Week 36
CW: sexual assault.
Work
A great deal of work to catch-up on, still, a week after returning to work. Reflection: it’s great to not be indispensable on a team because when you go away, nothing stops. It’s also hard coming back because, while you’re away nothing stops. You’ll come back with a lot to catch-up, a full diary, a full inbox and colleagues already operating at full speed. The only solace is that it’s the same for them when they go away - and so they’re kind about waiting for me to catch up.
A trip to Newcastle - with a really fruitful workshop and opportunity to meet the newly expanded team. I’m really looking forward to see how the leadership team coalesces into a tight collective leadership unit overseeing the services - it’s quite easy for functional leaders to retreat to the comfort of their siloes in this position, so I’m encouraged the intention to truly lead collaboratively is there. I also got some unsolicited feedback from people who’d only just met me - I was described as a human knowledge map - able to start with a simple and easy to understand description of a very complex scheme and service, and then progressively disclose layers of nuance and detail as and when needed, to answer questions as people dive further. Reflection: It’s great that even relative strangers can quickly identify the value I add - I worry people who don’t know what to expect of me might not want me around without the clarity that comes with a standard digital team label like “service designer” or “product manager”.
Personal
I went to see Prima Facie at the cinema - a special showing through National Theatre Live. It was incredibly moving - Jodie Comer is such a talented actor. I was reminded of all the times I’ve felt so powerless. I’ve been sexually assaulted in the past - as a 15 year old, as a 20 year old, then on a busy London Underground train on my way to/from work on a couple of occasions. This was I think the second entirely monologue production I’ve ever seen (Sarah Snook in Dorian Gray got there first) - and I was riveted. Reflection: Jodie Comer’s performance was commanding - taking me on a rollercoaster ride through my emotions, but leaving me with one bubbling furiously at the end - pure feminist rage.