Read the summary and the most important questions on Flawless consulting : a guide to getting your expertise used | 9780470620748 | Peter Block ; illustrated by Janis Nowlan.

• 1 A Consultant by Any Other Name

• What is the difference between a consultant and a manager?

  A consultant does not have the direct power to make changes or implement programs, whereas a manager does have this responsibility.

• What three skills does a consultant need at every job?

  Technical, Interpersonal and Consulting skills.

• What are the five phases in consulting?

  1. Entry and Contracting

  2. Discovery and Dialogue

  3. Analysis and the Decision to Act

  4. Engagement and Implementation

  5. Extension, Recycle or Termination

• 2 Techniques Are Not Enough

• What four elements to the affective side of consultant-client interaction are always present?

  Responsibility, Feelings, Trust and Own Needs.

• What are the three most important goals of a consultant?

  1. Establishing a Collaborative Relationship

  2. Solve Problems Structurally

  2. Give Attention to both the Technical/Business problem and the Relationships.

• What roles can a consultant have?

  - Expert Role

  - Pair-of-Hands Role

  - Collaborative Role

• Define the characteristics of the 'Expert Role Consultant'.

  - The manager is relatively inactive

  - The consultant determines how to proceed

  - The consultant gathers all needed information

  - Technical control remains with the consultant.

• Define the characteristics of the 'Pair-of-Hands Role Consultant.

  - The consultant is relatively passive

  - The manager decides how to proceed

  - Information is gathered by the manager

  - Control is maintained by the manager

  - Few two-way combination

• Define the characteristics of the 'Collaborative Role Consultant'

  - The consultant and manager work interdependent

  - Decisions are made by both parties

  - Data is gathered collectively

  - No one party is having control; issues are being discussed and negotiated

  - Collaboration is key

• What are the 12 steps to create engagement and involvement with the client?

  1. Define the initial problem

  2. Decide whether to proceed with te project

  3. Select the topics to be studied

  4. Decide who will be involved in the project

  5. Select the method

  6. Do discovery

  7-9. Funneling data and make sense of it

  10. Provide the results

  11. Make recommendations

  12. Decide what action to be taken