Taking Time to Celebrate

What a party! The launch event was a tremendous success. It is difficult to describe how I felt seeing family, friends, former colleagues and new acquaintances together to celebrate the launch of Change with Confidence. It was overwhelming in a great way.

It looked like a 70's poster where celebrities and music icons from all eras are combined into one image. This was my celebrity poster and I was proud and honoured to have so many wonderful people be in my life.

I had first discussed my launch event with the Wiley team in August. When I asked for advice, in unison they said, "Keep it short, thank people for coming, get off the stage." It seemed like good advice, just like when speaking at a wedding. Got it.


I had thought a lot about what I would say in my speech. My goal was to thank everyone for their support. I also wanted to share what I had learned about myself and what I had realized about change management. On a lighter note, I also wanted to share some fun facts about the last two years. 


I don't know what happened, but my son Sam told me that I had talked for ten and a half minutes. It only seemed like four. What were the Wiley folks thinking?

Thanks to Mel Barnett for the photos

Before I knew it, two and a half hours had flown by. The caterers were cleaning up and Ben McNally, the owner of this amazing bookstore, was packing up with his daughter. It was a great night. 

Barb, Sam, Charlie and I went out for dinner to end of the night in a perfect way. The Earl's waitress even brought us a complimentary "book launch" family dessert, which we devoured.

It is important to take time to celebrate. This is not a strength of mine, but I am working on it. It allows you to thank those who have contributed to your accomplishments and strengthens you for your next challenge. Mine is marketing my book. With the support of my family and friends, I am ready to roar.

Thanks to everyone who attended my launch event!

Phil

When the Big Day Finally Arrives

Like most big events in our lives, we think more about planning them than what we will do when they arrive. They can seem like surreal experiences where the elements are known but how they play out are not. This is how I felt when I received my first hard copy of Change with Confidence. 

A thoughtful Editorial Assistant at Wiley had sent me an email saying that the first copy had shown up on his desk and that he was couriering it to me. I was on assignment in New Jersey, which meant it would arrive home twenty-four hours before I did. 

The package was waiting for me on our front table as I opened the door. I maneuvered around it as a golfer does when sizing up a putt: I needed to study it before moving into action. It was late, dark and I was exhausted, so I decided to wait until the morning for the big moment. I didn't want to compromise something that I had waited for so long to arrive. 

I am glad I did. The sun was shining and the promise of a new day matched my excitement. Without hesitation, I opened the package. It was an incredible feeling to hold my book in my hands. Barb was there too, which made it more special. 

Like a new parent who points out that their baby has ten fingers and ten toes, I said things like, "Look it's the cover...and look, it's the table of contents..., and the back cover, too."  After scanning the pages I flipped them like a deck of cards and even smelled them—they smelled like paper—it was a sensory experience. 

The cover blew me away the most. It is striking in person, especially the tones of blue. E-books are convenient and portable, but they can't beat the physical beauty of a hardcover book.

Last Sunday, my dad said he wanted to buy the first copy of Change with Confidence. I can't wait to give it to him. Phil

Everyone's Invited to the Party!

Launch preparations are in full swing: early-print books have been sent to reviewers, articles are being submitted to business magazines and blogs, and speaking engagements are being booked. 

The most symbolic event, however, will be the launch event. Not all authors have one, but it was important for me to do so. I am passionate about experiencing every element of my journey and this one, even though I wasn't sure how they worked, is a big one.

So, what is a launch event? It is a celebration of a book being published by an author and publisher. In other words, it is a big party held for an author to thank people for their support. Books are there to buy and have signed but that's not the purpose. The purpose is to say thank you with refreshments and good conversations.

Ben McNally Books, Toronto 

I am fortunate to have a great senior publicist from Wiley to make it a special moment in time. She selected a wonderful bookstore, Ben McNally Books, in downtown Toronto to hold the event. I laughed when I asked her and other members of the Wiley team for advice on what I should be doing at the party. All of them said, "Whatever you do, don't give a long speech. Make it five minutes at most." Ah, so this is like an author-book wedding. 

