4.31 — Weeknotes — some end of year reflections… Merry Christmas!

I can’t believe that we are at the end of the year already, I also appreciate that makes me sound old! It’s certainly been an interesting year with so much achieved and so much left to do!

Over the last few months it’s been tough for the team for a number of reasons both within work and in home lives, with various life events. It’s been even more important to come together to ensure we have the time and space to reflect and top up the personal resilience. So the Christmas break will also be welcomed to further do this. I have been really impressed how the whole team has come together to support their colleagues over this time. A real focus on people over the last couple of months…

At the end of November we bought the whole team together, physically and virtually for an end of Digital Festival celebration. An opportunity to reflect on the last year and think about the next 12 months. We spent time with the Exec Director and the Leader reflecting on the last year and we captured our moon-shot ideas for the next year.

Some great ideas coming out here, if money were no object what problem in Hounslow would we want to solve. Will see how many of these we can chip away at. Some of them are already connected to the work and activities that we are doing — what can we further do to really make a change!

The main event here was the Digital and IT Awards. Nominations had been open for a month where digital colleagues voted for other digital colleagues against our values and the Rising Star. Whilst a small gesture I think a really important one for the team to realise how important and valued they are. We had one interesting winner for the Harness the Mix award — it was an individual award where a team was nominated (and won) and for colleagues outside of Digital. But the awards are our own so we went with it!

Wednesday 30 November we had the inaugural Hounslow Assembly. This was a celebration of Hounslow held at Brentford Stadium, a coming together of partners across the borough. An opportunity to hear from partners around cost of living and a staggering range of topics.

We had a range of speakers, talking about partnership, levelling up, the local areas, celebrating the borough, thinking about the future and how we improve things for our communities. What we can do to make things happen working side by side. A place that is vibrant and busy with opportunity for all. Was genuinely an excellent day.

Early in December we had the Socitm Alumni event at AWS in London. I was privileged to be able to have opened the event with some of my thoughts around authentic Leadership. We then had our very own Nick McCarthy chairing a Panel on Personal Development — which was amazing! The as part of the Empowering Women course we had Shireen and Jenny part of the teams presenting — both awesome!!!

At the start of December we had the Staff Awards for the Council. Was great to have a few nominations in the finalists as well and really pleased that Rob, our Digital Support Team Leader was a very well deserved winner. Really nice to see non front line colleagues get recognised for their contribution to the organisation. A massive well done! #soproud

A year of challenges for local government, for Hounslow, for my team and myself, as everyone who works in Local Government. But overall a positive year, we have been able to move a lot of things on, never as quickly as needed, which is probably my biggest reflection and frustration of this year.

Starting to think about the new year already, how we need to change and review things and ensure that we refocus a number of projects and programmes to ensure they are able to deliver what is needed and when!

Looking forward to next year and it’s the year I become Socitm President, I still haven’t really got my head around this although have been thinking a lot about what I want to achieve in my year. The team are already doing so so much and it’s a real privilege to be part of such a great team.

Tune of the week: Now I do think this may just be the best thing ever! Heard about Jason Manford’s Assembly Bangers on the radio this week .

Jason Manford — Assembly Bangers (Official Music Video) and there is even a Christmas version coming out this week! — Christmas Assembly Bangers