The odd fellow - Weeknotes WC 8th May 2023

This weeks title was inspired by my application for a fellowship with the BCS this week. It's my first time applying, so I'm not too certain what to expect from the process, but I have my fingers crossed.

Who did I speak with?

I had quite a few one to ones this week, which were nicely timed as it gave some space to talk about a few things that have popped up since I returned from paternity leave.

I really enjoyed the update on SITS this week from our service desk team - I'm really pleased we were able to support some of the broader team's attendance as well as the usual management folk.

I have had lots of conversations this week about prioritisation and resourcing, as we know we are in for a really busy year. I think dealing with risk and ambiguity, as well as clarity of responsibility is probably something I've mentioned a lot.

I also caught up with an old colleague who has recruited someone from our SCW team - mainly to congratulate them on picking up someone especially awesome. It led to a good chat about what we've both been up to and future plans.

Our web and apps team ran me through some of the challenges they're facing with a legacy application that has a particularly important role within our organisation. We ran through the high level options, and there were a few actions taken away by the team. We're going to take the opportunity to have a fundamental rethink, as the work we've been doing in recent years and the new capabilities the team have available to them mean that we would design things very differently with a blank sheet of paper.

What did I enjoy?

I put my application in this week for a fellowship with the BCS, and part of the evidence gathering involved reaching out to some people I've been coaching and mentoring. Seeing the feedback on the impact the coaching written down definitely made me smile. I really enjoy this part of my role, so it's nice to see the difference it does make. If you're thinking about coaching and mentoring, this is the kind of difference you could be making:

Whether it's achieving career milestones, enhancing leadership capabilities, or fostering effectiveness, Mike's coaching has a profound and lasting impact, and has drove me towards greater career success and fulfilment.

He is very approachable and has taught me so much on a personal and professional level by advising and guiding me through difficult workplace situations. 

I have gained confidence in my interactions with stakeholders, using the tools Michael has given me. I have already started seeing some positive results as a result of the mentorship. 

Pretty cool how much of an impact you could make right? If you are thinking about starting to coach others, I am more than happy to offer up some to help develop your coaching skills - just reach out.

What was hard?

I haven't felt like I'm back working at my normal pace, although I've taken care of everything that I needed to and got up to speed with everything in my inbox. It's probably not unreasonable to have a slight drop off given the sleepless nights that come with a 5 week old - so I think the main challenge is managing my own expectations.

What did I learn?

In pulling our staff briefing deck together this week I asked for some programme managers for a brief summary of what they have going on right now. When you see just how much work is being delivered across the directorate you always learn something new.