Practice This

 
by MissTurner

Personal development books seem to follow a well-defined structure. Knowing the structure is helpful when you want to distill practical nuggets. After all, that is the main reason you read such books in first place, no? You want to efficiently distill nuggets of effectiveness.

After reading quite a few books on personal development I have a feeling that these three follow the pattern:

• The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
• The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield and Janet Switzer
• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith and  Mark Reiter

The basic ingredients are failure story, credibility, problem/myth, solution approach, success story.

Tell A story – Hook The Reader

The first part usually describes a fellow who tries hard to succeed but repeatedly fails. The purpose of this part is to make  a connection with the reader, to intrigue him, to hook him. The most important skill here is storytelling. It is essential to tell a story that will speak to the reader’s heart. The author picks the persona that represents his target audience and he builds the story around it. It’s easy that way for the story to resonate with readers.  This enhances the odds that people stay engaged and actually finish the book. 

Street Credentials – I Have Been Around

Once the reader is hooked by the failure story he needs an answer:  “Sounds like I have similar problem. How can I solve it?“. The reader wants not just an answer, he wants the answer from the guy who’s been around – the one who knows, the maven. One great way to establish your credibility is by listing wins with high profile names: Google, Microsoft, GM, US Government, etc.

Failures, Problems, Myths, Disappointments

At this point the reader is completely hooked.  He has a similar problems and the author has proven solutions. The author continues with other failure patterns, thus paving the path for providing additional solutions in subsequent chapters. To fill a 200-page book, he must first provide context. This is done by characterizing the problems for which the solutions are designed to solve.

In my consulting practice I call these latent requirements. Many customers call me onsite for one reason yet they appreciate it when I provide additional insights outside the context of the original problem.

Why Failure Happens – The Broken Rules

Naturally the reader asks a simple question – “Why do all these failures happen? What’s the reason?” At that point the author explains that there are basic rules that were broken. He lists the cases cited earlier and for each one describes the rule being broken. This happens in no particular order.  What’s important here is that the author prepares the reader for the main part or the book – the rules of success.

Follow The Rules To Succeed

This is the raison d’être of the book. Here the author lays the prescriptive guidance, the practical rules. The message is clear – “You have seen many failures. It happens when fundamental rules are broken. I made it to the top, I am successful, I am the one in the know, and I will show you the rules that worked for me. Follow the rules and you will make it to the top too.”

Inspire The Reader – Tell Success Story

“Whoa! What a ride! So much to learn and try out. But hey… does it really work? Can you show me? Can you walk me through your success so I can feel it?” The author happily does so, calling out each rule and how it contributes to success. This convinces the reader in author’s authenticity. It inspires him to implement the rules right away. Success awaits!

Practice This – Get Results

If you write a personal development book (or a blog post)  consider following this pattern:

• Tell a story that speaks to reader’s heart – hook the reader.
• Show your street credentials – make the reader believe you are in the know, make him trust you. 
• Tell more failure stories – create plenty of room for solutions.
• Explain why the failures happen – make the reader want your rules list.
• Offer the rules – the reader should be well prepared for them.
• Tell a success story – create a mental image of success. Inspire the reader to follow your rules.
• Read a personal development book – you have nothing to lose

Editor in chief – Jimmy May

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