„‚ CONDITIONS THAT HINDER EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Clarifying Goals and Strategies
In the second approach, contracting focuses on the client and the “problem.” This
approach asks four questions: (1) What are the client’s wants? (2) What is the client
willing to do to meet these wants? (3) What are the client’s criteria for success? (4)
What benefits does the client gain on completing the contract?
Determining the client’s wants involves a clarification of both the present situation
and future goals and objectives. The more specific and behavioral the terms of the
descriptions are, the easier it is to determine whether and to what extent they have been
met. Sometimes the client may feel totally lacking in goals or objectives. In this case the
first “want” in this first step may be to “determine goals.”
To find out what the client is willing to do to meet his or her wants involves
strategies and action plans. There may be many ways of moving from A to B, and part
of this step is weighing the various alternatives. Again, it is important that the answer to
this question be expressed in the most specific, behavioral, and measurable terms
possible.
Criteria for success are essential in order to evaluate results; and, in order to
determine whether the criteria have been satisfied and to what extent, the criteria must
be specific.
The question of benefits is linked to motivation. If the client completes the contract
successfully, what will that mean to him or her? Will the client think differently? act
differently? feel differently? have more income? Are these outcomes pleasing?
This approach, focusing on the client and the problem, can provide the facilitator
with a frame of reference. Although the questions are presented sequentially, they are
interrelated; and in practice the facilitator may experience a good deal of overlap. Both
the facilitator and the client also need to be aware that the contract may be recycled at
any time.
ADVANTAGES TO CONTRACTING
Contracting has advantages on many levels. First, within the contracting process, the
client’s integrity and autonomy are respected. The first approach emphasizes how
important it is for the facilitator and the client to “level” with each other. Both need to
reveal hidden agendas, and both are held responsible for their actions.
Second, and closely related, contracting may clarify the “helpee-helper” syndrome,
a relationship filled with pitfalls. The charismatic helper may leave the client floating on
a magic cloud but with no understanding for self-help when the cloud disappears. The
“helpless” client may seduce the facilitator into solving the problem and then discount
the solution with “Yes, but...” (Berne, 1964). Contracting avoids some of these pitfalls
by asking the parties to level with each other and to state expectations clearly.
The Pfeiffer Library Volume 6, 2nd Edition. Copyright ©1998 Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer ❚❘ 325