Dan’s Weeknotes s01e33
Sloth
Catch up with the last episode of my #weeknotes (number 32) by listening to it on SoundCloud.
One thing I know about myself is that if I lose momentum on something I find it hard to build it back up again. For example, if I hadn’t had a few weeks off baking cake every week for work at the start of this year I’m sure my colleagues would still be chowing down on high-satisfaction, low-cost baked delights once a week.
The last month and a bit has been tough for keeping on top of #weeknotes. It’s also been unsatisfactory at work, having spread my annual leave to cover much of the school holidays. I have no complaints about the days when I wasn’t in the office, mind you.
So, here I am clawing my way out of the swamp of my own inertia.
This is an episode covering 5 days’ work over two weeks.
Weeks in brief
Monday to Wednesday I didn’t work.
On Thursday I went to the Members website product team stand up agile ceremony. This is something that is hopefully going to get me out of bed in the morning and bring some structure to my life. It is part of my commitment to being more ‘present’ (see episode 28)
I went through my email. I did some customer support. I solved a problem, by talking to Matt, my fellow Head of X.
Many from the UK Parliament Data and Search team went to Southampton University, but not me.
I went to The National Archives with number one awesome colleague Julie. We met with Alec and Gwyn to share experiences about building teams and building things. The National Archives is a lovely place [1], and the afternoon was time really well spent.
On Friday I did email and planning. I went to the Members website product team sprint planning agile ceremony.
I had a long talk with Emma (my director).
I had a quick talk with Colin, the product manager for the Members website product team.
It’s been too long since I had these talks to remember what we spoke about, but I expect it was something to do with data, or search, or data and search, or building a new website for Parliament. The conversation with Emma was probably helpful and supportive. The conversation with Colin was probably pretty good, I like Colin.
I did some writing.
On Monday I didn’t work.
On Tuesday I didn’t work, but Robert and Ben’s podcast episode where they interviewed (now former) Department Director Rob Greig went up on the internet on SoundCloud. I recommend it. I hope Robert and Ben do more episodes.
I took my kids and a pie into the office. All three were popular.
Wednesday was significant because the new search service went live, replacing the the search on the current parliament.uk website. This has been a bit of a slog. I’m very happy that this significant step has happened and is very much as Robert and I first discussed over 18 months ago. As the team / teams come together more it’s going to be exciting to see the search services develop. Search is the best thing.
I caught up on stuff.
I met with Liz (data analyst).
I got my photo taken by Chris McAndrew [2], who is taking the new photos of members of the UK Parliament. Carrie (fellow Head of X) was there too. This work that Carrie has led on is up there with my absolute favourite and most significant things I’ve been involved in in 17 years at Parliament.
Carrie, Chris and I free-associated bullshit, like all the best people do.
Thursday started with the Members website product team stand up agile ceremony.
I went to the Committee website product team retrospective and planning agile ceremonies.
From the retrospective, I picked up on issues that the team were having with the absolute basics, like internet access and tools. I was very disappointed and felt sorry for them. It shouldn’t be like this.
I met with Robert. I can’t remember what we spoke about but it was probably a) search; and b) worthwhile.
I met with Julie for a catch up and download. Julie’s always been a great support to me, but our dynamic has changed a bit in the last year or so and we have more peer to peer type conversations now.
I met with a delegation from the Ugandan and Namibian Parliaments with Jeanette (fellow Head of X). Regular readers will know that I like talking to foreign delegations, and that I partly do it in the vain hope that I will be offered work trips abroad.
It was tough because delegations often ask me about things at the very edge of my memory or expertise, and that happened, but it was rewarding nonetheless. It was really good to have Jeanette there. Also, this meeting was significant because it gave me an exciting [3] idea that I’m hoping to develop more over the coming months.
Emma had a meeting with a wide variety of people about the road map for the new website for the UK Parliament. I didn’t keep a note of everybody who was there [4]. This is a relatively new initiative from Emma, opening up the meeting and making the planning and delivery more inclusive and ‘flat’.
I went to Teacamp, which was good. It was great to hear the experiences of 5 international colleagues from the New Zealand government who are in the UK on a month-long exchange. Sounds like a great initiative.
I met a few people I’ve known on Twitter for a while in real life, including Rachel. We agreed a visit to Parliament before Rachel leaves.
Friday I did a fair bit of catching up (it’s pretty hectic at the moment).
I talked Jamie (fellow Head of X) and Caroline (delivery manager) through my embryonic idea from the day before. They didn’t laugh, which was good because it is a very serious idea. Later in the day I talked Raphael through it too and he didn’t laugh either, which was good because he laughs at me often.
I did some career coaching as part of my general efforts to do the right thing.
Rob Greig had his leaving presentation. His speech was good.
I went to Rob Greig’s leaving drinks. I wasn’t there long, but spoke with people who I haven’t talked to in ages, particularly Graham, which was rather nice.
When I said goodbye to Rob Greig he told me that I was a lunatic, which I have mixed feelings about because I’m rather sensible. Rob Greig also impressed upon me how important it was to get on with it and deliver the new website for the UK Parliament because organisational expectations and pressure are high, which was good to know.
Rob Greig said some other stuff which I have slightly mixed feelings about, but hey. I think Rob Greig’s impression of me is that I’m too much of a perfectionist, that I am a bit slow, and that I’m unwilling to compromise. If that is the impression that Rob Greig has then I think he’s wrong but hey everybody’s entitled to their opinion [5].
Rob Greig has supported and stretched me and took a chance on me doing this whole data and search jive which is going ok so far I reckon.
Rob Greig said to keep in touch and that he would be there for me if I needed him, which I believe and which is something that he’s consistently done over the last couple of years.
I’m going to miss Rob Greig
#CultureDan
Listening: This song ‘Hotter Colder’ by This is the Kit. It is fantastic and really lifted my spirits.
Watching: @jukesie recommended ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ so I watched that. It really enjoyed it. I also watched ‘Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2’ which I was unimpressed by first time around, but enjoyed more on the second watching.
Reading: Very close to finishing ‘Gravity’s Rainbow’ by Thomas Pynchon.
Also: I was fascinated by the Radio 4 food programme episode on Georgia and thought it would be the best thing I’d heard in a while BUT THEN there was a programme about fixing whistles to pigeons which was amazing. Honestly.
#MeetingWatch
Still gathering data about my meetings and doing colouring in. Still getting stuck in a revolving door. Still got big plans.
[1] I managed not to freak out about being in South West London. Given that I am from North East London, this was a bit like taking a trip to Australia
[2]
[3] To me, at least
[4] Sorry
[5] Hypothetical opinion. Maybe Rob Greig doesn’t think that at all. What is the truth?
