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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
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
371 pages, Hardcover
First published January 14, 1987
589 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
September 1, 2014
Since Goodreads lost my old review while trying to upload it, I'll give you this. I think Block focuses a lot more on being blameless as a consultant than on being effective. I agree in principle with lots of what he says, but the overarching idea was the downfall of this book in my eyes. I can't stand the kind of advice that admonishes well-paid experts to constantly deny their responsibility for the outcomes of projects and to distribute the blame for their projects by coercing everyone in the organization to "participate" in discovery and design (thereby implying that the attendees agreed implicitly to the design of the project by not being vocal enough to shoot the project down).
It's not a bad book, but Block does not seem to be the style of writer that speaks my language. There a lot of positive reviews--maybe it's just me.
It's not a bad book, but Block does not seem to be the style of writer that speaks my language. There a lot of positive reviews--maybe it's just me.
January 26, 2015
A number of years ago, I found myself without a job for the first time in my adult life. At 40, this was scary until I woke up one morning, created a subchapter-S corporation and became a consultant. This book, along with others by Peter Block, was a significant help in getting started and having the confidence to persevere for two years independently. Now I'm a consultant in a big four firm and the things I learned from this book still ring true.
July 21, 2018
From the dust jacket: "Flawless Consulting affirms the notion that authentic behavior and personal relationships are the key to technical and business success." That's really the book in a nutshell. Not that that isn't a valuable insight. But you can save yourself a bunch of time by not reading the book, because the book mainly restates that premise over and over again using every combination of words the author could think of to say basically same thing.
The author makes the case that people are emotional creatures, and as a consultant, the best way to approach clients is to build relationships in order to build trust. And the author makes the complementary case that the wrong way to approach clients is to diagnose their problems rationally and explain to them what they need to change in order to be more successful. This is an important insight, and probably more true today than at any time since the beginning of the Enlightenment. If you successfully engage with the client at an emotional level, the client is less likely to view you with resistance.
But then the author undermines his premise with chapters on healthcare reform and education reform. Not that these systems don't need reform, but the author posits that Flawless Consulting is the answer to what ails these systems, and recounts a doctor and a high school teacher who claim to have used this book to reform their respective institutions. Color me skeptical. For one thing, the surgeon was apparently fired, because the healthcare system just wasn't ready for the greatness of Flawless Consulting. The teacher changed the paradigm to put the students in charge of their learning. "This is based on the reality that successful learning is random discovery." The teacher told the students, "If you are tired, take a nap." Tests are bad, because students become "performers" rather than "learners." In this model, the teacher doesn't teach, but is rather a consultant, and the student is a self-directed adventurer, encouraged to fail often, "since if the goal is learning, failure is a big way it happens." One hopes that none of these students are surgeons or engineers today.
These two chapters then cast the rest of the book in a different light. In an Enlightened world, the consultant would engage with clients in a rational, analytical way, diagnose their problems, and present solutions based on evidence and logic. The author makes the case that people are by and large too emotional for that. Better to focus on building relationships, and be authentic, and that's really all the consultant has to do. The client will then magically become successful. "The world will provide the events that will force movement. Life provides the disturbance. We do not have to induce change, drive it, or guide it. All we have to do is join it." The consultant doesn't need to teach or advise or be any kind of motive force. "It will be enough if we simply show up."
This manner of consultancy may work in, say, social services, but organizations that build bridges or airplanes might want to think hard before taking this leap of faith. It may be better to sum up the book this way. There are people in this world who are analytical thinkers, and can be approached in an analytical, rational way. Then there are people in this world who are emotional thinkers, and who need to be approached in an emotional, "authentic," relationship-based way. And there are many people in between who can be rational, but really only after engaging with them to build relationships first, and then approach them with rational thought and analysis only after trust has been established. Therefore, it's safer to start by approaching everyone in a relationship-based way first. Okay, fair enough.
In a way, it's an indictment of our educational system that people are apparently not taught to be approached in a rational way (as can be seen today on college campuses), but rather have to be coddled emotionally until a friendly relationship is established before a rational thought might be floated toward them. Which would indicate that real education reform might actually be the opposite of what the author is promoting in this book.
The author makes the case that people are emotional creatures, and as a consultant, the best way to approach clients is to build relationships in order to build trust. And the author makes the complementary case that the wrong way to approach clients is to diagnose their problems rationally and explain to them what they need to change in order to be more successful. This is an important insight, and probably more true today than at any time since the beginning of the Enlightenment. If you successfully engage with the client at an emotional level, the client is less likely to view you with resistance.
But then the author undermines his premise with chapters on healthcare reform and education reform. Not that these systems don't need reform, but the author posits that Flawless Consulting is the answer to what ails these systems, and recounts a doctor and a high school teacher who claim to have used this book to reform their respective institutions. Color me skeptical. For one thing, the surgeon was apparently fired, because the healthcare system just wasn't ready for the greatness of Flawless Consulting. The teacher changed the paradigm to put the students in charge of their learning. "This is based on the reality that successful learning is random discovery." The teacher told the students, "If you are tired, take a nap." Tests are bad, because students become "performers" rather than "learners." In this model, the teacher doesn't teach, but is rather a consultant, and the student is a self-directed adventurer, encouraged to fail often, "since if the goal is learning, failure is a big way it happens." One hopes that none of these students are surgeons or engineers today.
These two chapters then cast the rest of the book in a different light. In an Enlightened world, the consultant would engage with clients in a rational, analytical way, diagnose their problems, and present solutions based on evidence and logic. The author makes the case that people are by and large too emotional for that. Better to focus on building relationships, and be authentic, and that's really all the consultant has to do. The client will then magically become successful. "The world will provide the events that will force movement. Life provides the disturbance. We do not have to induce change, drive it, or guide it. All we have to do is join it." The consultant doesn't need to teach or advise or be any kind of motive force. "It will be enough if we simply show up."
