Personal growth in and out of the workplace has long been hampered by the constant question "how?" In The Answer to How Is Yes, Peter Block teaches readers how to act on what they know and reclaim their freedom and capacity to create a world they want to live in. He shows how to reject tendencies toward passivity and blame in favor of choosing accountability and demanding a more compelling purpose from work and life. The book also emphasizes the need to shift the paradigm from the self-help/bootstrap/make-a-million craze toward something larger and more generous and, in the end, more satisfying.
The Answer to How Is Yes (BK Life)
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
The new approach to change management that is presented here will completely flummox control freaks. Block posits a refreshing series of truths that, if adopted, will transform workplaces into journeys of meaning. The best-selling author of Flawless Consulting (1981) and Stewardship (1993) insists that we ask the wrong question about accomplishing the important things in our lives, particularly in our place of employment. We too often ask "How?" which focuses too closely on the practical way of getting something done and is actually a subconscious expression of society's emphasis on control of people, time, and cost. Instead, our concentration should be focused on "Why?" In other words, we need to pay attention to what really matters to us personally, from heart-felt commitments in our private lives to the creation of projects in the workplace. To be able to act on what matters, explains Block, we must reclaim specific qualities, such as intimacy and idealism. Then we can tackle purposeful work as if we were social architects seeking engagement and change. Provocative and stimulating reading. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
From the Publisher
“Once again the best writer on life in the workplace turns conventions on its head. Substituting the why and what questions for the how questions should help all of us experience the freedom, success, growth, love, fun, and beauty in the workplace.” —Dennis W. Bakke, President, The AES Corporation
"Amazing! Just when I need to open myself to new ways of thinking, Peter Block opens up the next compelling image...the very path I need to explore next. Thank you, Peter, for the questions, paradox, confrontation and ultimately ‘answers’ that keep me alive and growing." —Kathleen D. Dannemiller, Dannemiller Tyson Associates, authors of Whole-Scale Change: Unleashing the Magic in Organizations
“This is the most important book Block has ever written, and we need to take him seriously (although he is, as always, quite witty.) If enough people say ‘Yes’ to the teachings in this book, we'll be able to stop floundering toward the future and create lives and work that are meaningful contributions to each other and to the future. Please say ‘yes.’” —Margaret Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science and Turning to One Another
“This is a journey of self-discovery much like the Inward Morning of Thoreau and in spirit not unlike the Confessions of Saint Augustine and Jean-Jacques Rousseau—cast in the contemporary mold of organizational culture. [Block’s] charm lies in his engaging style, seducing you to listen, mesmerized, as did the Sultan to Scheherazade. Here are the brilliant and sensitive ruminations of a wanderer on a journey in search for his voice, only to discover that it is the voice of everyman and everywoman speaking through him.” —Peter Koestenbaum Philosopher, Consultant, and author of The Inner Side of Greatness
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More About the Author
Peter Block is a citizen of Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a partner in Designed Learning, a training company that offers workshops designed by Block to build the skills outlined in his books. He is the author of Flawless Consulting, Stewardship, The Empowered Manager, and The Answer to How Is Yes. He is the recipient of the American Society for Training and Development Award for Distinguished Contribution to Workplace Learning and Performance and the Association for Quality and Participation President's Award. He is also a member of Training magazine's HRD Hall of Fame.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Wisdom. That's what I found in Peter Block's newest book. But be prepared, wisdom does not mean answers. In fact the wisdom in this book comes from the way in which Peter challenges the reader to rethink basic assumptions about the culture that envelopes us. He asks, for example, how the pervasive archetypes of engineer and economist--those of cause-and-effect and predictability--could truly share the stage with the creativity, imagination, mystery and heart of the artist and architect. Not easy to imagine.
The journey Peter asks of me is often painful. It's difficult to admit the truth about my questions. He points out that asking questions about "how," is often a way to avoid the much deeper questions of "why." It is also a subtle way to avoid commitment and action. While Peter does not offer easy answers he does point to new directions for communities and organizations. And he invites us to join him on this journey into a new future...one that is not simply an extrapolation of the past.
I know when a book captures me, because, on almost every page, I found my mind and heart racing with so many ideas that I'd have to stop reading and simply think. What a gift! This volume has inspired me to new thinking about my work, and my life in community.
I have read and loved all of Peter's books. He just keeps blazing new trials!
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Your ego and identity may well demand that you put this book down for good and denounce it as the smug ramblings of a limousine liberal with the luxury to indulge in all manner of fantasy. Read on anyway. If you pay attention to this book, you'll learn something powerful about yourself and the criticality of your role in creating your organization however you define that - whether it's self, family, business, government unit, or even society at large.
This book challenges everyone who reads it to accept that we and we alone are the authors of our own story of existence, experience, and meaning. The message for leaders of organizations is that until now we've indulged our fear, created cultures of control and dependency and they are bankrupt. The illusion of control never lasts long (look at any of your recent IT projects, for example) and dependency breeds discontent, waste, and backward momentum - all the things that give us more reasons to be fearful and to want to control. The lessons in this book may well allow us to break that cycle, but only if we develop the courage first and foremost to be accountable for who we are. One first step might be to ignore the voice of your ego insisting that you stop reading this silly book, and to read on with renewed attention.
