Six Conversations that Matter

by Peter Block From News for a Change Whether in a society or an organization, the culture is in many ways defined by the way we talk, the language we use, the nature of the debate and dialogue we engage in. In fact, one of the first things we notice when we move between cultures is the change in … [Read more...]

An Interview with Peter Block by Vicky Schubert and Rachel Baker From Leverage Points With several bestsellers under his belt, Peter Block has long been appreciated for his innovative organizational consulting work. In his latest book, Community: The Structure of Belonging (Berrett-Koehler, … [Read more...]

Hope is Where You Find It by Peter Block I attended a meeting a few months ago that was quite startling. It was a two day meeting convened by the Pacific Southwest Region of the USDA Forest Service. The meeting was part of an effort to find ways to engage new people and resources in the success of … [Read more...]

by Peter Block From News for a Change Despite our infatuation with electronic substitutes, we still attend a lot of meetings. Lacking a job of any consequence, the ones I attend are usually intended to educate, align, enroll and transform people. It continues to amaze me that most of these … [Read more...]

Elizabeth Johnson: Fast Forward Copyright ©2008 CitiesGoGreen Peter Block says sustainable communities are impossible without a strong social fabric. A strong social fabric comes from effective conversations, and local government staff is perfectly positioned to convene those … [Read more...]

by Peter Block I find it puzzling to notice how little interest I have in watching the media coverage of this presidential campaign. I watched most of the conventions with my head in my hands. The dominant news storyline seems to be about everything except what matters. Most of the coverage is … [Read more...]

by Peter Block From News for a Change Every change effort is a political act. Whenever we create teams, redo a work process, or change the role of managers, we are touching a control structure that would rather be left alone. Change is difficult because it requires that we raise our political … [Read more...]

by Peter Block From The International Journal of Servant-Leadership A Keynote Address by Peter Block 2005 International Servant-Leadership Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana [Technician asks Peter if he needs technology.] I don’t need any of that, no. No power and no point; I’m a free man. … [Read more...]

by Peter Block Critical Distinctions Much of our effort to improve community is organized around conversations of problem solving, deficiencies, holding others accountable, and creating change through leadership, legislation, and program driven improvement. We bet on the future by … [Read more...]

by Peter Block From News for a Change We are in a period where change management and organizational transformation have become big business. The problem is that when these ideas become mainstream and profitable, they tend to lose integrity. Hundreds of millions of dollars are still being spent … [Read more...]