Weeknotes 11 Dec
Step 1: Clear the desk of the accumulation of stuff over the weekend.
Step 2: Switch on laptop and call IT Helpdesk to let them know that I exist.
On the plus side I can still see everything I could see on Friday. On the downside that’s not much.
Had a very lovely chat with Clare and Nour about what we have been learning. Though I lost sound and bits at one point. It was a very engrossing chat. We’ve agreed to do a blogpost together to sum it up. If I don't get IT tomorrow I’ll spend some time writing that. Though it would be good to mull on it and see what is important in a few days.
I joined the programme informal chat, which was really nice. It struck me form this chat and speaking to a few people last week how as a programme we are really geographically dispersed — I don't think this will show up in the People Survey results — so I’ll add that question to my list.
I had a chat with Anna — which was great — straight to the point and honest. She is looking into the resourcing issues, so I’m not going to go near there (yet) she is not involved in the new org design (I’m not yet, and not looking too — though feel in time I could gravitate that way). I’m much more focused on catching the People Survey results.
Tuesday
I woke up singing the IT Helpdesk hold music, my mod was light my approach to my day a somewhat formulaic lack of progress — though on my first chat with the IT Helpdesk we found Tim. I called and had a chat and he hadn't deleted me, so I need to get Microsoft licences, in the morning that felt like progress, but it is but it all feels a bit ball achingly slow.
I’m reaching out to people via any means I can find — which in an organisation that pivots around email and is moving into teams is well a little restrictive.
I watched the Programme Update, unfortunately I couldn't make it live yesterday, I hope to do that for the first time next week.
I read some reports on communities and connection, which strangely I found when searching for people who are openly in the FFCP (Future Farming and Countryside Programme) as an acronym there are quite a lot of French ones.
I read some things about people engagement which were interesting and helped me consider how I show what I’ll be involved in. I need to consider how I show the spaces and the values it brings (when I have email).
I had a short chat with Gavin my one in person chat today. I may have picked up a few things to do — we a greed to have a further chat with other people.
Wednesday
Sooooo hard not having email and thinking you can see emails but not getting them when they are sent to you, and listening to hold music for hours and being hung up on because I guess you’ve been on hold sooooo long.
I started bubbling as I was trying to get a form*. The chap on the single operating platform helpline who kindly and calmly talked me down as I flailed around like a fish on a riverbank was I feel the first casualty, though we parted well. I then lost my cool completely shortly afterwards with Eloise, throwing all three sets of pens that were on my desk across the room after she asked me for the upteenth time for a pen, she had ben quietly crafting while I was wrestling for the form.
I mention it, because a temper is part of me but I don’t generally bring it up. I’m much more aware of it and can mange it more, it’s not like you would notice but it was interesting that it came out today after in our All Hands session on micro aggression.
Something that came up, actually quite a few things that came up in the All Hands session got me thinking. I know that I’m a racist. I’m not comfortable knowing that but I know that if I consider something to be a micro-aggression that I’m not likely to mention it if I haven’t already got a contract (verbal or email, nothing complicated it’s an Organisational Development term that means you agree with someone when you will call out things) and I know this lack of action makes me the very thing I would like to avoid. But I’ve learned this the hard way, I’ve learned that there is a time and place to do things, there is almost a skill to it, I have had the pleasure of watching people with that skill and learned a bit of it from them. So you see this is where the debate around things like citizens is important — it is in effect a micro aggression to use that term, it is exclusionary. How we can foster a contract between everyone in the programme to call out each others micro aggressions I’m not sure, but I’m definitely up for giving it a try.
Our focus at the moment is on micro aggressions towards protected characteristics with a focus on race. In one of the videos we watched from someone who had experienced a micro aggression it had come from a facilitator, and it made me think about the weird concoction of nerves and adrenaline that is coursing through your body as a facilitator, well for me anyway. Though this feels like I’m making an excuse for someone else’s behaviour and I am not wishing too, but just considering what I do as I facilitate and indeed what I shouldn't do and how in fact in any situation you can pause and be more deliberative.
