Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used |  | Author: Peter Block
Publisher: Pfeiffer
List Price: $52.00
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Seller: _beaglebooks_
Rating:  56 reviews
Sales Rank: 8909
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 2nd
Pages: 400
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 8.1 x 1.1
ISBN: 0787948039
Dewey Decimal Number: 001.02373
EAN: 9780787948030
ASIN: 0787948039
Publication Date: September 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
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
Product Description
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
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 56
 Excellent resource November 15, 2009
Soledad
Excellent book, excellent resource. It was recommended to me by a friend who has been consulting for some time, and it is written in a practical, cogent, and to-the-point style that presents topics in a manner allowing immediate assimilation of content.
If it had substantive advice on business development, it would be the only book one would ever need.
 Was not the edition I needed October 20, 2009
Terrie Bannister
I had searched by ISPN number and this book came up so I ordered it. Upon reciept of the book, I realized it was a very old edition and useless to me.
An Incredibly Engaging Book August 13, 2009
Brian R. Buck (Seattle, WA USA)
Peter Block's "Flawless Consulting Second Edition" is an outstanding book and I recommend it for anybody who is ever asked for advice. Consulting skills are not limited to people with a consultant title but anybody who helps others but has no authority over the outcome of their advice. Leaders, project managers, church elders, event planners, and many others will find benefit in this book.
I bought this book because I am an internal consultant. I had a coach challenge me to define my role as a consultant. I was not able to do so in a way that satisfied me. This book helped me tremendously to be purposeful in all of my consulting work.
Block defines the roles and needs for both consultant and client. He provides the thinking behind the business of each phase in consulting. The definition and encouragement of how to be authentic are very actionable. The book also highlights the differences between external and internal consulting.
Some stand out chapters cover:
* Contracting with a client (this is not just a formal & legal contract but a relationship contract)
* Understanding, recognizing, and dealing with resistance
* Obtaining data
* Engagement thinking and tools
"Flawless Consulting" has many elements consistent with Lean thinking such as whole system engagement, being a learning organization instead of only focusing on teaching, and moving away from just engineering to include the social side of change.
I really like the wide margins in the book to be able to write my notes and thoughts. A good sign that I get something from a book is the amount of pencil marks inside of it. Practically every other page has some notation from my pencil!
Flawless Consulting June 28, 2009
Trevilla Pl (Australia)
An easy to use guide on contracting with a client. This step by step guide is full of insights into where things can go wrong in the engagement process and gives strategies to put them right.
Complete and Well Written May 12, 2009
The Pilgrim (Seattle, WA)
Certainly useful for anyone currently consulting or considering entering the field. Also helpful for those who deal with cross functional groups, particularly project and program managers.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 56
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