How books leave their mark. Or: Why "Rock your idea" made me cry

There are books on my bookshelf that have shaped almost an entire decade of my life. Or were so important to me that I know exactly at what age I read them and what impact they had on my life.

1 – 10

I can't remember exactly what I read in the first 10 years of my life. But it was a lot. Afternoons in a deckchair with Enid Blyton (yes, I admit it, Hanni and Nanni, all volumes), Astrid Lindgren and Michael Ende.

This one little book by Pearl S. Buck stands out, "The jumping tide". It was the only book my parents had to hand on their bedside table - it was actually just for decoration. They tended to read it in the living room or on the balcony. I must have read it a few dozen times because it was just there. And hopeful.

The book talks about destruction caused by a tsunami and new beginnings, about a fisherman's boy being orphaned by a tsunami. Later, as an adult, he returns to the beach that robbed his family of their lives. He starts a family and builds a house. To protect themselves from possible disaster, his ancestors had not built any windows facing the sea. He builds his house with a window facing the sea. A book full of hope.

11 – 20

In my teenage years, I read countless biographies. Especially of revolutionaries like Savanarola and people who made a difference in the world - like Sophie Scholl, Albert Schweizer and many others. That has stayed with me. I still love biographies today. Because not everyone reads as much as I do, I'm publishing a series of compact biographies for your pocket that are both crisp and in-depth: The world changers.

In addition to biographies and C.S. Lewis - from Screwtape to Narnia, one book in particular left its mark on me: Pray and marvel. The author Catherine Marshall describes very different forms of prayer. It inspired me and opened my eyes to the fact that faith can be lived and expressed in many different ways. This has also influenced me to this day.

21 – 30

The book of the twenties decade was Robinson Crusoe. I wrote my master's thesis on "The image of the stranger in Robinson Crusoe" and found it extremely exciting to deal with. The biggest realisation: the individual stranger - such as Freitag - can easily become a friend. Approaching the group of strangers, "the cannibals", is associated with far greater fears. In view of the current refugee situation (I refuse to call the admission of refugees into our country a "crisis"), I couldn't resist turning my Robinson and Freitag insights into an article - about it, of course, How strangers can become friends,

Completely unnecessary info, but kind of cool. Since my Robinson days, I know that the word "barbecue" comes from the Caribbean "barbucan", which means "roast your enemies!" - You can use this information very efficiently at barbecue parties when there's only one steak left on the grill and you want to spoil everyone else's appetite.... (I would never think of it, of course). And since my Robinson days, I've had a sign hanging on my office door "The only person getting his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe!" 

30 – 40

Over the years, I have read several books that have had a strong influence on me, especially Steven Covey's books on the Seven paths to effectiveness (Although I still find the German title cruelly badly translated, because Covey is talking about seven habits that you can and should practise for a good, successful life. His books, but also Good to Great / The way to the best have taught me a lot about focus and direction for life. Some of it. Not everything. More on that later.

40 – 50

I'm still in there. Coaching books took centre stage in this decade: Solution-orientated consulting  I really devoured Bamberger's book. And of course Marshall Rosenberg Non-violent communication and many other titles that have strengthened and shaped me in my practice as a coach. In addition, a whole series of books by people such as Aliss Cresswell, Bill Johnson and Kris Valatton and others, that have challenged and stretched my faith - more into the idea that God does not want to act alone, but gladly with and through us.

And now there's a new book that I suspect will shape my professional life in the next decade in particular Martin Gaedts Book:  Rock your idea.

Those who know me know that I rarely succumb to ideas. When some people freeze in horror, crises inspire me to be creative. For example, when there's a fire on the balcony 7 metres away, diagonally from me, because teenage guests were playing sparkler toss at a birthday party !!!! and unerringly hit a withered Christmas tree that burst into flames.

While all the other guests looked at the fire, frozen with shock, I ran into the kitchen and bathroom, fetched teapots and whatever else I could find, and tried to pour water diagonally across the courtyard onto the distant balcony. And hit it. At least often enough to extinguish the flames before the fire brigade arrived with three fire engines.

But being able to think in a witty, original and creative way is not enough to successfully realise an idea.

That's what I realised when I read Rock your idea. Originality and openness always need to be counterbalanced by analysis and careful observation in order for something to succeed. The be-all and end-all.

Reading it made me realise why many of my ideas, which were actually good at first, didn't work out. I have beautiful postcards produced, environmentally friendly, original with a good design. The only inconvenience was that I didn't calculate the distribution costs accurately (if only because I don't know how to calculate such things). And I didn't properly enquire whether the customers of my Publisher, my books and Training materials appreciate, even on postcards. They don't. I know that now. 9875 unsold postcards later.

And my customers don't even like all of my Books. I made book titles that I was enthusiastic about without first checking whether other people would also be enthusiastic about them. And, of course, whether they would actually buy the titles. Of course, you can never say for sure, the most typical thing about the future is that it is uncertain. Asking about interest and response would have been the good, complementary A to the bubbly O. That was missing in most cases.

To make matters worse, especially in the early stages, I made book covers that looked good on the computer but didn't work at all in the shop. That's another story.

When I Rock your idea when I had finished reading, I cried for a while.

It simply hurt to realise how many ideas with potential failed or didn't come to full fruition because my A-wing didn't unfold...I didn't even know it existed. And I don't even want to begin to feel or even calculate how much emotional and financial energy this lack of analysis has cost me. It really makes me cry.

In coaching it is often said that when something doesn't work, people redouble their efforts. The partner doesn't listen. So you talk louder or more. The thing is stuck, so you tug more. Taking a step back and developing a completely different strategy is usually the better alternative.

It's stupid when you make the mistake yourself. I developed an idea. When things got difficult, I simply developed the next idea instead of doing something else. Analysing precisely, for example. I can develop ideas. I always come up with something. So I redoubled my efforts. And not to be too hard on myself: quite a few of the ideas were good too.

But I can imagine how much better my publishing work would have worked if I had known and practised the back and forth between originality and analysis 10 years ago. Fortunately, it's not too late. I still have - presumably - a few years, or a decade or two, of professional life ahead of me. And I will try to strengthen my A - wing. Because if you only fly with an O - wing, you fly in circles. And I've brought a brand new A woman on board and a super A counsellor into the team to support me. And a third A woman simply arrived this week of her own accord. I am amazed.

Now it's time to take a careful look: What works? What is not?

And when we then develop the next idea, which is of course already there, a good portion of A will be added to the O.

No "business" book has ever managed to make me cry.

But I know that in a few years I'll be laughing and saying: The thoughts from Rock your ideaespecially the basic idea of A and O, has changed something. It has improved the way I approach projects. It has changed someone. Me.