Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started my career in financial services, moving into management and then into learning and development. As part of course design, I used to do quite a bit of writing, which I enjoyed. Several years after leaving, and setting up my own consulting and executive coaching business, I got a very strong itch to write but I had no particular focus for the writing. So, my aha moment happened and I decided to write a book. That morphed into my first book, Values – Not Just for the Office Wall Plaque: How Personal and Company Values Intersect. That was 2011 and it launched in 2012. Then quite a lot of life happened to me and I finally got back into the saddle this summer with my second book, SMART Objective Setting for Managers: A Roadmap.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Oops, I answered this at the end of the last question. It’s called SMART Objective Setting for Managers.
What inspired the book was seeing all the pain and frustration that so many managers have with the performance management process, in general, and objective setting, in particular. During my management career, I had developed several high performing teams but I could see that many managers struggle with how to actively develop another person. And if I can take away someone else’s pain and frustration and show them an alternative route, then why not?
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I’m aware of but I could do. Since the content I’m writing about has been informed by countless discussions with managers, the writing tends to flow.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Business book-wise, authors who use stories to make the learning point. I read a lot of business books so when I started to write my first book, I took out all the business books that I had really enjoyed and asked myself “what is it about these books that I enjoyed?” and the answer was “they all include stories”. There can be huge learning in business books but let’s face it, they’re not the first choice for most people. So, I try to make my books as easy to read and accessible as possible.
If you’re wondering, the books I had looked to were “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma, Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Successful People and The Arbinger Institute’s Leadership and Self-Deception.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the SMART Objective Setting book launch, so that’s a totally different type of focus.
Writing -wise, what’s in the pipeline is a short book on the difference between Management and Leadership. They are 2 very distinct things, with different skill sets, but shrouded in mystery for most people, as they tend to sit in the same role. Maybe I’ll write it in the style of a mystery!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well, I’m hoping AwesomeGang.com is going to excel at promoting my books. Getting the word out is so important. As a huge target audience for me is LinkedIn, I also promote there.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Advice for new authors is:
When you’re writing your first draft, write…do not edit. The most important thing about writing that first draft is to get it written. If you keep stopping to edit it, it will take you forever. Even more important is that you don’t even really know what you’re editing. That will only become apparent once you read through the first draft.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep doing all the little tasks that need to be done, so that one day, you’ll get there.
What are you reading now?
Business book: Joe Poni’s Follow Your Curiosity
Curiosity is one of my personal values, so I couldn’t help myself.
Fiction: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins
What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next is to promote the new book and see how it is received. Feedback from readers has been fantastic, so I’m hopeful.
I also what to relaunch my first book, Values – Not for the Office Wall Plaque.
Identifying and understanding our own personal values are so important to humans, as the inform decisions and conflict. The book was originally written with leaders, HR and executive coaches in mind. But a review of the book on Amazon got me thinking. The person clearly wasn’t in the above categories but they said that, while the second part of the book wasn’t that relevant to them, the first part was so powerful that they had found the courage to leave a job they hated and find one they were going to love. So, I’m also going to publish the first section as a stand-alone book, for those people who just want to understand their values and how their values impact on them.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Ok, number one would be the Harry Potter boxset. I’m a huge fan and read the books straight through every few years. The boxset is one book, right?
Next up would be the Lord of the Rings boxset. I was going to say “trilogy” but boxset gets The Hobbit in there.
Moving away from fantasy and magic, I’d take Marian Keyes’ boxset. That would make me laugh out loud on the more difficult days on the island, while waiting to be rescued.
And assuming I had enough food and water to last and I thought it was going to be another while before I was going to be rescued. I’d take a boxset of Michael Connolly.
As you can tell, I’d want a bit of escapism from my stranded situation!
Author Websites and Profiles
Irial O’Farrell Website
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