As I prepared the invitee list I thought "Who would be interested in attending?" I abruptly stopped this sorting process. My launch event is a celebration where everyone should be invited, even if we have never met. It's a great networking opportunity, a chance to reconnect with past friends and colleagues, and a fun time. Everyone is invited.

If I have missed anyone, please send me an email to let me know (phil.buckley01@gmail.com). It would be great to see you so I can personally say thank you. It will be fun too.

Phil

How to Write an Article in Four Hours

A key element of my marketing plan is to place articles into paper and on-line business publications. The goal is to inspire readers to view my bi-line credit and either visit my website or a bookseller to buy Change with Confidence. There are many benefits to this approach:

- placement where my target market goes for information
- builds change leader and writing credentials
- easily customizable through topic selection
- provides flexibility to comment on current events
- highly scanable content
- leverages my publicist team's network

I don't have much experience writing articles. Just a few for corporate newsletters a few years ago. I was starting from scratch. 

My time line was short so I went for a "learn by doing" approach:

1. Select a good topic
2. Check with publicist team to make sure it was good
3. Research my topic
4. Define my position - what's my central point?
5. Write first draft
6. Self-edit
7. Write second draft
8. Ask Barb to edit
9. Send to publicist team for review and final edit

I have written three articles in the last week: change advice for the publishing industry, views on the American Airlines-US Airways merger and the importance of confidence in leading change.

It takes me four hours to complete an article; about two hours on research and positioning and two on writing and editing. I use the EBSCO research database to source articles on my chosen topics, which speeds up the process. For the airline merger article, I scanned seventy-seven articles and read ten of them. The process reminded me of the research I did for my case studies. You know almost immediately when you have a hot topic.

Writing articles is enjoyable. The topics are interesting and it's liberating to articulate your views in short editorials. It will be gratifying to see the first one published. I am not the fastest writer, but that's not my goal. My goal is to spread the word about Change with Confidence, something that is more fun that I thought it would be.

Phil

How Would You Tell Your Story in 2 Minutes and 49 Seconds?

This week I completed a video for the Change with Confidence  website. It was more than that; it was my story. 

The goal was to share my views on change and the best way to help people through it. Mel and Kro did a great job creating the video including design, image selection, script, music and production. Each element was handled with care to ensure it  supported my message.

We decided on a rock climbing theme to illustrate the realities of leading change. The challenges and rewards are similar. The need for confidence and ability are too.

The metaphor also works well in terms of support for success. The role of the guide is to coach the climber to get to the top, not to climb the cliff for them. Excellent change guides do the same thing: they help leaders lead change, they don't lead the change for them. I have seen some consultants do the leading for leaders, which doesn't build their skills. The next time the leaders need to lead change, they are no more capable than they were the first time. This is a miss.

As we built the video I was struck by how personal my story was. Watching old video clips brought back memories of past projects, and the crises and victories I had shared with team members. 

It also reminded me of the first change I led and how my circumstances are similar to people who I support now. Having climbed a similar mountain, I know how I can help them climb theirs.

Here is the video of my story.
Phil

What is it about covers that beg to be judged?

I am delighted to share the cover for Change with Confidence, although I can take no credit for it. I can't think of any other cover that  could capture the contents of and inspiration behind my book. 

Cover design is critical to a book's success. It must entice the reader to pick up the book or click on it on a screen. It also has to communicate the main benefit of reading it, which for Change with Confidence is building confidence to lead change. 

Two months ago, if you had asked me what the perfect cover would look like I wouldn't have had a clue. I just knew that there was a perfect cover waiting to be discovered.

The first time I saw my cover I liked the rich blue colour and the white and orange text. I also liked the blue-tinted sun beaming into the meeting room. I didn't, however, get the significance of the meeting room. As friends pointed out, it is a place where futures are created, decisions are made, and actions are taken. This is true for private and public businesses around the world. I didn't get that this is an universal image of change and progress.

