Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic help for anyone who provides expertise or advice
Review: I think everyone should read this book. Even if you don't think you're a consultant - you are one. You probably try to get your services used inside a company.Block has a real insight into how the dynamics of consultancy work. I read it before I dealt with my first external client and it saved me from what would have otherwise been less than flawless consulting! As it was, it turned into a great success. I'll be rereading it regularly.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding guide for internal or external consultants
Review: I was given this book when I joined our firm. It is as relevent today as when it was written. I recently was involved with a project that went sour and, as a result, went back and read his chapter on when a project is about to fail. Every warning sign he listed was present in this project and we almost failed to see them! This should be a must read for all consultants. I am buying several copies for members of my team!
Rating:
Summary: Hands down the best book on consulting I ever bought!!!
Review: Peter Block covers the intangibles of consulting: the politics, communications and the obstacles that derail the consultant/client relationship. This book is a MUST read, not only for consultants, but for anyone that works in or around companies that have politics, or bureaucracy, or people. That should cover just about all of us. This book helped me because it covered so much more then the business techniques of consulting, hey I'm a business consultant after all. Flawless Consulting helps you master communication and contracting gaffs, to understand why after much good advice the customer still does the wrong thing, and most importantly how your success can be assured despite those kind of issues.
Rating:
Summary: Fast learning cycle for consultants . . .
Review: Peter Block has updated his "consultant's Bible" and made it better than ever. This is becoming must reading for the consultants in our new firm. While the point of view of most of the book is from that of an "inside" consultant, the principles and ideas are directly related to external consultants as well. The layout of this book makes it an invaluable reference with easy to find topics, checklists, and guides for consultants. A final checklist is provided in the appendix that comprises all the information covered in the body of the book. The final list cross references back to the appropriate chapters so that as you go through the process of Flawless Consulting, you can easily review the material presented. Flawless Consulting encourages us to make sure that WE are NOT the cause of failure to either land a consultancy or properly implement once we do have the contract. But the best idea presented is that the secondary goal of consultancy is to teach clients how to solve the problem themselves the next time! Consultants are advised to be authentic, including stating their own needs at the appropriate times. Mr. Block provides real world examples to back up his theories and positions. I especially enjoyed the list of "organizational codes" that he gave with respect to communications: When people mean "I don't like it," they express it by saying "I don't understand it." Or when they mean "I don't want to do it," they will say, "Let's get more data," or "I'll get back to you," or "Let me talk it over with my staff." Whether dealing with resistance to change, how to listen actively, or how implementations go awry, Block's clear style and no nonsense approach to solving problems will serve internal and external consultants well and will undoubtedly provide superior results for the clients.
Rating:
Summary: Fast learning cycle for consultants . . .
Review: Peter Block has updated his "consultant's Bible" and made it better than ever. This is becoming must reading for the consultants in our new firm. While the point of view of most of the book is from that of an "inside" consultant, the principles and ideas are directly related to external consultants as well. The layout of this book makes it an invaluable reference with easy to find topics, checklists, and guides for consultants. A final checklist is provided in the appendix that comprises all the information covered in the body of the book. The final list cross references back to the appropriate chapters so that as you go through the process of Flawless Consulting, you can easily review the material presented. Flawless Consulting encourages us to make sure that WE are NOT the cause of failure to either land a consultancy or properly implement once we do have the contract. But the best idea presented is that the secondary goal of consultancy is to teach clients how to solve the problem themselves the next time! Consultants are advised to be authentic, including stating their own needs at the appropriate times. Mr. Block provides real world examples to back up his theories and positions. I especially enjoyed the list of "organizational codes" that he gave with respect to communications: When people mean "I don't like it," they express it by saying "I don't understand it." Or when they mean "I don't want to do it," they will say, "Let's get more data," or "I'll get back to you," or "Let me talk it over with my staff." Whether dealing with resistance to change, how to listen actively, or how implementations go awry, Block's clear style and no nonsense approach to solving problems will serve internal and external consultants well and will undoubtedly provide superior results for the clients.
Rating:
Summary: Great book with a seminar to boot!
Review: Peter shares a wealth of his experience in a practical and even entertaining manner. Having attended his Flawless Consulting workshop, I feel his book will become a regular reference for many years in my career!
Rating:
Summary: Don't let simplicity mislead you; this is right on target
Review: Re-reading this book after several years, and overseeing perhaps 125 student consulting projects, I am more impressed than the first time. In the past I'd taught consulting entirely on a practicum basis (common practice, by the way), but recently decided to add readings. We bought a couple dozen books - my assistant read all of them - and we settled on Block for the process and Biech's The Consulting Business for how to run one's own practice.
As I watch my undergrad and grad students work through their projects, I find that Block speaks realistically and clearly to the essential challenges they face throughout. I know from experience that some people dislike his style. But I've also seen that, if they gain experience, they change their mind. I wish I'd required this (not just recommended it) long ago.
Rating:
Summary: Don't let simplicity mislead you; this is right on target
Review: Re-reading this book after several years, and overseeing perhaps 125 student consulting projects, I am more impressed than the first time. In the past I'd taught consulting entirely on a practicum basis (common practice, by the way), but recently decided to add readings. We bought a couple dozen books - my assistant read all of them - and we settled on Block for the process and Biech's The Consulting Business for how to run one's own practice.
As I watch my undergrad and grad students work through their projects, I find that Block speaks realistically and clearly to the essential challenges they face throughout. I know from experience that some people dislike his style. But I've also seen that, if they gain experience, they change their mind. I wish I'd required this (not just recommended it) long ago.
Rating:
Summary: When you've just been beat up by the customer ...
Review: Read this book! It will vilify what you always thought a project should be. It will give you support on those days when nothing is going right. Some of the sample dialog could have come directly from client contact I had, myself! Very real, not alot of fluff, or theory . Some good templates. The only chapter missing was the one on politics. Best of all, its easy to read, it won't take more than a few hours on the plane between client sites.
Rating: 
Summary: Too many words, not enough content
Review: The least amount of stars I could choose was one, otherwise I would most certainly have chosen NONE. I had to buy this book... for an online class at HWG/IWA (where I am a member). The class was on Contracting Your Services. The book was totally inappropriate and had nothing to do with web design contracts. Poorly written, with too much psycho-babbling, it could have been a 10-page paperback pamphlet with a list of pointers... I can't believe I bought this book, tried to read it and get something out of it. .... To give my instructor a bit of credit, I don't think there are any good books yet on this topic.
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