Featured Interview With Irial OFarrell
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Ireland but have lived in Australia, the US and spent summers in London, UK and Sicily, which was fab. I moved back to Ireland in 1999. My first real, office job was in Sydney, Australia. I had a great boss and was fascinated by how everyone loved him and strongly avoided the other manager. Ever since, I’ve been fascinated by what makes people tick and the impact that has in the workplace, on the individual, the team and the business, as a whole. I also love writing, so I get to combine two things I love doing.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved reading books and, its fair to say, there are books everywhere in our house. If they’re looking to buy something, my kids know I’ll always buy them a book. I do remember writing stories as a young teenager, although they didn’t really go anywhere. I’ve taken a few creative writing classes and the feedback from one person was that my style reminded them of Marian Keyes. I was chuffed with that. While my focus is currently on sharing my insights and experience on management and organisational performance, I think I might have a fiction book in me, somewhere.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Fiction-wise, I love Marian Keyes, Michael Connelly and J K Rowling’s Harry Potter.
Non-fiction, which I read a lot of, I’ve really enjoyed The Leadership Pipeline, Leadership & Self-Deception and any of the books by Tim Marshall.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
I’m currently working on a book called SMART Objective Setting for Managers. I’ve worked with over 1,000 managers and many, many of them struggle with how to set out an effective objective, with or without SMART. They typically groan when I mention SMART. However, designed well, SMART objectives can be very effective in communicating and agreeing what the objective is, why it matters, the supports and constraints that may exist and how best to approach delivering the objective.
I’ve finished the first draft and I’m starting to go through the content, as my second draft. I’ve already added in 2 new chapters, which I think improves it. I’ll leave you to decide!
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