What about loss of control and/or concerns about authority. Was this challenge in the “wheelhouse” of those doing organizational consulting work? The answer is “no”—at least taking into account our limited sampling. 30% of the organizational consultants indicated that loss of control and authority was “never” present as an issue, and another 20% indicated that this was “rarely” an issue. While 50% of the organizational consultants noted that loss of control and authority issues are “often” present, we find a an even higher percent of “often” rating among those doing group therapy (62%) and about the same percent among those doing training and teaching (48%). Even those doing personal therapy sometimes (35%) indicated that the issue of control and authority was “often” present. So, the matter of control and authority apparently was not exclusive to those doing organizational consultation.
As we look at other ratings of the control/authority challenge, we find a dispersion of ratings among those doing personal therapy, with 9% indicating that this was “never” an issue, 49% indicating that this was “rarely” an issue and 9% indicating that this was “predominant” among the clients they serve. Similarly, 8% of the group therapy respondents indicating that control/authority was “never” presented as a challenge by their clients, while 31% indicate that this was “rarely” a challenge, and no group therapy respondents indicate that this was a “predominant” challenge among the clients they serve with regard to the ratings of the trainers and teachers, though there are many respondents indicating that this was “never” a challenge (24%). Only 20% rated this as “rarely” occurring. As in the case of the personal therapists, those doing training and teaching occasionally (8%) indicated that control/authority was of “predominant” concern.
This leaves us with the organizational consultants. Of all the four service populations, the consultants were most likely (30%) to indicate that control and authority are “never” a challenge for their clients. 20% indicated that this was “rarely” an issue. Like the group therapists, the organizational consultants never checked the “predominant” category. It is interesting to note that the pattern of ratings by the group therapists and the pattern of ratings by the organizational consultants were similar and differed quite a bit from the pattern of ratings found among those doing personal therapy, or training and teaching.
We turn again to the two positive challenges presented in our survey. How do our four populations of service providers fare when it comes to opportunities for growth and new directions? We find that those doing both personal and group therapy tend to cluster around the two middle categories. 50% of the personal therapists indicated that this was “rarely” a positive challenge, while 29% indicate that this was “often” a challenge. 13% suggest that this was “never” a challenge, while 8% suggest that was a “predominant” challenge. The group therapists were a bit more polarized in their responses. 62% of the group therapists indicated that this was “rarely” a positive challenge, while 31% indicate that this was “often” a challenge. None of the group therapists suggest that this was “never” a challenge, while 8% suggest that this was a “predominant” challenge (replicating the percent found with the personal therapists).