This manner of consultancy may work in, say, social services, but organizations that build bridges or airplanes might want to think hard before taking this leap of faith. It may be better to sum up the book this way. There are people in this world who are analytical thinkers, and can be approached in an analytical, rational way. Then there are people in this world who are emotional thinkers, and who need to be approached in an emotional, "authentic," relationship-based way. And there are many people in between who can be rational, but really only after engaging with them to build relationships first, and then approach them with rational thought and analysis only after trust has been established. Therefore, it's safer to start by approaching everyone in a relationship-based way first. Okay, fair enough.
In a way, it's an indictment of our educational system that people are apparently not taught to be approached in a rational way (as can be seen today on college campuses), but rather have to be coddled emotionally until a friendly relationship is established before a rational thought might be floated toward them. Which would indicate that real education reform might actually be the opposite of what the author is promoting in this book.
February 2, 2018
This is an amazingly comprehensive "manual" to consulting. It covers techniques in detail while also discussing mindset and sharing recommendations.
The author's focus is on the process of consulting. The title is derived from this process view: If you followed the process, then you consulted flawlessly, regardless of the outcome. Therein lies a seed of humility: As consultants, we learn, advise, recommend, and encourage action - we do not have the power to guarantee outcomes.
For all the wisdom in the book, reading it is a bit of a hard slog. I wish the content was available on a platform like Udemy, Lynda or Coursera instead, preferably with exercises included.
The author's focus is on the process of consulting. The title is derived from this process view: If you followed the process, then you consulted flawlessly, regardless of the outcome. Therein lies a seed of humility: As consultants, we learn, advise, recommend, and encourage action - we do not have the power to guarantee outcomes.
For all the wisdom in the book, reading it is a bit of a hard slog. I wish the content was available on a platform like Udemy, Lynda or Coursera instead, preferably with exercises included.
October 3, 2017
I wish I could give this book five stars--is has that much good content. But it's so formal in style that it reads like a textbook. It's a really, really good textbook, though. If you're someone who helps other people solve problems, whether a traditional consultant or a coach, a teacher or even a leader, then this book has rich insights for you. Be patient and read slowly. Each paragraph has as much content as some chapters do in other books. It will be worth it.
February 17, 2020
It is a textbook. However, great book to read for understanding the people within organizations. Recognizing the barriers to success include allowing the tension to build within a conversation to the point of uncomfortable. Then guiding people through the tension with recognition of each silos perspective towards a new balancing point in the dichotomy of leadership and power within an organization is productive.
Or the alternative is watching a few of sharks fight it out while tearing the place, the people, and the clients to shreds with immature playground bullying tactics while a bunch of people duck for cover.
Or the alternative is watching a few of sharks fight it out while tearing the place, the people, and the clients to shreds with immature playground bullying tactics while a bunch of people duck for cover.
October 18, 2019
Great book for looking at authentic side of consulting. It contains philosophy with grounding why suggested way of consulting should work based on author experience. Also it contains process in which to conduct consulting that would be both professional and authentic. As my lecturer in a university commented - "a consulting in a humane way". Currently I use this book as a guide to establish my own consulting practice and it sure helps for important things not to slip through my fingers in times of rush or stress.
February 11, 2022
This book resonated with me and challenged me at the same time. I found many ideas I could apply immediately. I have shared so many of its nuggets of wisdom with others as I have been reading it. It is also evident how her thinking had changed over time and which content is new as part of the second edition.
April 1, 2017
Read it for work. Decent, relevant to the work we are doing, but not life changing.
November 29, 2021
'Flawless Consulting' is the kind of nuts-and-bolts guide every consultant needs to improve every aspect of the process, from scoping the problem to following through months after conclusion.
As a listening experience, it's fine: the narrator is clear and easy to understand, and I was able to listen to this book at around a 2.5x pace. However, this book is meant to be read, to be marked up and tabbed, to be referenced again and again. For those interested in the subject matter, I recommend purchasing the physical edition of this book.
As a listening experience, it's fine: the narrator is clear and easy to understand, and I was able to listen to this book at around a 2.5x pace. However, this book is meant to be read, to be marked up and tabbed, to be referenced again and again. For those interested in the subject matter, I recommend purchasing the physical edition of this book.
November 18, 2017
Tokia nuobodi, kad net nebaigiau skaityti :/
February 9, 2019
I picked up a public policy capstone class to teach this semester and this book was suggested for the students, who are doing consulting projects for government entities (cities, counties, state agencies, etc.). It's fine book, has good basic material and a website for checklists. My primary concern is it is way too expensive (over $60 for a hardcover) for pretty basic information. There isn't anything here you couldn't find elsewhere online.
April 15, 2011
I have to admit that I really liked Peter Block's "Flawless Consulting". This book was originally written in 1978, and then revised in 1998. I expected the book to be dated and irrelevant, but it wasn't. The concepts that Block wrote about many years ago are still very much applicable today.
Having been a consultant for 6 years, I especially liked this book because it focuses on the style of consulting I like (or rather liked!) to do -- improving the capability of the client to find and implement his/her own solutions. I was especially impressed by the emphasis Block places on how to establish a relationship with the client, as well as defining the assignment. Consultants love to define assignments, but often don't give much thought to the relationship.
The book is also well balanced between the needs of those who are internal consultants as well as external consultants/experts.
A great strength of the book is that there are extensive examples of the same issue so that you can get a good perspective, even if you don't yet have much experience as a consultant. So it is a terrific book for those who are new to consulting. For those of us who have had consulting experience, there is still a lot to learn. The questions and checklists Block provides throughout the book are practically a book by themselves. They are very well designed and address the most important issues. What I especially found useful were the extensive list of ways to diagnose what may be going wrong when the client asks questions or is inactive. I found even more useful the many ingenious responses to those situations that had never occurred to me. 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.
