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Rocket Fuel - a lesson in differences

Rocket Fuel – A Lesson in Differences

Rocket Fuel - a lesson in differences

Credit: Amazon.co.uk

It has taken me 25 years to really understand the difference between my husband and I. It is only in the last two months that I have really begun to understand how that might influence the difference between success and failure in our business.

We all have defining moments in our lives. Like the first time spent away from home or the first kiss (I’ll tell you my story sometime!!) I remember the first time I realised what an amazing product rainbow trout was when I was on a date with Ger and helped him feed the fish.  I also remember the first time I visited a marketing department and was told about the value of a brand.

I had another one of these defining moments on a long haul flight a few months ago to China as I began to read a brilliantly written book by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters called Rocket Fuel. I turned to my colleague and told her I was reading a book written about myself and Ger. By the time we reached our destination some 12 hours later I had finished the book with a new found understanding of our relationship, not just in life but also in business.

We all know we have differences, not just a gender thing but also personality types. My husband summed it up nicely one day from his prospective. He told me we used two very different deodorants. He said I used Impulse and he used Sure.  It was obvious form that statement that Ger had never read this book or in fact had no real understanding of our differences. I am glad to say that has all changed as a result of my encounter with this book.

While I have struggled over the years to understand and live with differences within our relationship, this book went on to explain how these differences are necessary. If people are clever enough the tension generated as a result of these differences could in fact be used to generate fuel to propel a business to new heights. It worked for Disney. It worked for McDonald’s. It worked for Ford. Could it work for Goatsbridge I asked?

I am a visionary and my husband is an integrator. Visionaries have ground breaking ideas who are focused on big ideas, big relationships and the culture of the company. Integrators make those ideas a reality and are leaders whose natural talent is competently directing all the moving parts of a business.

They say men are from Venus and women are from Mars. How about using these differences and heading to The Moon. See you there.