Weeknote 03
Bare with me this week as I attempt to form coherent thoughts.
The week started with the big news that I’ve joined TPXimpact as a Senior Partner - Major Projects. I’ll be focussed on leading client work on some of our largest pieces of work. I’ll talk below a bit more about the who and the what.
It’s been a great first week. Pre-boarding - all the admin gubbins of joining any new org and getting my laptop delivered to home and everything set up and work on day 1 has been outstanding.
And my first week of onboarding activity has been excellent as well. I’ve had the right amount of focussed time with my boss (hi James!); a trello board to guide me through day 1/week 1/and beyond. TONS to read (maybe too much?). A LOT of people to start meeting. And I’ve hopped right into some work on procurement (self-inflicted as I outed myself as being a procurement nerd on Day 2) and spending time with the folks I’ll be taking over from on client work.
Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and so open to making time to talk.
My main challenge has been having to re-understand the concept of time and structure again after my break.
What I’ll be working on
The first client I’ll be working with is the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). Specifically in the Digital Planning space. Even more specifically, I’m focussed on picking up the next phases of our work on Local Plans. Really impressed with what I’ve seen the team having delivered so far.
Our big challenge here is transitioning from multiple discoveries and alphas into beta with some crunchy deadlines focusing our minds. It’s a great point to join and bring some fresh perspective and ideas. Programme governance is one of the first things for me to get my teeth into.
I’ve been spending time with Stef and Kate who I’ll be taking over from over the course of the next month(s). They’ve provided me with a tonne of background, and the team have pulled together some of the best documentation I’ve seen which has really helped to get my head round the work.
More time with Stef and Kate next week on my first visit to London. I’m looking forward to spending some 1:1 time with the client next week as well.
I’ve also been finding all the folks involved in anything Wales related to start to build some connections there. Hoping we can develop a stronger internal community around Wales, Welsh language, etc over coming months.
James and I also sat down this morning to start working on my first set of objectives. I really enjoyed doing that collaboratively and I think we’ve got a challenging but exciting set of goals.
What I’ve been thinking about
There hasn’t been much thinking time this week if I’m honest, I’m in sponge mode. But starting to have some back of the brain noodlings about how I might start to add value quickly to the team and the client.
The external world hasn’t entered much into my realm this week.
What I’ve been watching
I’ve been working through a great video that Stef made on the history of planning. Great background for the work I’ll be doing but also planning is SUPER interesting.
We continue to work through For All Mankind. We’re through season 3 now and I think I need therapy. There’s a fair bit of nonsense in season 3 and I think it went a bit off piste into misery-land so I’m interested to see how/if things turn round/end up in Season 4. When I emotionally recover.
What I’m reading
Onboarding material this week I’m afraid.
But last weekend I finished up three volumes of The Department of Truth. That was a wild ride. I think the series is on a pause but I hope it comes back, there’s more story to tell here.
I’ve been longingly carrying around Naomi Alderman’s “The Future” hoping to have a brain cell available for reading but not this week. No plans this weekend tho, so hoping to get stuck into this. I do not want to lose my reading mojo again.
What’s blooming
We’ve been a frozen tundra here this week with overnight temps of -8. But life will out and I’ve seen some early signs of pulmonaria blooming in a back corner of a bed. And the hellebore are finally popping up after I cleared out leaf litter last weekend.
The patch of snowdrops in the hedge outside the kitchen window are the closest to actually blooming.
And a single yellow crocus has been singing in the sunshine outside the front door
Random
The Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales published their report this week. It looks to be fascinating reading.
This quote that Lee Waters pulled from the report was super interesting and so relevant to “digital” work.
An aside, and a topic for a separate post, I don’t think we should talk about our work as “digital” anymore. It’s all service delivery. THAT’S what the public care about, they want services that work. Not all our wang about digital and tech.