Block strikes a perfect balance between theory and execution. In fact, there is a lot of both. He backs up his theories with flowcharts, checklists, and even cartoons.
This book is the real deal. Block clearly 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. Truly a classic, and a "must have" for anyone who consults, or who hires consultants.
Having been a consultant for 6 years, I especially liked this book because it focuses on the style of consulting I like (or rather liked!) to do -- improving the capability of the client to find and implement his/her own solutions. I was especially impressed by the emphasis Block places on how to establish a relationship with the client, as well as defining the assignment. Consultants love to define assignments, but often don't give much thought to the relationship.
The book is also well balanced between the needs of those who are internal consultants as well as external consultants/experts.
A great strength of the book is that there are extensive examples of the same issue so that you can get a good perspective, even if you don't yet have much experience as a consultant. So it is a terrific book for those who are new to consulting. For those of us who have had consulting experience, there is still a lot to learn. The questions and checklists Block provides throughout the book are practically a book by themselves. They are very well designed and address the most important issues. What I especially found useful were the extensive list of ways to diagnose what may be going wrong when the client asks questions or is inactive. I found even more useful the many ingenious responses to those situations that had never occurred to me. 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.
Block strikes a perfect balance between theory and execution. In fact, there is a lot of both. He backs up his theories with flowcharts, checklists, and even cartoons.
This book is the real deal. Block clearly 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. Truly a classic, and a "must have" for anyone who consults, or who hires consultants.
June 22, 2013
So far so good, and I think this book is written for professionals who already have competencies for working with people in consulting. I also think if you want to read this book keep in mind this book has a companion book too! The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook & Companion A Guide To Understanding Your Expertise. Peter Block, who has focused attention on consulting skills, empowerment processes, and reclaiming our individuality.
As these books will guide a professional to know all the stages and adhere stictly to them to be successful as a consultant. You will be able to assess your own abilities to these competencies even as a beginner. It does take time to become an expert in the field, but it will be worth knowing that you can help others help themselves.
I just finished this book and found that it is a very good approach for consulting, but I also found a better author for consulting Schein. I will give a review but compared to both it is the approach that counts when dealing with clients.
The six steps in Blocks book are closely related to Schein's, after all there are basics to consulting or even coaching.
The consultants goals are:
Goal one:
Establish A collaborative relationship/ Contract /or not to take the work if one does not have the competencies. Block calls Entry and Contracting
Goal two:
Solving Problems so they stayed solved; Block calls Discovery and Dialogue
Goal three:
Two elements; technical/business in how people react around the problem; Block calls Analysis and the Decision to Act
Goal four:
Staging the client's involvement, step by step; Block calls Engagement and Implementation
Goal five:
Completing (feedback) the requirements of each stage; continue with process plan; Block calls this last step Extension, Recycle, or Termination.
If a consultant fails at one of these steps (Schein agrees) then the client will lose confidence and trust. Also, failure brings not being authentic it is a lot better to turn down the work if there are no competencies. If one does continue on then the chances are you will either be asked to leave, never will have the chance for future projects (this is the heart of consulting to return to the same clients) this build rapport and leads to other work.
As these books will guide a professional to know all the stages and adhere stictly to them to be successful as a consultant. You will be able to assess your own abilities to these competencies even as a beginner. It does take time to become an expert in the field, but it will be worth knowing that you can help others help themselves.
I just finished this book and found that it is a very good approach for consulting, but I also found a better author for consulting Schein. I will give a review but compared to both it is the approach that counts when dealing with clients.
The six steps in Blocks book are closely related to Schein's, after all there are basics to consulting or even coaching.
The consultants goals are:
Goal one:
Establish A collaborative relationship/ Contract /or not to take the work if one does not have the competencies. Block calls Entry and Contracting
Goal two:
Solving Problems so they stayed solved; Block calls Discovery and Dialogue
Goal three:
Two elements; technical/business in how people react around the problem; Block calls Analysis and the Decision to Act
Goal four:
Staging the client's involvement, step by step; Block calls Engagement and Implementation
Goal five:
Completing (feedback) the requirements of each stage; continue with process plan; Block calls this last step Extension, Recycle, or Termination.
If a consultant fails at one of these steps (Schein agrees) then the client will lose confidence and trust. Also, failure brings not being authentic it is a lot better to turn down the work if there are no competencies. If one does continue on then the chances are you will either be asked to leave, never will have the chance for future projects (this is the heart of consulting to return to the same clients) this build rapport and leads to other work.
July 30, 2023
There is a summary of all recommended steps in the appendix. Read those 15 pages and you will understand the book. I've been consulting for over a decade, and this book barely scratches the surface of successful consulting in one small area of consulting. It doesn't talk about things like scoping, estimation, change orders, expectation, mismatch after alignment, and dealing with projects that are over budget or behind schedule. Well there are valuable lessons in this book, it wasn't very groundbreaking.
January 28, 2016
Tremendous foundation of experience, but oddly longwinded and rather boring to read cover to cover. Probably much better to have listened to a lecture series by the author. True value probably first to appear when used as point of reference
April 12, 2019
A dry read for me
This book I found a little dry. It was hard for me to stick with it. But like every book there was value. Insights I had not thought of and refection on my one exprrence and ways to do things differently.
This book I found a little dry. It was hard for me to stick with it. But like every book there was value. Insights I had not thought of and refection on my one exprrence and ways to do things differently.
Read
July 28, 2014If you're already an experienced consultant I'm not sure how useful it would be, but it is a great overview/introduction to the field (and free of "execuspeak").
January 22, 2022
If there is one thing I will take away from this book, it is this: when your passionate ideas are not getting accepted or when you have difficulties convincing or selling, just take a step back, let go your passions and emotions and think: If I were an external consultant instead of an employee or a team member, what would I do?
