Peter Block

The Answer to How Is Yes

The most common questions we ask are "How do you do this, How long does it take, How much does it cost, How do we get those people to change?" If we seek authentic change, these are most often the wrong questions and can be a defense against change. Questions of method, speed, cost and control drive out the more important questions of purpose, commitment and accountability. In this discussion Peter will explore how shifting the question can confront people with their freedom and set the stage for real change. Transformation comes more from struggling with the right question than seeking the right answer. Any change in culture or behavior has elements of mystery, paradox and suffering contained within it, and the urge for a quick, low cost, low risk way of changing is a fool's path.

Peter Block, consultant and speaker, helped initiate the interest in empowerment; these days his work centers primarily on bringing service and accountability to organizations and communities. He is a partner in Designed Learning, a training company that offers consulting skills workshops designed by Peter to build the skills outlined in his Flawless Consulting books. He received a Masters Degree in Industrial Administration from Yale University in 1963; he performed his undergraduate work at the University of Kansas.

Peter is the author of many best selling books, including Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used, second edition (1999); Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest (1993) and The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work (1987). Flawless Consulting Fieldbook & Companion: A Guide to Understanding Your Expertise, written and edited by Peter Block was published in November 2000. His most recent books are The Answer to How Is Yes: Acting on What Matters (Berrett Koehler 2002) and Freedom and Accountability atWork: Applying Philosophic Insight to the Real World, co-authored with consultant and philosopher Peter Koestenbaum (Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2001).