There is a book on my shelf that has sat there untouched for six years. I picked it up this weekend and it is fantastic. The book is the autobiography of Greg Dyke.
You've probably never heard of him. Internationally he is almost unknown and in even in his native UK, he is not a household figure. However, in the broadcasting industry, everyone knows who he is. Greg Dyke has run many of the major television organisations in the UK and the pinnacle of his career was when he ran, and turned-around, the BBC.
I'll blog about the way that he turned around the BBC, and the lessons that we can learn for the organisations we work for in a couple of days, but first I wanted to try and give you a measure of Greg Dyke's approach to leadership.
Greg Dyke is certainly no academic leader. His leadership is perhaps best described as a gut-led guerilla style and his entire career was punctuated with great, sometimes amusing, examples of this.
For example, on his first day as Chief Exec at one organisation he put a six foot cut out photo of his face behind reception with the words beneath that said: "Hi - I'm your new Chief Executive. I'm coming round today to meet as many of you as possible but if I don't catch you, I'll be in the bar tonight, so come and have a drink with me and let me know what you think of the place." Imagine walking into your job and seeing that behind reception.
Another example is that when he joined the BBC he noticed how bureaucratic the place was. So he sent a yellow card, like the ones that soccer referees use, to every employee with the words: "Cut the crap" written on it. The implication, I guess, is that those who didn't start acting in a dynamic way would be given a red card and sent packing.
These examples might sound like he intimidated the workforce, but the opposite is actually true. When he eventually left the BBC, the staff took out a full page advert in The (London) Telegraph thanking him for his efforts as a leader.
I think the secret of why he was so respected comes from the fact that everyone could see that Greg Dyke is the real deal. He says: "In leadership you must be yourself. If you ask people to act in a way that is different to the way in which you behave, people will smell it immediately".
Greg Dyke's antics, whilst unconventional, are an honest reflection of who he is.
There is a lesson here that we can all take on board: in the workplace, you should be true to yourself. When you walk in through the office door, don't leave your passions and interests outside - bring them in and build your role around them. It burns a lot of energy if you are in a role that doesn't suit, but if you are in a role that excites you it will give you energy.
In a previous role, I remember asking my manager why he'd taken a responsibility that I enjoyed away from me, only for him to look surprised and say that's what he thought I wanted. It's very easy for incorrect assumptions to be made about likes and dislikes, so I make a point now of always telling my manager what I enjoy and what I don't.
We should all try and shape our roles around our passions. If you are not already doing it, start today. Greg Dyke would.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
New Year's Resolutions
Happy New Year all!
Green Olive Press has made one or two New Year's Resolutions for 2011:
1. To update the blog regularly
2. To clear out the office
So, here it is... first post of the year, so number 1 can be ticked, and today, a major office sort out took place. Just at the end of it now after several hours hard graft. Papers recycled, old furniture removed, stationery tidied and new items purchased (including some rather swanky Penguin cookie tins, now home to numerous pens and pencils and gadgets for fastening paper together). I even managed to part with a box full of books and received some cash in return from the local secondhand bookshop in Bondi Beach, and felt good after depositing those the shop rejected in the Vinnies shop just up the road. Number 2 can be ticked off too!
All in all, 2011 is off to a promising start!
Green Olive Press has made one or two New Year's Resolutions for 2011:
1. To update the blog regularly
2. To clear out the office
So, here it is... first post of the year, so number 1 can be ticked, and today, a major office sort out took place. Just at the end of it now after several hours hard graft. Papers recycled, old furniture removed, stationery tidied and new items purchased (including some rather swanky Penguin cookie tins, now home to numerous pens and pencils and gadgets for fastening paper together). I even managed to part with a box full of books and received some cash in return from the local secondhand bookshop in Bondi Beach, and felt good after depositing those the shop rejected in the Vinnies shop just up the road. Number 2 can be ticked off too!
All in all, 2011 is off to a promising start!
Friday, September 3, 2010
DBC Pierre on Editing - Top Tip
Last Tuesday, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a talk with the infamous author, DBC Pierre at the Oxford Street Arts Factory.
DBC Pierre spoke eruditely, eloquently and with aplomb, in his usual 'bad boy of literature' way, and answered questions from the audience, written on Sydney Writers' Festival compliments slips, and drawn from a fish bowl. (My question -prompted by a friend - raised a few laughs: 'What would it take to get you to come to my book club?' but was, unfortunately, charismatically dismissed!)
One of the most interesting responses, certainly from an editor's perspective, was to 'Why do you write under a pseudonym?' DBC Pierre replied that it enabled him to review and edit his writing objectively, an intentional disconnect from his self-consciousness, heritage and past. An the top tip - 'Use a decoy duck'.
DBC Pierre spoke eruditely, eloquently and with aplomb, in his usual 'bad boy of literature' way, and answered questions from the audience, written on Sydney Writers' Festival compliments slips, and drawn from a fish bowl. (My question -prompted by a friend - raised a few laughs: 'What would it take to get you to come to my book club?' but was, unfortunately, charismatically dismissed!)
One of the most interesting responses, certainly from an editor's perspective, was to 'Why do you write under a pseudonym?' DBC Pierre replied that it enabled him to review and edit his writing objectively, an intentional disconnect from his self-consciousness, heritage and past. An the top tip - 'Use a decoy duck'.