Considered one of the best books on consulting, I recommend it as a read for all professionals aspiring to be freelance consultants, or working in organizations in advisory roles. While the first edition was written in 1980s, the third edition from 2010 has been significantly updated to reflect latest realities - including that today's consultants increasingly have to work virtually, as compared to physically in the past which limits their scope of understanding and influence.
To begin with, Peter Block defines the consultant: It's someone who doesn't have accountability for an outcome. This person has responsibility for advising or recommending solutions to problems, but not for the implementation of the solutions. So a consultant could be a freelancer working for a company, an employee of a consulting company assigned to a client, or an internal consultant of a company working for another department within the same company. The principles are more or less the same. But in that sense a consultant is also not an external to whom the job has been simply outsourced for implementation.
The author then goes on to define the various phases of consulting and the best practices for each phase. Initially, it comes across as a simple valuable checklist, which anyone with good project management skills would be able to follow. In the second half of the book, Peter Block goes into the implementation of the solutions. And here's where the narrative transforms into thought provoking insights. He says that even the best solutions struggle to get implemented because they fail to get the buy-in of the people who are actually supposed to carry out or benefit from the change. And that's why it's important to include the employees affected by the change right from the start, choose the effective over the right, adopt a mindset of learning over teaching, and focus on utilizing strengths over correcting weaknesses. He also provides a couple of real life examples from the areas of healthcare and education where drastic change was achieved. To explain his point, he takes teaching at schools as a consulting exercise which is most difficult, because, the world of teachers is very different from the world of pupils/children etc.
Value for time is good - there are lot of new insights and perspectives. Structure of the chapters is is also good, as the book is sequenced along the various phases of the consulting process. Ease of reading is not the smoothest - editing, usage of words and phrases could have been much better. Sometimes I had to read certain sentences again and again, to understand what was being said. That's the only reason I would take a star back from my final rating.
To summarize, I believe everyone will benefit something out of this, you won't regret the time investment and will come out wiser.
Considered one of the best books on consulting, I recommend it as a read for all professionals aspiring to be freelance consultants, or working in organizations in advisory roles. While the first edition was written in 1980s, the third edition from 2010 has been significantly updated to reflect latest realities - including that today's consultants increasingly have to work virtually, as compared to physically in the past which limits their scope of understanding and influence.
To begin with, Peter Block defines the consultant: It's someone who doesn't have accountability for an outcome. This person has responsibility for advising or recommending solutions to problems, but not for the implementation of the solutions. So a consultant could be a freelancer working for a company, an employee of a consulting company assigned to a client, or an internal consultant of a company working for another department within the same company. The principles are more or less the same. But in that sense a consultant is also not an external to whom the job has been simply outsourced for implementation.
The author then goes on to define the various phases of consulting and the best practices for each phase. Initially, it comes across as a simple valuable checklist, which anyone with good project management skills would be able to follow. In the second half of the book, Peter Block goes into the implementation of the solutions. And here's where the narrative transforms into thought provoking insights. He says that even the best solutions struggle to get implemented because they fail to get the buy-in of the people who are actually supposed to carry out or benefit from the change. And that's why it's important to include the employees affected by the change right from the start, choose the effective over the right, adopt a mindset of learning over teaching, and focus on utilizing strengths over correcting weaknesses. He also provides a couple of real life examples from the areas of healthcare and education where drastic change was achieved. To explain his point, he takes teaching at schools as a consulting exercise which is most difficult, because, the world of teachers is very different from the world of pupils/children etc.
Value for time is good - there are lot of new insights and perspectives. Structure of the chapters is is also good, as the book is sequenced along the various phases of the consulting process. Ease of reading is not the smoothest - editing, usage of words and phrases could have been much better. Sometimes I had to read certain sentences again and again, to understand what was being said. That's the only reason I would take a star back from my final rating.
To summarize, I believe everyone will benefit something out of this, you won't regret the time investment and will come out wiser.
January 22, 2022
If there is one thing I will take away from this book, it is this: when your passionate ideas are not getting accepted or when you have difficulties convincing or selling, just take a step back, let go your passions and emotions and think: If I were an external consultant instead of an employee or a team member, what would I do?
Considered one of the best books on consulting, I recommend it as a read for all professionals aspiring to be freelance consultants, or working in organizations in advisory roles. While the first edition was written in 1980s, the third edition from 2010 has been significantly updated to reflect latest realities - including that today's consultants increasingly have to work virtually, as compared to physically in the past which limits their scope of understanding and influence.
To begin with, Peter Block defines the consultant: It's someone who doesn't have accountability for an outcome. This person has responsibility for advising or recommending solutions to problems, but not for the implementation of the solutions. So a consultant could be a freelancer working for a company, an employee of a consulting company assigned to a client, or an internal consultant of a company working for another department within the same company. The principles are more or less the same. But in that sense a consultant is also not an external to whom the job has been simply outsourced for implementation.
The author then goes on to define the various phases of consulting and the best practices for each phase. Initially, it comes across as a simple valuable checklist, which anyone with good project management skills would be able to follow. In the second half of the book, Peter Block goes into the implementation of the solutions. And here's where the narrative transforms into thought provoking insights. He says that even the best solutions struggle to get implemented because they fail to get the buy-in of the people who are actually supposed to carry out or benefit from the change. And that's why it's important to include the employees affected by the change right from the start, choose the effective over the right, adopt a mindset of learning over teaching, and focus on utilizing strengths over correcting weaknesses. He also provides a couple of real life examples from the areas of healthcare and education where drastic change was achieved. To explain his point, he takes teaching at schools as a consulting exercise which is most difficult, because, the world of teachers is very different from the world of pupils/children etc.
Value for time is good - there are lot of new insights and perspectives. Structure of the chapters is is also good, as the book is sequenced along the various phases of the consulting process. Ease of reading is not the smoothest - editing, usage of words and phrases could have been much better. Sometimes I had to read certain sentences again and again, to understand what was being said. That's the only reason I would take a star back from my final rating.