This book challenges everyone who reads it to accept that we and we alone are the authors of our own story of existence, experience, and meaning. The message for leaders of organizations is that until now we've indulged our fear, created cultures of control and dependency and they are bankrupt. The illusion of control never lasts long (look at any of your recent IT projects, for example) and dependency breeds discontent, waste, and backward momentum - all the things that give us more reasons to be fearful and to want to control. The lessons in this book may well allow us to break that cycle, but only if we develop the courage first and foremost to be accountable for who we are. One first step might be to ignore the voice of your ego insisting that you stop reading this silly book, and to read on with renewed attention.
16 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By Bill Godfrey
Format:Hardcover
A carefully presented essay on the importance of personal purpose and meaning and the dangers to ourselves and our world of the instrumental world to which we are subjecting ourselves. The book is beautifully set out and easy to read. The philosophy and advice, though useful and cogent, is much the same as that to be found in a whole range of similar books concerned with personal development. There is perhaps particular value in his distinction between personal intimacy and the ersatz, commercialized 'customer intimacy' that is so much touted in books on marketing.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By CO Reader
Format:Paperback
Block has done a fine job of discussing individual responsibility and helping get to the heart of the question "What are we really trying to accomplish?" rather than "How can we get this done and crossed off the list?" Too often, organizations are in such a rush to get things done that they end up putting the square peg in the round hole. They duplicate a solution that worked for a similar, but not identical problem etc. I feel like this book is the complimentary inverse of Block's "Stewardship" book. Whereas "Stewardship" looks at the organization and its effectiveness from a leadership/management point of view, this book addresses the personal autonomy and personal responsibility that all workers should have -- what Block's "Stewardship" book calls for as necessary for effective leadership (that the power and responsibilty are within the ranks of each worker). This book delves into this concept of pushing responsiblity down to each individual in the organization and what that means practically to the indvidual. As with "Stewardship," Block writes well and effectively delivers evidence and concrete examples along with his theory to make his points.
18 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The book's undeniable focus is on asking the right questions. The author communicates a refreshing perspective on work and life without succumbing to the contemporary book writing trend of word invention--or otherwise abusing the essence of existing published works. Although philosophical, the contents won't waste your cerebral energy in trying to decipher the author's jargon. The words hit you between the eyes.
The book identifies the current in which all corporate fish swim. If you have no desire to be a revolutionary, you'll at least gain an understanding of what makes you behave the way you do. Early chapters will challenge you to question why it is that you allow the culture to restrict you the way you do: "As long as we wish for safety, we will have difficulty pursuing what matters." (p. 46)
If you're searching for the courage to swim against the stream, the reading will nourish your soul; you'll also learn why the battle is ultimately without end. This work ultimately identifies a context in which the dominant business archetypes can co-exist, yet challenges us all not to lose sight of what matters: individual freedom. If anything, that particular message should resonate in a society where the concept of individual rights has run amok. Warning: Individual freedom may cost you more than you're willing to pay.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely a different way of seeing
This book brings the conversation of management and how to achieve a good workplace into a whole new light. Read more
Published 16 days ago by R. Giesige
5.0 out of 5 stars
Confirmation of questions, Manifesto for change
Peter Block is a Maister of Masters. His 'Flawless Consulting' is a great educational experience. The Answer to How .... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Umesh Vyas
5.0 out of 5 stars
Full of wisdom
In this book, management consultant Block addresses his concern that we often ask how to do something too soon and thereby trade our values for that which is practical and... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Joyce
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great Title. Good Book.
The title says it all. Doing the impossible (or nearly impossible) doesn't begin with strategies to overcome obstacles. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Robert T. Hess
5.0 out of 5 stars
Valuable questions, challenging book
I read this a couple years back and have returned to it multiple times. I found the work quite thought-provoking, challenging - doesn't provide easy answers rather suggests... Read more
Published on February 4, 2011 by Andrew Adelmann
5.0 out of 5 stars
Who's asking the right questions anyway?
I have not been doing lean consulting long enough to have a career's depth of war stories. When faced with some regular questions, I have to pull from the underlying philosophy... Read more
Published on December 23, 2009 by Matthew Horvat
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really wonderful
Yes, You must read this book. It is a must read. Very important book in these times. Peter Block is one of our world leaders! Thanks
Published on December 18, 2008 by Loretta Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top of the stack!
Peter Block is a wizard! A book filled with insights, thoughts and questions that will make you pause and reflect. If you are leader in any capacity- READ this book. Read more
Published on June 5, 2008 by K. Wojcik
4.0 out of 5 stars
Transformation occurs through quality questions
This is an easy to read, practical book. The concept of focusing on what instead of how is empowering. Read more
Published on May 25, 2008 by George Okantey
3.0 out of 5 stars
My review.
I re-read a lot of the first few chapters because I wasn't grasping what the author was trying to say. Hang in there, though, it all comes together later in the book. Read more
Published on September 27, 2007 by R. Widmark