Monday, August 30, 2010
e-books - a sudden realisation!
It suddenly all became clear to me recently when someone described the creation of e-books as similar to the printing process in traditional publishing.
In traditional publishing the steps in the chain are:
In e-book publishing the steps in the chain are:
The only real difference between the publication of printed books and electronic books is the number of electronic versions that are required.
There are a number of e-book 'readers' or 'devices' (Kindle, I-Pad etc) and these devices all require e-book files to be created in a specific format. So, whereas a printed book is just the same regardless of where you buy it and where you read it, behind the scenes of an e-book the programming code differs depending on the type of device you are reading the book on.
Simple isn't it!
So simple, in fact, that the Green Olive Press is shortly due to launch its own range of e-books.
Watch this space!
In traditional publishing the steps in the chain are:
- Author ... Editor ... Designer ... Publisher ... Printer ... Distributor
In e-book publishing the steps in the chain are:
- Author ... Editor ... Designer ... Publisher ... e-book creator (or file converter) ... Distributor
The only real difference between the publication of printed books and electronic books is the number of electronic versions that are required.
There are a number of e-book 'readers' or 'devices' (Kindle, I-Pad etc) and these devices all require e-book files to be created in a specific format. So, whereas a printed book is just the same regardless of where you buy it and where you read it, behind the scenes of an e-book the programming code differs depending on the type of device you are reading the book on.
Simple isn't it!
So simple, in fact, that the Green Olive Press is shortly due to launch its own range of e-books.
Watch this space!
Monday, August 16, 2010
International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs)
In July 2010, Amazon.com announced that its ebook sales outnumbered sales of traditional hardback books - selling 143 ebooks for every 100 hardback books, and has done so for three months.
Ebooks are certainly taking the world by storm, but navigating the various platforms can be tricky for readers and publishers alike.
Did you know that publishers assign a unique International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to each publication? Well, publishers not only have to assign an ISBN to each ebook they publish, but also have to assign an ISBN for each version of the ebook created for every different ebook reader (or device) they want the book to be available on!
That's a lot of numbers!
Ebooks are certainly taking the world by storm, but navigating the various platforms can be tricky for readers and publishers alike.
Did you know that publishers assign a unique International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to each publication? Well, publishers not only have to assign an ISBN to each ebook they publish, but also have to assign an ISBN for each version of the ebook created for every different ebook reader (or device) they want the book to be available on!
That's a lot of numbers!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Putting Pen to Paper: The Writing and Publishing Journey
Putting pen to paper is the flagship publication of the Green Olive Press, an independent publishing company based in Sydney. Caroline Webber, the director, set up the Green Olive Press after being inspired by a group of friends at a dinner party in the UK in 2006.
The Green Olive Press aims to publish a small number of titles each year related to English literature, words and food - preferably a combination of all three.
Caroline Webber, who has a doctorate in eighteenth century English literature from the University of Liverpool, has spent the past two years working for a publishing company, was inspired to write Putting pen to paper after running a series of seminars around New South Wales.
'Sometimes when you go on a journey,' Caroline says, 'you need a map. Putting pen to paper assists writers to create their own map and provides the tools and techniques to help turn aspirations into publications.'
Patti Miller, author of Writing your life and Whatever the gods do, says 'with Putting pen to paper in your hand, you will have a well0informed knowledge of the entire book production process as well as many tips for improving your writing - and improving your chances of being published.'
Putting pen to paper is available from http://www.greenolivepress.com/, priced $22.00 (AUD, including P&P).
Monday, February 22, 2010
Wonderful words
Whilst sitting gazing absentmindedly out of the window, a small robin with cocktail-stick legs hopped onto the garden wall, and started eating the seeds left out for him. His red breast flashed as he jerked up and down, a blaze of colour in the grey wintery landscape. Something in the very movements of the little bird transporte dme back to my childhood, and I started pondering on various subjects that reminded me of bygone days.
My mind filled with thoughts of short, cold winter days, where the garden was littered with leaves and the dark brown skeletons of naked trees against a white backdrop of snow and then gave way to thoughts of tiny green shoots emerging from the cold, hard ground, and then on to long summer days, full of laughter as my sister and I soared high into the summer sky on our garden swings, our feet trying to touch the white lines from jet engines scarring the brilliant blue sky. We laughed and laughed and sang and laughed some more. We played wonderful word games and devised tongue twisters, mimicked people's voices, acted caricatures of each other and various family members, and made up our own language.
One thought led on to another and I found myself back in primary school, learning about homophones. And just for fun, I started creating a list just as I did all those years ago:
My mind filled with thoughts of short, cold winter days, where the garden was littered with leaves and the dark brown skeletons of naked trees against a white backdrop of snow and then gave way to thoughts of tiny green shoots emerging from the cold, hard ground, and then on to long summer days, full of laughter as my sister and I soared high into the summer sky on our garden swings, our feet trying to touch the white lines from jet engines scarring the brilliant blue sky. We laughed and laughed and sang and laughed some more. We played wonderful word games and devised tongue twisters, mimicked people's voices, acted caricatures of each other and various family members, and made up our own language.
One thought led on to another and I found myself back in primary school, learning about homophones. And just for fun, I started creating a list just as I did all those years ago:
- break; brake
- but; butt
- blew; blue
- sea; see
- tow; toe
- to; too; too
- peak; peek
How many can you think of?
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