I tested the cover on everyone and almost everyone liked it. Many even said they loved it. It was a hit. They like the modern look of the room and thought the bank of windows suggested unlimited possibility. They saw the sun as a symbol of a new day where anything could happen and the empty chairs were seats that the reader could take, where he or she could build a better future. The cover represented hope, aspiration and confidence. It represented Change with Confidence.

My Wiley team members were extremely understanding of my request for more design options even though they all loved the cover. They were equally supportive when I finally realized that the one they had expertly designed was the perfect cover for Change with Confidence. What a team. 

The book jacket is a beauty, too. Here is a breakdown of each panel from left to right:

1. Back Inner Flap: Author's photograph and bio
2. Back Cover: Front cover image and testimonials form people I admire
3. Front Cover: Title, image, author's name and publisher's imprint
4. Front Inner Flap: Overview of book and sample content

I dropped into Hudson Booksellers in Newark Airport on Monday night to study the business book covers that lined the wall. I noticed a range of styles from full-page author photos to all-text covers. I was pleased that there was only one blue cover.  I was also pleased that Change with Confidence would stand out from the rest. It was a cover that could entice the reader to pick it up. It was the perfect cover for Change with Confidence.

Phil

My New Best Friend Meghan

This post was going to be about my exciting cover for Change with Confidence. That was until I met my new best friend Meghan. I first saw her dancing in front of the Air Canada ticket counter at Newark airport. I have tried many tactics to get home after my flight has been cancelled, but have never tried dancing. I thought: flights cancelled, people on standby, she is a better dancer than I am, prognosis "difficult".

I learned I was number nine on a standby list for a plane that had eight open seats. I decided to wait and test my luck because you never now when you will catch a break. Meghan had overheard me speaking with the attendant and exclaimed, "You are on standby too, then you are my new best friend. Hi I am Meghan." We shook hands, she said, "Good-bye my new best friend," and she bolted off  to security. 

I didn't see Meghan at the gate because she also was on standby for an earlier flight to Montreal. I watched as each standby traveller was called to receive his or her ticket. It wasn't looking good. As the plane was boarding, the attendant picked up the microphone on last time and called my nane and Meghan's name. 

Out of nowhere, Meghan bounded over to pick up her ticket. I said, "Hey my new best friend, we got on." We hugged and shared our delight at being the lucky chosen ones. The guy behind us said that he too had been on standby but didn't get a new best friend out of it. We became a group of three.


It turns out the Meghan and I had seats together at the back of the plane. What luck. I found out that she is completing her PhD in Anthropology, has published many articles in archaeological science journals, is interviewing for exciting jobs, and is being interviewed next week by a major newspaper. Life is good for Meghan.


We talked about two organizations she is affiliated with that are going through a big change. It was exciting to hear the details and to reconfirm that the behaviours around change are universal. I switched into consultant mode as I listened to scenarios  I have lived many times before. Change becomes difficult when it isn't managed. They were in the "Figuring it Out" phase and we discussed a couple of questions from my book. 

We agreed to swap a few of her articles for a copy of Change with Confidence and said good-bye at customs. 

Meeting intriguing people is a highlight of life. They brighten your day, broaden your perspectives, and can make impressions that you will never forget. And sometimes, if you are lucky, they become your new best friends.

Phil

Ten Things I Didn't Know About Great Publicists

This week I met my publicist team members at their office in Manhattan. It was a great experience. Even getting there was an adventure: a 4:45 a.m. taxi ride to the Toronto airport, a 6:30 a.m. flight to Newark, an 8:30 a.m. train to Penn Station, and a 9:15 a.m. taxi ride to Mid-town East. I stood at the corner of 57th Street East and 2nd Avenue feeling like I belonged there.

It was good to meet David, whom I had spoken with by phone. I also met Steve and Eric who had complimentary areas of expertise. Our ninety-minute meeting flew by. We talked about my goals, their impressions of my book, strategies and possible tactics, and how they would partner with the Wiley publicist team. We also talked about the publishing industry and the changes it is going through. I couldn't help becoming absorbed in the discussion, forgetting for a few minutes the purpose of our meeting.