If you want to learn more this is the best video I have found so far, though It’s something I would like to explore further.
Also in the absence of email and indeed the all important People Survey scores I took to twitter for some inspiration and got lots of great replies to digest in more depth tomorrow.
*as a note this is about the 3rd form you may or may not need to complete when moving jobs — and every time you get moved you get told it’s a single form now and you just need to completed this one — and then a few moments later have you completed this one and oh this one.
Thursday
Because I had opened a new helpdesk call yesterday, and they have 24hrs to respond I didn't call the helpdesk — an very liberating feeling.
I poked at my inbox a bit (I did a search for Debbie) there they were the emails she had sent. So I’m getting emails — but not seeing them, there not being listed — still I got me the Programme People Survey results. So I stated to look though them. With an open and inquiring mind.
I’ve iterated the survey. Having chatted to Debbie we may not use the survey, and this doesn't matter it was just the format for me developing my thinking — obviously I’d like to ask more questions — but it turns out someone else is developing a questionnaire so I need to go and find them.
I think I’m getting to a point with Debbie where we need to map out what's going on — I’m thinking a survey… She also mentioned someone else I need to speak too with regards to knowledge management — it’s funny I hadn't seen what we were discussing that way, it’s great to share things.
I read about the work @gemmadrake and @emrosebaz did/are doing in The Children’s Society.
It made me think about the future that were working towards and if this has been mapped out — I think speaking to Debbie it hasn't. To some extent I’m not concerned, though I’d love us to take this approach — so I will, to map out my approach at least. Because I’m keen on working out as I go about my day what is supporting or patching current approaches and what is nurturing and developing new approaches. In some ways it reminded me of this song, which continues to be key to my approach this year:
I think though I need to be realistic when considering the different horizons and where I’m spending my time. I think at least for now I’m going to spend some of my time patching up the now, some bridging to the future and helping people deal with the loss of the past and some nurturing the future that we are working towards. I was about to subscribe percentages to these — I don't think I’m ready to do that yet.
I meant up with others in the People Group. It was a lovely introduction, I need to track down our Project Race dashboard.
Friday
I have email, it is very exciting. I still don't seems to be seeing everything, but I can send emails and this is a big boon — soon I’ll be in MS Teams and all this wondering round the wilderness will be behind me. My fist email was to reach out to someone I know who used to manage all of the People Survey stuff for the department I think they are still around to see if we could have a chat. I’ve not had a reply yet (or I cant see it).
I was invited to the Strategic management Meeting as there was a quick discussion on the people Survey and how to take it forward, which was very helpful — thankfully I had reached out to Mark who is leading on the org design work via linked in earlier in the week. I now have the team level People Survey results and will be looking at these next week.
I had a chat with Tam, it was lovely picking up right where we left off in March. Quite a lot has happened.
I’ve started to update my calendar with all the Holidays I can — though the comms team will be pulling it together there is no time like the present and this can run over the weekend, I’m currently at Finland.
I’ve started reaching out to people in the Programme (I have email), so I can start to put my understanding of all the different things together. There are a lot of things and a lot of people. It also meant I could put the meetings I had organised that were existing on posits into my calendar — I’m glad it’s all in one place.
I had a chat with Elisabeth who is setting up some learning circles in the Animal and Plant Health Directorate on Equality Diversity and Inclusion with Elle who had done theses before she had suggested I came and I offered my thoughts and offered to help facilitate a session in the new year.
Reflections on the week
I feel more connected, I feel part of something bigger than my comprehension.
It’s hard sharing the not so sunny side of yourself — that bit was rewritten (which is quite uncharacteristic for me) a few times. It feels in these longer weeknotes important to document it.
I’m on page 64 of English Pastoral an Inheritance
