Consultant and Critics on the Couch

Abstract

The process of situating the “client on the couch” also entails the seating of “consultant and critics on the couch” as they participate in a self-reflective and dialectical process. The author argues the importance of strategic use of the “toxicity” metaphor and the central role of an initially qualitative lens via corporate cases and narrative investigations into dark side, destructive behavior in companies. Central to the study of toxicity is the blending of micro and macro, as individual psychology and systemic company-wide perspectives are fused into consulting and coaching hybrids. The patience of an anthropologist is required for the consultant facing thick, textured cases of organizational and leadership toxicity, and similar emotional intelligence is depicted as essential for a bridging of both qualitative and metric-driven streams of consultation and research.