I left the meeting refreshed and a lot more knowledgeable  about publicity and what the team will do for Change with Confidence and me. Here are the ten things I didn't know about great publicists. They:

1. Come highly recommended
2. Work in teams
3. Ask for and listen to your goals
4. Read your book before writing a proposal
5. Are realistic about expectations
6. Are honest about what benefits should not be focused on
7. Are well connected
8. Provide advice on areas beyond publicity
9. Call in personal favours on your behalf
10. Are confident in their abilities

Most experiences are better when shared. This is true of my trip. My friend Peter made the journey with me before we both headed to New Jersey to work through the night on a consulting assignment. As we boarded the train back to Newark I thought to myself, "I'm in good hands."

Phil

Have You Found That There is Always One More Thing?

A fellow consultant and I have been interviewing team members about how their working lives will be different after some changes are made. I enjoy these meetings where real people discuss in real terms how they believe their work will change. Typically, people are reflective, forthright and articulate, which helps us understand the changes and how we can best help them transition to their new environments (as quickly and as painlessly as possible).

Each interview lasts an hour, which provides enough time to thoroughly discuss all changes and dig more deeply on revealing comments. By the end of the meeting the conversation has been exhausted. Or has it?

Years ago, I realized that there is always something that hasn't been said, a nuance that hasn't been shared or a statement that sheds light on a key point. By asking one more question, we are able to unlock a final insight, the jewel or piece of gold that might have been left behind. The question might have to be asked twice and we might have to survive a long pause, but if we do we are rewarded. 

Fortunately, this phenomenon has held true throughout our interviews; there is always one more thing. 

I was listening to a webcast on how to create publicity today and the moderator said to his guests just before closing the call, "Anything else you want to say before wrapping up?" Everyone had something to say. Try it sometime. You will be rewarded.

Phil

Man Narrowly Escapes Losing His Purpose

Last Saturday night, as I was  working through my "to do" list, I realized that the website content I was writing didn't sound like it had been written by me. It sounded like serious corporate text that, had I included in my book, would have been edited out. I realized that the business I was describing was a business I would not want to own, one that was focused on image rather than value delivered. I was using someone else's voice.

This realization weighed heavily on me and edged its way into an email I wrote to a friend who is helping me create a video for my site.

It would be great to start working on the Change with Confidence video when you are available. I have been thinking a lot about the feel of it (and the business) and realized that it must communicate the essence of the company (not just what it sells). It needs to be about hope, about helping people work through changes, about building their confidence so they are at their best as they create their future.

I don't want to think about dress code because that would be vain. Yes I do! The suit jacket could be on the chair but it's not on me. I am not a suit but a person who owns one and will only use it when he has to. I am the guy people trust and want to talk with about their stuff (including their change stuff).  I want to be me and help people.

I am the man who narrowly escaped losing his purpose. I had become so engrossed in getting things done that completion, not purpose, became the goal. 

After sending the email I started rewriting the content on my website for my business with my voice.

Phil

Is Enough Ever Enough?

I find that strategy and execution don't go well together. I wish it was different, but when I am planning I plan, and when I am executing, I execute. It's not ideal because you need to do both to be successful and you miss opportunities when the balance is off. I realized this (again) when I stopped executing and started thinking about what comes next. I had been busy making final "typo" edits, discussing cover design options and loading content onto the changewithconfidence.com website. 

"Next" is the book launch that will be supported by marketing efforts by the Wiley team and me. My questions were, "Are we going to do enough to get the word out about my book?" and "What happens if it isn't enough and we miss the critical launch window?" I am having a party and wondering if anyone will show up.  

Jane Russel once said, "Publicity can be terrible. But only if you don't have any." I was aware of authors hiring publicists but wasn't clear what they did or whether it was a good investment. 

I asked a couple of authors with successful book what they thought, One author said, "It's important to invest in the right publicist – a publicist with teeth who can build awareness for you and your book." Right. Got it.

