Consultation Draf

Welcome to your first course consultation

The goal of this next activity is to empower you, as an instructional designer, to position yourself as a trusted consultant and expert guide for FIU instructors. It's designed to help you share your expertise effectively, enabling better decision-making, fostering seamless collaboration, and skillfully addressing any resistance from instructors.

Let's dive in!

ESSENTIAL CONSULTATION SKILLS

Before meeting with our instructor, let’s break down some essential skills needed for a successful consultation. Click each shell below to learn more about these skills.

Launch Consultation

Professor mango montoya

Scenario Overview: You are hosting a consultation meeting to transition an in-person course, PHI 3638 Contemporary Ethical Issues, to an online format. Professor Profile: Professor Montoya is friendly, nurturing, but has past frustrations with online course adaptations. Background on Past Collaboration: Insights from a colleague who has worked with Professor Montoya noted that he valued technical expertise but remained quietly unsatisfied.

Continue Consultation

Part 1: Engage the Instructor Build rapport, set the tone, and introduce the purpose of the meeting.

Prof. mango montoya

Continue Consultation

Part 2: Understand the Instructor’s Needs Use open-ended questions to explore Montoya’s vision for the course, teaching preferences, and any concerns.

Prof. mango montoya

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Part 3: Influence the Outcome Suggest solutions that align with Montoya’s vision, emphasize shared goals, and make your suggestions approachable.

Prof. mango montoya

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Part 4: Set Action Steps Summarize the conversation, clarify responsibilities, and schedule a follow-up.

Prof. mango montoya

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Part 5: Manage Resistance Address Montoya’s concerns empathetically, acknowledge their point of view, and offer solutions.

Prof. mango montoya

Continue Consultation

Congratulations! You’ve completed your first course consultation!

Remember to apply these key skills in your next consultation to build stronger, more impactful partnerships with FIU instructors:

• Engage & Build Rapport: Set a positive tone to create a welcoming environment.

• Understand Instructor Needs: Listen actively to uncover goals, preferences, and potential challenges.
• Influence Outcomes: Align your expertise with the instructor’s vision to encourage shared goals.
• Set Action Steps: Summarize, clarify responsibilities, and schedule follow-ups to keep the project on track.
• Manage Resistance: Approach concerns with empathy, offering solutions to ensure a smooth collaboration.

Start over?

SET ACTION STEPS:

• Summarize conversation
• Share action items and expected delivery date for both you and instructor
• Book next meeting: state date, time and purpose/goal of meeting

ENGAGE THE INSTRUCTOR:

• Introduce self clearly and warmly / Establish initial rapport

• Set a clear agenda for the conversation
• Provide clear goals/purpose for the conversation – whenever possible, focus on benefit to instructor
• Check for agreement and/or additions

UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTOR:

• Frame questions to keep conversation on track and nurture trust
• Ask curious open-ended questions to understand instructor, their needs, and/or vision for the course
• When necessary, probe deeper to clarify understanding
• Active Listening (paraphrase, summarize, pick up and respond to clues/signals)

INFLUENCE OUTCOME AND DEMONSTRATE VALUE:

• Talk about options – connect them to the instructor’s needs
• Highlight common goals, interests, and mutual benefits
• Clearly state important parameters (objectives, timing, etc.)
• Invite instructor to share their thoughts

MANAGE RESISTANCE:

• Pause, listen, drop personal agenda
• Empathize/acknowledge the instructor’s point of view
• Ask open, probing questions to reveal all layers of objection/concern/resistance
• Respond to concern and appropriately strategize options
• Check for satisfaction/resolution