To summarize, I believe everyone will benefit something out of this, you won't regret the time investment and will come out wiser.
Considered one of the best books on consulting, I recommend it as a read for all professionals aspiring to be freelance consultants, or working in organizations in advisory roles. While the first edition was written in 1980s, the third edition from 2010 has been significantly updated to reflect latest realities - including that today's consultants increasingly have to work virtually, as compared to physically in the past which limits their scope of understanding and influence.
To begin with, Peter Block defines the consultant: It's someone who doesn't have accountability for an outcome. This person has responsibility for advising or recommending solutions to problems, but not for the implementation of the solutions. So a consultant could be a freelancer working for a company, an employee of a consulting company assigned to a client, or an internal consultant of a company working for another department within the same company. The principles are more or less the same. But in that sense a consultant is also not an external to whom the job has been simply outsourced for implementation.
The author then goes on to define the various phases of consulting and the best practices for each phase. Initially, it comes across as a simple valuable checklist, which anyone with good project management skills would be able to follow. In the second half of the book, Peter Block goes into the implementation of the solutions. And here's where the narrative transforms into thought provoking insights. He says that even the best solutions struggle to get implemented because they fail to get the buy-in of the people who are actually supposed to carry out or benefit from the change. And that's why it's important to include the employees affected by the change right from the start, choose the effective over the right, adopt a mindset of learning over teaching, and focus on utilizing strengths over correcting weaknesses. He also provides a couple of real life examples from the areas of healthcare and education where drastic change was achieved. To explain his point, he takes teaching at schools as a consulting exercise which is most difficult, because, the world of teachers is very different from the world of pupils/children etc.
Value for time is good - there are lot of new insights and perspectives. Structure of the chapters is is also good, as the book is sequenced along the various phases of the consulting process. Ease of reading is not the smoothest - editing, usage of words and phrases could have been much better. Sometimes I had to read certain sentences again and again, to understand what was being said. That's the only reason I would take a star back from my final rating.
To summarize, I believe everyone will benefit something out of this, you won't regret the time investment and will come out wiser.
did-not-finish
November 8, 2023Did not finish - read the appendix and it gave me essentially everything I needed to know from the book (plus read a few pages here and there when I wanted to know more).
Unfortunately this book is about consulting for huge organizations, and I was looking for a book that would apply more to smaller consulting.
CHECKLISTS AT END OF BOOK: NOTES
"A consultant is a person who is trying to have some influence over a group/organization but has no direct power to make changes or implement programs." (344)
5 phases
1. entry & contracting
2. discovery & dialogue
3. feedback & the decision to act
4. engagement & implementation
5. extension, recycle or termination
Implementing a Solution
Step 1. Defining the initial problem
Step 2. Deciding to proceed with the project
Step 3-4. Selecting dimensions to be studied/who will be involved
Step 5. Selecting the method
Step 6-9. Data collection, funneling, summary and analysis
Step 10. Feedback of results
Step 11. Making recommendations
Step 12. Decision on actions (345)
Contracting Skills
"A contract is an explicit agreement of what the consultant and client expect from each other and how they are going to work together." (347)
Contracts should include:
1. Boundaries of your analysis
2. Objectives of the project
3. The kind of information you seek
4. Your role in the project
5. The product you will deliver
6. What support/involvement you need from the client
7. Time schedule
8. Confidentiality agreement
9. Provision for feedback to you later (-349)
Other important notes
"The responsibility for every relationship is 50/50. There are two sides to every story. There must be symmetry or the relationship will collapse." (350).
To deal with resistance...
"Identify when resistance is taking place, view resistance as a natural process and a sign you are on target, support the client in expressing resistance directly, and not take the expression of the resistance personally or as an attack on you or your competence" (360).
To create an ethical practice, remember...
"Say no as often as you say yes; stay true to your own worth; grow on your own terms; operate as if everyone counts; leave it all behind; forgive" (366).
Genuine care for the client
"Choose learning over teaching
See learning as a social adventure
Know the struggle is the solution
See the question as more important than the answer
Mine moments of tension for insight
Focus on strengths rather than deficiencies
Take responsibility for one another's learning
Let each moment be an example of the destination
Include ourselves as learners
Be authentic" (367)
Unfortunately this book is about consulting for huge organizations, and I was looking for a book that would apply more to smaller consulting.
CHECKLISTS AT END OF BOOK: NOTES
"A consultant is a person who is trying to have some influence over a group/organization but has no direct power to make changes or implement programs." (344)
5 phases
1. entry & contracting
2. discovery & dialogue
3. feedback & the decision to act
4. engagement & implementation
5. extension, recycle or termination
Implementing a Solution
Step 1. Defining the initial problem
Step 2. Deciding to proceed with the project
Step 3-4. Selecting dimensions to be studied/who will be involved
Step 5. Selecting the method
Step 6-9. Data collection, funneling, summary and analysis
Step 10. Feedback of results
Step 11. Making recommendations
Step 12. Decision on actions (345)
Contracting Skills
"A contract is an explicit agreement of what the consultant and client expect from each other and how they are going to work together." (347)
Contracts should include:
1. Boundaries of your analysis
2. Objectives of the project
3. The kind of information you seek
4. Your role in the project
5. The product you will deliver
6. What support/involvement you need from the client
7. Time schedule
8. Confidentiality agreement
9. Provision for feedback to you later (-349)
Other important notes
"The responsibility for every relationship is 50/50. There are two sides to every story. There must be symmetry or the relationship will collapse." (350).
To deal with resistance...
"Identify when resistance is taking place, view resistance as a natural process and a sign you are on target, support the client in expressing resistance directly, and not take the expression of the resistance personally or as an attack on you or your competence" (360).
To create an ethical practice, remember...