My initial discussions with book publicists have been intriguing. I am drinking in their knowledge and experience and developing a clear and realistic picture of how they can help. Now I am reviewing proposals and soon will be starting a new partnership. After a quick strategy session, it will be time to execute again. 

Each phase of my journey has involved experts that have helped me find my way. Why shouldn't this be true for my launch? There is never enough marketing and promotion because you can only know the answer when it's too late to change the outcome. That probably holds true for parties, too.

Phil

Returning Favours One Connection at a Time

The first time I contacted someone famous was in 2004. I had seen Don Tapscott, the author of Paradigm Shift, speak at a conference about chaos theory.  His last slide included his email address and he gave everyone an invitation to contact him if they had any questions. Don had mentioned a biodiversity experiment at Cedar Creek and I was keen to learn more (really, it's interesting stuff). I asked him how I could get a copy of the original study. Don kindly connected me with the author, David Tilman. I called David and he sent me his research.

A few years later I emailed Matthew J. Bruccoli, an expert on F.S. Fitzgerald and an editor of his books and letters. I was looking for a copy of Sara and Gerald, Villa America and After, a book about American artist patrons in early 1920s France he had helped create. Matthew quickly responded and guided me to a copy on Abebooks. 

A few weeks ago, I sent a note to Chris Bogen, co-author of The Impact Equation. I am a fan of his newsletters and shared that his guidance is helping me with my book and business. He kindly and quickly replied, wishing me luck.

Connecting with people you don't know, even famous ones, seems easier and more commonplace today. There are more ways to connect and it is less of a big deal. Contacting an author to clarify a point or ask for guidance is almost expected. 

In our more social world, books, presentations and videos are no longer static creations; they are dynamic by virtue of the discussions around them. It's a win-win for the reader and the author. 

My opportunity is to make it easy for these connections to happen with my readers, whether through my website design, content or other social media.  Not only will it be good to make new connections, it will be good to return past favours. 

Phil

Catching Excellence

I spent my post-Christmas break rereading my book (which passed the holiday gifting test!). I had received the "first pages" typeset version from my production editor on December 18th with a two-week deadline to make corrections. 

Since this was my last chance to make changes, I asked my personal editor, Ken, to review my book one last time and he worked night and day to give me his suggestions on Christmas Eve. Now it was my turn to review and transfer his changes and mine to the master document.  

Boxing Day morning kicked-off a twenty-nine hour editing marathon. There are so many content and format elements to check and cross-reference. I can understand why errors sneak past publishing teams and authors. Here are the ones I found in the 57,000 word draft:

- Spelling

- Extra and missing words

- Punctuation

- Capitalization

- Singular and plural forms

- Continuity of formats 

There is a lot to get right and I have made these mistakes on earlier drafts. I realize that the probability of having errors in the printed version of my book is high, regardless of all precautions taken. I will not be someone who focuses on the 1 percent that we didn't get right; doing our best and taking pride in the 99 percent will be my orientation.

There are many quotations about excellence. My favourite is from Vince Lombardi, the U.S. football coach: "Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence."  My next step is to complete the Change with Confidence website with my designer, Kro, and communications specialist, Mel. We are going for excellence!

Phil

Let the Happiness In

The other day, a new acquaintance and I talked about how new perspectives had shaped our lives and how these influences appeared when we needed them the most - as a source of inspiration or a solution to a challenge. We shared stories about chance meetings, bizarre "Kevin Bacon six degrees of separation" connections and found resources that helped us along our paths. Most people have had similar experiences and hold views on what causes them, whether spiritual, physical or psychological. Most agree they are not random. 

I experienced this phenomenon while Christmas shopping. I was looking for a gift for a friend when The Happiness Project caught my eye. It was perfect because she is super positive and is devoted to self improvement. 

