Lyn Bromley and Donna Whitbrook’s book on building relationships in a digital world is full of inspirational ideas, top tips and insights from their experience of working with global organisations. In our latest, Shulph Spotlight, Lyn tells Emmanuel the idea behind ‘Trusted‘: a book that explores how leaders go about building genuine human connections in an increasingly digital world.
E: Your book, Trusted. How did the book first come to light?
L: The book idea was born out of research we were doing for a couple of client workshops. We both work as corporate consultants, people developers and performance coaches, and we saw a common thread come through as part of these discussions, so we set out undertaking further research, plus interviews with successful professionals, as well as our own stories to add. As this was our first book, we just went with our gut instinct and listened to lots of podcasts to hear how others had approached writing a business book too. That was helpful and really useful research.
E: How did you come up with the title?
L: We had gone through a number of iterations for the title – none of which felt quite right. We were guests at a retail industry thought leaders event, listening to Andy Street (ex-John Lewis) speaking and he talked about trust. That evening, I was recounting the story to my husband and I had the list of names next to me on the sofa. ‘Trusted’ just seemed like the perfect word to describe how the elements of the model I had sketched out come together: mindset, communication, interaction, behaviour and professional image. As soon as I shared it with a few trusted advisors, everyone loved it!
E: You’ve co-authored this book, how does your collaborative creation and writing process work?
L: We started the planning process with lots of post-it notes and flip charts to get all our ideas on paper. We came up with our table of contents fairly early on with Alison Jones, our publisher at Practical Inspiration Publishing. It then made the writing process fairly easy as we were only ever working on one section at a time. That kept us really focused. We wrote most of the book remotely as we live around 50 miles apart, so we used video conferencing to collaborate.
E: Is there a certain reader that you’re looking to inspire or enthuse?
L: For me specifically, I have spent my whole career in professional services, so I feel that I can help people with my experience and knowledge, particularly within this area. I hope to inspire anyone in that industry, from someone just starting out to a struggling middle-manager who made need some extra tips and tricks to help them with their team, to leaders who are looking for ideas to motivate and inspire.
E: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Trusted?
L: I heard the Seth Godin quote: ‘the book that most changes your life is the book you write’. I completely agree with that. It made me think more deeply about my subject and that has had a positive effect on the work I deliver. It also makes a great resource for me when I am planning out workshop content, blogs and social media posts.
E: What books have influenced your life the most?
L: I generally read about business, psychology and personal growth. My favourite book, the one that I go back to time and again is ‘The Big Leap’ by Gay Henricks, it has a great philosophy about upper limits – that made a big impact on me. I enjoy Seth Godin books – he always has a great spin on a subject and Daniel Priestley’s books are great resources for business growth. One of the books that has the greatest influence on me is Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Power of Persuasion – absolute gold.
E: Do you read books across multiple formats and does your choice in titles alter depending on the format and where you read them?
L: Yes, I have often bought a book to read on a device, really enjoyed it and then bought it in hard copy so I can add notes and bookmarks – it’s easier to flick back to something and find it again. When I go on holiday, I tend to read digital formats to save more room for shoes in my suitcase! I regularly listen to audio books too. I really enjoy this format and find it a great use of time when driving, cooking or walking. We are so used to this one-click world, it’s great to have the option of how to access a book wherever and whenever you happen to be.
E: What are you working on at the moment?
L: My latest project, which may well become book number two, is a podcast called ‘Exploring Excellence in Professional Services’. I am looking out for professional service superstars to interview, there are a few conversations happening, so watch this space…
Pick up your print & digital copy of Trusted for £19.99 via the Shulph Bookstore and connect with Lyn through First Impressions and Twitter @fstimpressions
About Shulph
At Shulph, we believe that you’re reading experience should fit seamlessly into your lifestyle, whether you’re on the move or curled up on the sofa at home. We’re here to ensure you never have to choose between the print and digital copy of the book ever again. To buy your book once and receive both print and digital copies at the same time.
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Jump into any of these titles today, and elevate your colleagues and employees. Happy Reading.
Emmanuel
Founder & MD of Shulph