"Say no as often as you say yes; stay true to your own worth; grow on your own terms; operate as if everyone counts; leave it all behind; forgive" (366).
Genuine care for the client
"Choose learning over teaching
See learning as a social adventure
Know the struggle is the solution
See the question as more important than the answer
Mine moments of tension for insight
Focus on strengths rather than deficiencies
Take responsibility for one another's learning
Let each moment be an example of the destination
Include ourselves as learners
Be authentic" (367)
September 5, 2025
Phase 1. Contracting (Set expectations upfront)
Goal: Clarify scope, roles, deliverables, and success measures.
Questions to ask the client:
- “What are your goals?”
- “What results do you expect?”
- “What’s my role vs. your role?”
- “Who makes the final decisions?”
- “How will success be measured?”
If this step is skipped → Misalignment, scope creep, and broken trust.
Phase 2. Discovery & Dialogue (Understand the real problem)
Ask open-ended, diagnostic questions.
Listen deeply — sometimes the stated problem isn’t the real problem.
Collect data, but also read the room: culture, dynamics, resistance.
Example:
Client says: “We need better sales training.”
→ You discover the real issue is misaligned incentives, not lack of skill.
Phase 3. Feedback & Recommendations (Tell the truth gently)
Present findings honestly, clearly, and without blame.
Avoid jargon; speak the client’s language.
Instead of dumping solutions, invite co-creation:
“Here’s what we’re seeing. Does this resonate with your experience?”
Phase 4. Decision to Act (Get buy-in)
Agree on what to do and who does what.
Confirm next steps and accountabilities.
Avoid being the one owning everything — client involvement is key.
Phase 5. Implementation & Follow-Up (Help them succeed)
Support the client but don’t take over.
Coach them through resistance.
Evaluate results together and extract lessons for the future.
4. Handling Resistance
Clients always resist — consciously or unconsciously.
Types of resistance:
Content resistance → “I don’t agree with your solution.”
Process resistance → “I don’t like how we’re doing this.”
Emotional resistance → Fear, doubt, or loss of control.
How to manage it:
Stay curious, not defensive.
Acknowledge emotions openly:
“I sense some hesitation — what’s behind that?”
Involve the client early so they feel ownership, not compliance.
5. Building Trust with Clients
The book emphasizes that trust is more valuable than expertise.
You build trust when you:
Be authentic → Say what you mean, respectfully.
Be transparent → Share limitations and assumptions.
Be collaborative → Avoid acting like a “know-it-all.”
Show empathy → Understand their pressures and fears.
Without trust, your advice won’t be used — no matter how good it is.
Goal: Clarify scope, roles, deliverables, and success measures.
Questions to ask the client:
- “What are your goals?”
- “What results do you expect?”
- “What’s my role vs. your role?”
- “Who makes the final decisions?”
- “How will success be measured?”
If this step is skipped → Misalignment, scope creep, and broken trust.
Phase 2. Discovery & Dialogue (Understand the real problem)
Ask open-ended, diagnostic questions.
Listen deeply — sometimes the stated problem isn’t the real problem.
Collect data, but also read the room: culture, dynamics, resistance.
Example:
Client says: “We need better sales training.”
→ You discover the real issue is misaligned incentives, not lack of skill.
Phase 3. Feedback & Recommendations (Tell the truth gently)
Present findings honestly, clearly, and without blame.
Avoid jargon; speak the client’s language.
Instead of dumping solutions, invite co-creation:
“Here’s what we’re seeing. Does this resonate with your experience?”
Phase 4. Decision to Act (Get buy-in)
Agree on what to do and who does what.
Confirm next steps and accountabilities.
Avoid being the one owning everything — client involvement is key.
Phase 5. Implementation & Follow-Up (Help them succeed)
Support the client but don’t take over.
Coach them through resistance.
Evaluate results together and extract lessons for the future.
4. Handling Resistance
Clients always resist — consciously or unconsciously.
Types of resistance:
Content resistance → “I don’t agree with your solution.”
Process resistance → “I don’t like how we’re doing this.”
Emotional resistance → Fear, doubt, or loss of control.
How to manage it:
Stay curious, not defensive.
Acknowledge emotions openly:
“I sense some hesitation — what’s behind that?”
Involve the client early so they feel ownership, not compliance.
5. Building Trust with Clients
The book emphasizes that trust is more valuable than expertise.
You build trust when you:
Be authentic → Say what you mean, respectfully.
Be transparent → Share limitations and assumptions.
Be collaborative → Avoid acting like a “know-it-all.”
Show empathy → Understand their pressures and fears.
Without trust, your advice won’t be used — no matter how good it is.
