It is hard to know when it started and I am not even really sure if today is the day it finishes but today I have my book launch. That was a very strange sentence to type as a dyslexic who took several attempts to get ‘O’ level English (yes I am that old, it was an ‘O’ level way back then).

I have known for years that a crew was more than the sum of their parts. I had sailed since I was 12 with different crews every year and it was rarely the combination of the best individuals that won – but it was always the crew that “got on”. They had something that the other crews didn’t. Many of us have been lucky enough at some stage in our lives to be part of such a team, crew, tribe, gang or posse; a group of individuals that come together for a common purpose and have something beyond the basic roles they each play – esprit de corps.

I have also always enjoyed the industrial parables of modern business writing, The one minute manager, Who moved the cheese?, My Iceberg is melting etc and thought I could best communicate my thoughts around teams and project management in this style and so Uncle Bob Builds a Boat was born as an idea in 2010. Well I started to write things in 2010 but the story had been there for years before in different strands, my sailing experiences, my work experiences, my family and church friends. However, the real putting words on paper, pixels into programme, started in 2013.

The problem with writing is showing it to someone else. The first draft was great when I read it, but it was amazing how much “red pen” came back from the first few I shared it with and so it was that I started to work more closely with Chris Powell. Chris is a group analysis and friend (not necessarily in that order) and was able to finesse the characters and their interactions and brought some rigour to the story. I am also grateful that Martha, Anton and Amanda played their parts in helping shape the text.

So as chapter 11 says – “Beer or Champagne?”. Well the launch is just that, the launch. There is much to do getting the book out and being read and used as I intended but none of that is possible without the team who helped me get this far. They are “one of those teams”. Luther created illustrations that are beyond my imagination, both Chris & Chris encouraged me every time I slowed down to keep going. I am now starting to get the team together for the post launch phase but tonight it is all about raising a glass or two (on a boat of course) and celebrating success.

Book is available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Uncle-Bob-Builds-Boat-Industrial/dp/1527206386/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507648381&sr=1-1&keywords=uncle+bob+builds+a+boat

Illustrator https://lutherspicer.dunked.co

Chris Powell http://www.spark.uk.net