Element 3 of 10
Wondering instead of knowing
By “Wondering with, not acting upon,” the consultant elicits the consultee’s involvement in the process and properly preserves the sense of the consultee as the holder of essential information and knowledge and as the agent of change.Note 2
Key points
- By expressing interest through inquiry, instead of immediately offering advice, the consultant leaves room to consider the complexities of a situation and demonstrates that understanding is a process, not a moment.
- By creating space for curiosity, the consultant instills the idea that “not knowing” is not incompetence, but a position that precedes understanding.
- Through thinking together, the consultant permits the consultee the experience of participating in the solution, promoting confidence in her ability to effect change.
- In this manner the consultant is using inquiry as an intervention aimed at supporting and increasing reflective capacity.
Notes
- 2. Pawl, J. (1997). Personal communication with the author.
Source: Element text is reproduced from 10 Elements Comprise the Essential Core of an Effective Consultative Stance, Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (2025).