January 28, 2018
Good primer on consulative process with an easy to consume / beginner 5 step process
-When having a consultative meeting you need to pay equal parts focus on the content of the meeting and the emotional side of the meeting
-Foster a collaborative relationship with a client
-Give equal waiting to the business challenge as well as to the people/relationship challenge
-The goal of a collaborative engagement is the transfer of the knowledge to the client
-It's not entirely up to the client to define the problem statement
-Always remember to be 50/50 have the clients participate in the discovery as well as go over the results
-Have the client help you organize the data
-Have client co-present findings and ensure that you're involved in the meeting where they make the decisions on next steps and executing the strategy
-review his 12 step process on website
-Always ask yourself two questions am I being authentic and am I contributing to the outcome for this phase of the project
-Authentic means providing short direct questions and feedback
-Reporting back personal organizational data can be a real value to the buyer of your service because they can't obtain it on their own
-Data captured from Discovery should be actionable otherwise it's not worth anything
-In the feedback meeting you must have participation and try to bring forward any difficult discussions in the meeting this builds Trust
-The contract should be brief and almost conversational in nature
-Contract will include the problem statement and desired outcomes are working towards
-You can solve their problem or you can create a new possibility for the client
-You can also help them solve the problem themselves which is a more involved solution as well as helping them deal with internal Personnel complications
-Contract must include the types of information you seek
-The purpose of understanding people's attitudes you need to have a list of who will be interviewed
-Explain what contribution they're going to be making along the way
-You must detail what the exact deliverable is going to be such as a written report versus an oral presentation and the generation or size
-Include dates such as start date any Milestone dates and conclusion date
-Include a list of who the report you will be provided to from you and then it is up to them to distribute it the way they want after work
-he has a checklist for contracting on his website
-At the first meeting to build rapport instead of making small talk make personal observations about how you feel about this meeting
-The original meeting mention your comfort level with this type of problem in short simple statements
-Ask them about any particular constraints on how the project will unfold
-When outlining your wants break them into categories of essential and desirable
-When you encounter resistance name the resistance and then wait let the client address it
-When you encounter resistance talk about how you feel about it the client will often look at this and give you their input as to why it is and emotionally you're being authentic
-Answer a question in good faith twice the third time it's asked you should assume its resistance and address it
-There are two ways to address Discovery one is to diagnose the problem the other one is to identify strengths and what's working so that you can accentuate them
-Often Consultants can provide great value by commenting on how the organization is currently handling the problem and how they can better handle the problem
-During Discovery ask people about their objectives as well as where they get support from and how they interact with other groups
-Ask people about their attitude towards having a consultant brought in to help with this
-When presenting observations and findings be factual and observative
-Use language that is brief and descriptive for examples
-He has detailed timeline for the meeting of presentation of findings
-Halfway through the meeting ask if they're getting what they want
-When having a consultative meeting you need to pay equal parts focus on the content of the meeting and the emotional side of the meeting
-Foster a collaborative relationship with a client
-Give equal waiting to the business challenge as well as to the people/relationship challenge
-The goal of a collaborative engagement is the transfer of the knowledge to the client
-It's not entirely up to the client to define the problem statement
-Always remember to be 50/50 have the clients participate in the discovery as well as go over the results
-Have the client help you organize the data
-Have client co-present findings and ensure that you're involved in the meeting where they make the decisions on next steps and executing the strategy
-review his 12 step process on website
-Always ask yourself two questions am I being authentic and am I contributing to the outcome for this phase of the project
-Authentic means providing short direct questions and feedback
-Reporting back personal organizational data can be a real value to the buyer of your service because they can't obtain it on their own
-Data captured from Discovery should be actionable otherwise it's not worth anything
-In the feedback meeting you must have participation and try to bring forward any difficult discussions in the meeting this builds Trust
-The contract should be brief and almost conversational in nature
-Contract will include the problem statement and desired outcomes are working towards
-You can solve their problem or you can create a new possibility for the client
-You can also help them solve the problem themselves which is a more involved solution as well as helping them deal with internal Personnel complications
-Contract must include the types of information you seek
-The purpose of understanding people's attitudes you need to have a list of who will be interviewed
-Explain what contribution they're going to be making along the way
-You must detail what the exact deliverable is going to be such as a written report versus an oral presentation and the generation or size
-Include dates such as start date any Milestone dates and conclusion date
-Include a list of who the report you will be provided to from you and then it is up to them to distribute it the way they want after work
-he has a checklist for contracting on his website
-At the first meeting to build rapport instead of making small talk make personal observations about how you feel about this meeting
-The original meeting mention your comfort level with this type of problem in short simple statements
-Ask them about any particular constraints on how the project will unfold
-When outlining your wants break them into categories of essential and desirable
-When you encounter resistance name the resistance and then wait let the client address it
-When you encounter resistance talk about how you feel about it the client will often look at this and give you their input as to why it is and emotionally you're being authentic
-Answer a question in good faith twice the third time it's asked you should assume its resistance and address it
-There are two ways to address Discovery one is to diagnose the problem the other one is to identify strengths and what's working so that you can accentuate them
-Often Consultants can provide great value by commenting on how the organization is currently handling the problem and how they can better handle the problem
-During Discovery ask people about their objectives as well as where they get support from and how they interact with other groups
-Ask people about their attitude towards having a consultant brought in to help with this
-When presenting observations and findings be factual and observative
-Use language that is brief and descriptive for examples
-He has detailed timeline for the meeting of presentation of findings
-Halfway through the meeting ask if they're getting what they want
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2019
I resonated very well with a lot of what Peter Block talks about. In the first few pages, I have already begun to enjoy how he addresses the problem of clients asking for surrogates - us consultants doing the job of the client instead of doing what we're supposed to do - consulting.
His points on making sure we consultants are aware of our own needs as well as our clients was also very valid. Very often we consultants neglect our own needs for more information, for more commitment, for more control and just do what we can to "manage" the project outcomes.
He later goes on to talk a lot about being authentic. Something I again found very interesting because I have seldom managed to observe this while working in this industry. More often than now, everyone has their own agendas, holding information from each other and trying to navigate the project away from appearing negative. There's a lot of taboo topics that are avoided in conversations and few are authentic about what they are trying to achieve out of the project. For those who are authentic, they get shot down for speaking the truth or "opening a can of worms".
The whole book has been very practical and gives step-by-step guidance on what to think about during each step of the consulting phases. I can't wait to start on his consulting fieldbook.
His points on making sure we consultants are aware of our own needs as well as our clients was also very valid. Very often we consultants neglect our own needs for more information, for more commitment, for more control and just do what we can to "manage" the project outcomes.
He later goes on to talk a lot about being authentic. Something I again found very interesting because I have seldom managed to observe this while working in this industry. More often than now, everyone has their own agendas, holding information from each other and trying to navigate the project away from appearing negative. There's a lot of taboo topics that are avoided in conversations and few are authentic about what they are trying to achieve out of the project. For those who are authentic, they get shot down for speaking the truth or "opening a can of worms".
The whole book has been very practical and gives step-by-step guidance on what to think about during each step of the consulting phases. I can't wait to start on his consulting fieldbook.
