ABSTRACT
Consultation in the social constructionist approach is not about solving problems once and for all, but about changing the way employees understand the construction of problems in the first place, and the way problems can be deconstructed and re-constructed through conversation. If the employees come to value this process, preparing for the future becomes an exercise in ensuring that essential conversations can take place to develop the necessary strategies and structures for the future. The social constructionist model suggests that an organization needs opportunities to continue essential conversations long after the consultant has left the field. One structure that clearly possesses the potential to maintain a social constructionist process is the staff meeting. This is one place where the organization is continually being constructed through conversation amongst its members. It can be very helpful, as part of a consultation, to review the different meetings that the staff participate in.
