My first week back after paternity leave was a hectic one. With a perfect storm in government at the moment, I’ve kept 2 phrases close to my heart: “Never waste a crisis”, and “Necessity is the mother of innovation”. I defended my teams against challenges from Director Generals, met the new SoS, and helped the unique culture we’ve developed in Teacher Services flourish in the department more broadly.
Rose — What went well
- We made progress with some small wins — rationalising governance, helping people with stretch roles, continuing to build relationships with senior stakeholders.
- I made a big call to be open and transparent with my SLT about some of the upcoming headwinds, and our approach. It was unnerving, but I think I’ve made the right call (so far…)
- I’ve had good feedback from multiple people me that they like the direction we’re going in — and when its awkward, people feel empowered and comfortable coming to me.
Thorn — What didn’t
- The current uncertainty is frustrating, as it means we can’t get the next big thing lined up (yet!)
- I’m struggling with focusing on the operational/ organisational changes I think are needed, and the work to ship immediate value for our users.
Bud — Opportunities
- Delegate, delegate, delegate!
- We are doing some great things — we need to share them
- We’ve also got a lot going for us in terms of training, socials etc. We need to shout about them as well!