July 25, 2019
This book was remarkably timely for me, and I believe it is an essential read for anyone who consults or otherwise offers counsel/advice. Peter Block put into words some hard lessons I've learned over the years: "A major objective of every consultation is to encourage you to focus on and value the affective, or interpersonal, aspect of the relationship you have with the client" (p. 14). For some, this may come naturally (and likely to a fault). Some professionals are so focused on the interpersonal end of work that they neglect true problems and fall short of providing effective, lasting solutions. I fall on the other end of the spectrum - I am often so focused on the true problems and long-term solutions that I neglect the interpersonal side of things. Flawless Consulting offers fantastic insight into how to prioritize the people and politics when offering the very best to the client. I will likely read this again, which is highly uncommon for me.
5-Star: Everyone should read this.
4-Star: Everyone in this specific field should read this.
3-Star: This was a decent read for the specific field, but there are better options.
2-Star: It got me to the end of the book, so there is that.
1-Star: It was bad enough that I didn't finish it.
5-Star: Everyone should read this.
4-Star: Everyone in this specific field should read this.
3-Star: This was a decent read for the specific field, but there are better options.
2-Star: It got me to the end of the book, so there is that.
1-Star: It was bad enough that I didn't finish it.
March 27, 2024
This was highly recommended in another book so I checked it out, inspite of not being a consultant. I'm glad I did. I don't think the presentation is done very well. The book frequently comes across as a dry textbook for a subject I don't need to study. But, I think the principles implicitly and explicitly shared are of really high value. How to approach the human relationships in business, how to understand the underlying emotions and work with them, how to present in a way to see the others as equal partners, etc. I bookmarked multiple sections to re-read and am currently going through taking notes on signs of resistance, navigating resistance, effectively running meetings, and others because the advice is solid for most any job. Additionally, the second to last chapter is about a high school teacher who took the principles and applied it to teaching with great success. I'm not positive if the result was partly noise to what additionally caused the success, but the language and description of the relationship between teacher and student is exactly what I have been wrestling with for years as a teacher, so the whole book warrants another careful read to crack that code.
July 11, 2018
This is chalk full of great advice and approaches for any interaction where you have a body of work to produce for a client. I'll just share a few of my favorite sentiments:
"Seek for 'Power with' instead of 'Power over.'"
"If you cannot say 'no,' yes has little meaning."
"Manager reassurances do not help because it is a manages job to issue them."
When we come together with a group we put a lot of preparation into presentation but participation is an afterthought. This should be the reverse and participation will have far greater impact and staying power with those involved. This is true in business engagements, facilitation and church lessons.
"Resistance is a sign that something important is going on."
Don't define people by work they can't do, define them by what they can do.
There is often more teaching than learning going on in our instruction sessions. Find ways to shift the focus.
"Seek for 'Power with' instead of 'Power over.'"
"If you cannot say 'no,' yes has little meaning."
"Manager reassurances do not help because it is a manages job to issue them."
When we come together with a group we put a lot of preparation into presentation but participation is an afterthought. This should be the reverse and participation will have far greater impact and staying power with those involved. This is true in business engagements, facilitation and church lessons.
"Resistance is a sign that something important is going on."
Don't define people by work they can't do, define them by what they can do.
There is often more teaching than learning going on in our instruction sessions. Find ways to shift the focus.
November 6, 2024
Michael Bungay Stanier's consulting-book recommendation failed me again!
Peter Block is an 84-year-old author and business consultant. Flawless Consulting is his legacy; his swansong. In it, he captures various tips from each of his five phases of consulting:
1. Entry and Contracting.
2. Discovery and Dialogue.
3. Feedback and the Decision to Act.
4. Engagement and Implementation.
5. Extension, Recycle, or Termination.
By no means does this book comprehensively examine the consulting process. However, there are some lovely anecdotes and truisms. He would say things like, "Always reserve the final 15 minutes of any presentation for addressing stakeholder reactions to data." And "Describe, don't evaluate at the feedback meeting." It unintentionally read like Tuesday's with Morrie—an interview aimed at capturing a nursing home patient's life experience.
Peter Block is an 84-year-old author and business consultant. Flawless Consulting is his legacy; his swansong. In it, he captures various tips from each of his five phases of consulting:
1. Entry and Contracting.
2. Discovery and Dialogue.
3. Feedback and the Decision to Act.
4. Engagement and Implementation.
5. Extension, Recycle, or Termination.
By no means does this book comprehensively examine the consulting process. However, there are some lovely anecdotes and truisms. He would say things like, "Always reserve the final 15 minutes of any presentation for addressing stakeholder reactions to data." And "Describe, don't evaluate at the feedback meeting." It unintentionally read like Tuesday's with Morrie—an interview aimed at capturing a nursing home patient's life experience.
June 1, 2020
Block gives a comprehensive and fundamental lesson of delivering good consulting. Rather than just being rational as many did, relationship building and Interpersonal skill is always the key to push through. The right thing to do is to be humble, open and radically transparent throughout the process.
I do recommend this book as it is very down to earth and easy to read. It covers steps and phrases of consulting from contracting, discovery, making decision to implementation. For me, contracting is the most crucial phrase to negotiate wants between both client and consultant, understand the root cause and motivation from the very beginning. Consulting is the mandatory skill that everyone should learn, as we all work and interact with people no matter in which role, position or level. This is just the beginning, and only experience can truly help us to become a successful consultant.
I do recommend this book as it is very down to earth and easy to read. It covers steps and phrases of consulting from contracting, discovery, making decision to implementation. For me, contracting is the most crucial phrase to negotiate wants between both client and consultant, understand the root cause and motivation from the very beginning. Consulting is the mandatory skill that everyone should learn, as we all work and interact with people no matter in which role, position or level. This is just the beginning, and only experience can truly help us to become a successful consultant.
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