It’s fairly rare that I reread a book, but when I do, I learn new things every time. So I should do it more often, shouldn’t I?
If I don’t do it as much as I should, it’s no doubt because of a lack of time. And also because of a surplus of books already on my desk.
But recently, I had the chance to do something I had never done before. I reread a book in French that I had already read in English. It was really cool, because while the content was almost exactly the same, it was expressed in a new way.
That probably means the translation was very well done, and I dare say the book must surely have been to my liking if I took the trouble to reread it.
Since I started working in the field of family businesses, I’ve read a few books on the subject, but this one was the first one I reread, and while rereading it, I remembered how much I had liked it the first time.
But what is this remarkable book, you ask? In English, it’s called SHIFT your Family Business, it came out in July 2014, and its author is someone I see often, especially when I look in the mirror.
I recently decided to have it translated into French, and I had just received the French version about two weeks ago. I don’t know if I would have reread it otherwise, especially not so soon after reading it the first time.
It was quite an experience to see my writing in a form other than the one I had written it in, but it was very pleasant to read a book whose content I agreed with so much!
Since the words weren’t mine, I sometimes forgot that the idea was to check whether the translator had properly grasped my thoughts and had succeeded in expressing them anew in French.
But at the same time, I gained a new appreciation for what I had accomplished the first time around by writing it in English. I hope the effort I invested in this translation will have been worth it, but I didn’t really have a choice, given that I live in Quebec and not everyone is able to read my book in English.
It won’t end there either, since so far my website is only in English, not to mention my business cards!
It’s coming, slowly but surely. At the same time, I’m devoting my efforts to finding every way and opportunity to get my message out, and I believe people are starting to hear me, and they will keep hearing me in 2015.
I find there are still too many business families who focus too much on their business rather than on their family.
Those who offer their services to family SMEs are also too focused on the “company” side and not enough on the “family” side.
It’s starting to change, but not fast enough for my liking.
The French version of my book is titled “Changer votre vision de l’entreprise familiale. Cessez de travailler dans votre entreprise familiale et travaillez plutôt sur votre famille entrepreneuriale.” (Stop working in your family business and work on your enterprising family instead.)
I hope the French version will be available in February 2015. SHIFT your Family Business has been available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca since July 2014.
