Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used
by Peter Block
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Book Summary Information
Author: Peter BlockEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1999-09
ISBN: 0787948039
Number of pages: 400
Publisher: Pfeiffer
Book Reviews of Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used
Book Review: Excellent. Easily my favorite Consulting/Project Management book.
Summary: 5 Stars
And it also one of my top 3 business problem solving books - and I've read a bunch of them.
I own and have read many books on management and project management, several on consulting specifically, and numerous books on problem solving and intelligence analysis. This is one of the few books I come back to, and it is definitely the one I come back to the most. It has the best information, it very well written, and it is a pleasure to read.
This book is the real deal. No silly platitudes or ideas, but a reality based approach and method. The issues in this book are the difference between success or failure as a consultant, and let me tell you a little secret......as a "manager" too.
This book assumes that you are already competent in your field of expertise. Beyond that, this is the stuff you won't learn in college or in most project management books, which emphasize "scheduling, monitoring and control" over commitment and cooperation, systems over people. Other books may tell you how important involvement, support and commitment are, but don't show you how to get it. I realize that Block makes a clear and proper distinction between consultant and manager, but I have worn both hats and can say without hesitation that an astute "manager" would find this book as valuable as a consultant.
Block gets at the heart of the matter. He deals with reality (people, politics, fear, resistance, etc.), not the ideal (whatever that may be), and he does this in a very positive manner. He tells you what to watch for, what it means, what is happening, how to respond. Some of his insights were truly eye opening; while others were things I knew, but not explicitly. Now I am consciously aware of them and use them more effectively. The questions and checklists he provides throughout the book are practically a book by themselves. They are very well designed and address the most important issues.
The few blas? reviews are most likely from people who are not actually in the position of a "consultant" as defined in this book. If you are not truly in this position, this book may appear a little too touchy-feely for your taste. If you work in a troubleshooting environment where the solution is usually a predetermined response to the diagnosis, this book will have limited value. However, if you work in an environment where you deal with organizational issues and problems that involve people and politics, this is the book you want.
I have seen perfectly capable and hard working engineers, contractors, consultants and managers go by the wayside because they were too aloof or did not understand their clients on the "affective" level. They thought their expertise alone would insure the acceptance of their ideas and secure their position with the client...it didn't.
I have stumbled into a few successes in my consulting career and can look back and see it is because I applied the concepts of this book - whether by design or accident. Conversely, I can also see some other situations where the application of these concepts would have been very useful.
Finally, this book is extremely well written and enjoyable to read. This is rare for many business and management books. He has an amazing way of getting to the root of every issue and expressing it in a most concise manner. Only on a few occasions does he use the jargon of the consulting profession, and even then it is perfectly appropriate. He does repeat some themes in this book, but he is showing you how and where those themes fit in with each step of the consulting process.
Again, this book is the real deal. He knows what he is talking about when it comes to organizations and the consulting process. There is no doubt you will be a much improved consultant or manager if you learn and apply the methods in the book.
Summary of Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used
The second edition of the "consultant's bible" is here!For over fifteen years, consultants--both internal and external--have relied on Peter Block's landmark bestseller, Flawless Consulting, to learn how to deal effectively with clients, peers, and others. Using illustrative examples, case studies, and exercises, the author, one of the most important and well known in his field, offers his legendary warmth and insight throughout this much-awaited second edition. Anyone who must communicate in a professional context--and who doesn't?--will use the lessons taught in this book for years to come!
"Who would have thought the 'consultant's bible' could be improved upon? Count on Peter Block--the consulting profession's very own revolutionary--to push us to confront and struggle with the paradoxes inherent in our work."
--Candace Thompson, organization development consultant, First Chicago NBD--A Bank One Company
"Block has distilled years of experience into a wise, down-to-earth, and eminently practical guide to excellence in consulting. If you are new to the practice, Flawless Consulting will chop years off your learning cycle. And even if you're an old pro, Block's insights will elevate you to new levels of effectiveness. Flawless Consulting is not simply about becoming a better consultant; it is about using consulting as a path toward becoming a better person."
--Barry Oshry, president, Power & Systems, Inc.; author of Seeing Systems and Leading Systems
The second edition of Peter Block's Flawless Consulting gracefully updates what many consider the best resource of its kind. New chapters on implementation, "whole-system" strategies, and ethics are included, but in general it simply fine-tunes Block's proven advice to match the transformations that business and society have undergone since initial publication two decades ago. "The days of long studies and expert-driven answers are passing," the author proclaims in his new preface. "The task of the consultant is increasingly to build the capacity of clients to make their own assessments and answer their own questions." He then subtly modifies his established recommendations accordingly for every step, from the initial client meeting and problem diagnosis through data collection and the execution of solutions. In the section on "Conducting a Group Feedback Meeting," for example, he advises: "Treat the group as a collection of individuals.... Ask each person what he or she wants from the meeting. This will surface differences and force the group to take responsibility for some of the difficulties that may arise." --Howard Rothman
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