Q & A: The Wisdom of Peter Block

Connected communities convene to build trust and respect. Hosted by Cleveland technology companies, Midtown Brews, an I-Open Civic Forum process, creates open, neutral spaces to catalyze innovation and entrepreneurial networks. Cleveland, Ohio USA. Photo: I-Open.

At the core, economic development requires people to engage in sustained relationships of trust, collaboration, and bringing ideas to action. Thinking, doing, and learning together.

"Questions bring us together. Answers drive us apart."

Few people have devoted more of their time and thinking to the building of community in recent years, than Peter Block.  His best-selling books on Flawless Consulting and Stewardship reveal a unique mind at work.  It's been my privilege and pleasure to attend several conferences and workshops where Peter has presented and taught.

One key insight that Peter shares, is especially useful for us in supporting community and regional economic development networks:

• What do we want to do together? 
• Who needs to be with us to do it? 
• What do we need to know, and have, to enable us to act? 
• How will we know the results of our efforts, and learn as we go?
  

What do YOU think?

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Blogger Bruce Waltuck earned an M.A. in Complexity, Chaos, and Creativity (yes, really), is an Associate at the Plexus Institute, and a Member of the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators. Learn more about complexity, change, leadership and dialogue by subscribing to Bruce's blog, Complexified and following him on Twitter at Complexified. 

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Bruce's, "Leadership, Abundance and Complexity in Human Systems" was the #3 most watched video in the I-Open Library for 2013. Visit the I-Open Library on Vimeo here.

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