The consultant as collaborator: the process facilatator model
Many of us who are employed as consultants at college and university computing centers have had little or no formal training in consultation. This is generally true of individuals employed as consultants in any rapidly expanding field. Employers in these fields feel fortunate if they can find and hire technical experts, and only dream of hiring individuals with both technical and consultation skills. There is another thing many of us who are employed as computer consultants at institutions of higher education have in common with technical experts in other fields: We erroneously assume that we are consultants because our job description says so. Successful consulting with users requires more than technical skills. A knowledge of the consulting process also contributes to our success with users.