Purpose of the Meeting
Block says the meeting is successful when the client leaves with more than understanding. What must they leave with?
A) Commitment to a course of action
B) Confidence in the data
C) Agreement with the consultant
D) A clearer explanation of the problem
A) Commitment to a course of action
Block says the meeting should begin by restating this, so everyone knows what was originally agreed to.
A) The client’s priorities
B) The consultant’s findings
C) The organizational challenges
D) The contract for the project
D) The contract for the project
Block says resistance from clients usually means not rejection, but this.
A) The issue matters and affects them
B) They don’t trust the consultant
C) The recommendations are unclear
D) The meeting was poorly structured
A) The issue matters and affects them
A consultant says, “Our goal today is to walk you through our findings and answer questions.”
What would Block say is missing from this framing?
A) A stronger emphasis on the consultant’s expertise
B) A clear expectation that the meeting should lead to decisions
C) A clearer explanation of the methodology
D) A review of the project timeline
B) A clear expectation that the meeting should lead to decisions
A consultant jumps into the analysis immediately because they want to “use the time efficiently.”
What key purpose of the opening is lost?
A) Establishing authority over the client
B) Setting expectations for how the conversation will unfold
C) Reinforcing the urgency of the issue
D) Showing the consultant’s expertise
B) Setting expectations for how the conversation will unfold
A client questions the recommendation, and the consultant spends 10 minutes defending the data.
What would Block say the consultant should have done instead?
A) Simplified the presentation
B) Asked what specifically concerns the client
C) Reframed the problem
D) Ended the meeting sooner
B) Asked what specifically concerns the client
A consultant leaves the meeting thinking, “I solved their problem for them.”
Why would Block see this as a red flag?
A) It shows the consultant overanalyzed the issue
B) It suggests the recommendations were unrealistic
C) It weakens the consultant’s authority
D) It means the client may not feel responsible for what happens next
D) It means the client may not feel responsible for what happens next
Forty minutes into the meeting, the consultant realizes the client expected to talk more about implementation, not diagnosis.
Which Block step would have prevented this?
A) Asking for reactions earlier
B) Restating the contract more strongly
C) Doing the halfway check-in about whether the meeting is useful
D) Presenting recommendations sooner
C) Doing the halfway check-in about whether the meeting is useful
Everyone in the meeting agrees quickly and asks no questions. The consultant feels relieved.
Why might Block see this as a warning sign?
A) The consultant didn’t explain enough
B) The recommendations were too complex
C) The consultant lost control of the discussion
D) The client may not feel the issue is real or urgent
D) The client may not feel the issue is real or urgent
Block’s philosophy suggests the meeting’s real outcome isn’t a better report — it’s a shift in the client’s relationship to what?
A) The consultant
B) The organization’s goals
C) The problem and their responsibility for it
D) The data
C) The problem and their responsibility for it
The consultant ends the meeting with: “Thanks everyone, we’ll follow up with a summary.”
What key Block step is missing?
A) Testing whether the client is ready to act
B) Reframing the problem
C) Clarifying the data sources
D) Repeating the findings
A) Testing whether the client is ready to act
If a consultant truly follows Block’s approach, what’s the biggest difference between their meeting and a typical presentation?
A) They speak less overall
B) They use fewer slides
C) The conversation focuses on what the client will now do differently
D) They simplify their analysis
C) The conversation focuses on what the client will now do differently