*Rubin, Gretchen 2009 The Happiness
Project, HarperCollins, N.Y., P. 85

Since I was not the only late holiday shopper,  I waited in line for about twenty minutes, just enough time to get absorbed in the book. I came across a passage that spoke to me: "When I find myself focusing overmuch on the anticipated future happiness of arriving at a certain goal, I remind myself to 'Enjoy now.' If I can enjoy the present, I don't need to count on the happiness that is (or isn't) waiting for me in the future."* I have recently been focusing all my efforts on my book's launch without appreciating each step that will get me there; when the goal becomes your only goal, the present becomes subservient to the future and activities become things to complete versus things to enjoy. It's time to rebalance my focus.

Coincidence? I think not. It turns out that The Happiness Project was a perfect gift for me. 

Happy Holidays everyone!

Phil

When Push Comes to Shove

Things are heating up as my March 11 launch date approaches. I met the Wiley marketing and publicity team this week, which was a highlight. The pieces of the marketing mix are coming together, including contact lists, press releases, sales team briefings and a launch party. Plans are being worked, milestones are being set and my to-do list is growing.


I am feeling the heat as my book and consulting commitments rub against each other. Both are important and both must be done well. Sleep has suffered but I am staying on track.

At the top of my book-related list is the 'changewithconfidence.com' website. My web designer and I mapped out the site and selected a template that will be customized with my content. 

Now it is up to me to write the content and for my designer to organize it in a clear and engaging way. The bulk of my work is to write chapter summaries and record videos. Each one will be accompanied by blank versions of the templates in my book that people can download for their change projects. The e-version of Change with Confidence will include embedded links so that people can retrieve them as they read. 

I am excited by the work that is before me. Often I do my best work when push comes to shove. 

Phil

If it looks like a duck...

A Duck

At a meeting I facilitated last week, someone mentioned that she had referenced the 'duck test' (if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck,  and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck) to her team and no one knew what she meant.

I feel like I am going through the duck test now as the hard cover version of my book is being assembled. I asked my Wiley production supervisor if she could send me a sample of the layout design and she kindly sent me a few pages. 

Fonts: Blumner MTStd, Minion Pro 

and Ocean Sans

Here's where the duck test comes in. The layout looks like a hard cover business book, the fonts are similar to other hard cover business books, and the dimensions are common to most hard cover business book. Therefore, Change with Confidence will look and feel like a hard cover business book. I am getting more and more excited as I see the physical elements come together. Each one is a 'pinch myself' moment, a small win that needs to be celebrated. Celebration is an important factor of successful change management and I am seeing my motivation spike every time I have one.

Two observations came to mind when studying the layout: It will be easy to flip through my book to find specific information, which has always been a must-have requirement. Also, the templated examples are shown exactly as they were created during big change projects, which reflects the experience-based, practical nature of my book. 

 The cover is the final element of the design phase. As long as it looks like a business book (the duck) then my book will be in good shape.

Phil

What's on the Cutting Room Floor?

I was excited to see my edited manuscript in my inbox, which kicked off the next step on my path - making publisher edits. My editor said there were no  major changes, which was a relief, but how many edits would there be? There were 152, which isn't that many for a 257 page (52,000 word) book. Or is it?

I felt like a kid getting back a test. Did I pass? I decided to jump in and read through the changes before making the edits. My first impression was that the edit comments were really well written. It makes sense that publishing professionals would be excellent writers but I kept saying, "that's a really good way of explaining the point. This is really well written." Here is a breakdown of edits:

• Clarification of meaning                 52
• Reword/word substitution              31
• Quote source                                 22
• Formatting                                     13
• Request to add text                       10
• Confirm spelling of name               12
• Define term                                      6
• Bullet point order                             5
• Compliment  to the author               1

I was asked to comment on each edit and make changes using Microsoft Word's "track changes" feature. I usually find this way of editing a file to be messy but this was a high-end version which worked really well. There were only five edits I did't make because they would have changed my intended meaning. That seems like a small number and is a sign of amazing editors. 

It took twenty hours to make the changes and by the end of the process I felt I had a personal connection with my editors. The final editing phase was a good one: I had a better manuscript and had learned a few tips on writing. It doesn't matter what's on the cutting room floor. What's left on the table is what counts.

Phil