degree to which they influenced their behaviour with clients.