Weeknote: S2, Ep11: Re-fueling in Norfolk, a different walk to work and attention grabbing TV
Good things
A break over Easter was well-timed and welcome. A long weekend in Norfolk visiting family — punctuated by dog walks, endless cups of tea, the gentle kindness of my in-laws and two energetic nieces — re-fueled my sense of optimism and possibility.
Learned things
No great revelations. A short holiday reminds me that getting out of my regular routine is a boost to my creativity. Finding micro ways of doing this during the week is a fun challenge. One Thursday I got off the train one stop early and walked a different way to the office. I wound my way through a local housing estate. I had to tune into my immediate environment with greater care because the route was unfamiliar. I noticed things I would normally ignore. It was good to connect with the borough differently and the people we’re here to serve.
Difficulties
Change is a slow burn. Recognising that changing myself in the midst of trying to change a workplace culture is exhilarating and exhausting, and sometimes tedious and sometimes joyful. It’s a warren of emotions and responses — no day is the same. Creating safety and stability for teams trying to get things done adds another layer of complexity. I’m always grateful that I don’t do this alone. Change takes an ensemble cast — no star turns — rather lots of thinking and doing together.
Achievements
Starting and finishing. Starting is hard — sometimes it takes me days or weeks to start something. Finishing is hard — my Trello board is littered with half completed things. I’ve taken some baby steps to get better at both starting and finishing.
- Telling people I’m trying to get better at this
- Doing actions in real time where possible, rather than thinking “I’ll do it later” (and then don’t)
- Playing back actions and connecting them with outcomes “if we do x, does this get us to y” so that I’m doing the things that matter
- Completing small-ish tasks in one hit
Reading/Watching/Listening
Lingjing Yin transcribed her recent talk at the Service Lab London on influencing organisational change. Her six provocations are relevant for anyone navigating the choppy waters of change.
Enjoyed the Wellcome Collection’s podcast on ecstasy. What other topic could bring together the awesomeness of DJ Annie Mac and the Revd Richard Coles.
I watched A Study in Pink — the first ever episode of Sherlock by Steven Moffatt and Mark Gatiss. It’s almost 12 years old, but it is still great TV. My phone was left abandoned on the arm of the sofa — I didn’t pick it up once. I can’t remember the last time this happened.
