ABSTRACT
Organization development can be facilitated by a change agent, who could be internal or external to the organization and whose job title could be manager, human resources professional, or consultant. In practice, a change agent operates as a consultant to the organization and needs the knowledge, skills, and attitudes appropriate to the consultancy role. This chapter sets out the main ways consultants take up the role and describes some of the key organizational issues that must be addressed as part of that process. On the left-hand side of the continuum, the consultant is client-focused, working in a process consultancy style. Further along the continuum, the consultant is adding to the process by using specific structured methods and tools of investigation, but this could still take place in a collaborative fashion with a client focus. However, the consultant working exclusively to the right of the continuum is functioning as an expert consultant.
