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We’ve all been in conversations that spiral — when clients circle the issue, jump ahead, go off on tangents. This can apply in complex situations with multiple clients, departments and budgets and also in relatively simple situations when a client is feeling overwhelmed or confused. In these moments, it’s tempting to intervene reactively and prescriptively. But often, what’s needed isn’t more intervention, it’s structure. This is where the Egan model, revisited here with a Client Centred approach can be really helpful…
As discussed on the Client Centred course, at its core, Egan’s three-stage model is a useful structure to maintain an open and constructive thinking process. When a client is overwhelmed, avoiding accountability, or over-relying on the consultant for direction, the Egan model is useful for identifying key issues and re-focusing with intent, dynamically, in the moment.
Stage 1: The Present, Exploration of “What’s Going On?”
This is where many consultants lose their footing — particularly when the client is highly emotive or disassociated. Your job is not to tidy or summarise, but to help the client see what is. Not what they should do, not what they hope to do, but what they are actually experiencing. The Catalytic style is key at this stage and as always it’s important to remain Catalytic rather than becoming leading or diagnostic as this can be counterproductive.
Stage 2: The Possibilities, “What Do I Want Instead?”
This stage is all about assisting clients in identifying desired outcomes but can often be misunderstood as ‘goal setting.’ It isn’t. This stage is all about a search for meaning and intentionality. Getting to the heart of the issue. What matters to the client, not to their stakeholders, their boss, or to you. This is where values surface, sometimes unintentionally, through what’s longed for or avoided. If you shortcut this stage, you’ll likely end up solving the wrong problem.
Stage 3: The Strategy & Implementation, “How Will I Get There?”
This stage is often where leaders feel most comfortable, at this stage consultants need to just remember to not fall back into prescriptive language or close the loop too quickly. After helping the client to search for ideas and explore possibilities, and then be able to identify the solutions they are most committed to and focus on how to implement this. If the earlier stages have been held rigorously, this stage becomes more generative. You’re not leading them to action, you’re helping them test reality and take ownership of their chosen next steps.
One way to spot where you are up to, is to notice whose language is dominating. If your voice is louder than theirs, chances are you’ve stepped out of Client Centred territory.
The Egan Model is a way to ensure the client stays in control of their own thinking and choices. When a conversation becomes stuck or strained, don’t feel the need to accelerate. Instead, slow down, and check: Where are we? Where have we skipped? And what’s needed now? That’s the practice.
Here’s the Client Centred: A PROCESS FOR PROBLEM SOLVING, developed from the work of Gerard Egan
