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Peter Block was a student of Argyris in the 1960s who described a consulting approach based on valuing the relationship between consultant and client and defining how to manage that relationship and being as authentic as you can be at all times with the client. According to Block, authentic behavior is simply the willingness to be who you are and to tell the truth, which is the consultant’s most powerful tool for building client trust and commitment.
Block’s collaborative role for consultants is based on Schein’s process consultation role and the basic concepts on contracting are drawn from Gestalt psychology. Mary Beth O’Neill describes Block’s approach as “you are in a partnership with the client . . . you are avoiding two extremes. On the one hand, you are not telling them what to do, and on the other hand, you are not just a pair of hands doing what they want you to do‚Äö√Ñ√π. Ginny Storjohann, an organization development professional and trained coach, believes coaches could benefit from reading Flawless Consulting regarding the contracting piece of their work.
Peter Block is the author of several best-selling books. The most widely known are Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used (1st edition 1980, 2nd edition 1999); Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest (1993) and The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work (1987).
How have Block’s concepts influenced you?
Vikki G. Brock, Ph.D., EMBA, MCC
Leadership & Mentor Coach
Director, History & Archives Division
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I love Peter Block’s work. For me it’s about respecting the individual contributions of every party with no-one being THE EXPERT. Flawless Consulting is an excellent book, particularly the last few pages where he details what a consultant should take into account at each stage of the consulting process. Also he has some good advice about when you have done everything you can as a consultant, and the intervention still doesn’t work out properly.