6.9 — weeknotes — new version of windows — team charter — EDI

This week has just whizzed past. 100 miles an hour. I think it has for a few colleagues this week but all good, just not been able to stop!

I was never sure about whether a team charter is the right thing to do but at the end of last year decided to work with the team to produce one. Having a consistent approach for me is key to ensuring we treat colleagues well and have a fair working environment and able to get things done. Over the last month we have with a small team developed a draft of a team charter, this week we started to codesign it with the wider team.

I have to see I was blown away with the response — in the first couple of drop-in sessions we had about 75% of the team coming in and sharing their thoughts! Everyone was positive about the draft and commented / suggested and tweaked what we had drafted. We have two more sessions face to face next week and then the challenge will be pulling it all together.

Tuesday was the first of three EDI training sessions that all of Hounslow Leadership Group are having supporting the Council’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion strategy — have to say it was a great session — really thought provoking as well. Ties in with International Women’s day today — I tuned in to the live feed of the event that the Council put on — awe inspiring!

We are doing some pilots with MS’s Co-pilot at the moment and some of the results have been impressive. We used at our Hounslow Leadership Group on Wednesday. Results are almost a bit too good, now have a queue of people wanting it rolled out. At the Digital Strategy Board later in the week we agreed out approach to AI and will ensure it is embedded into the delivery plan — exciting times ahead!

Also at HLG, we (I say we, Tim, and he did an awesome job) gave a briefing on the arrangements for Emergency Planning in the council and the new opportunities to get involved. Was well received and some good conversations after. He really bought it to life and what his and the team’s role is and what he enjoys in the role! Was great!

Had the slightly refreshed Digital Strategy Board this week. Refreshed membership and more formal agenda. More focus, more challenge and more opportunity to embed digital thinking across the council! We packed too much in although almost ran to time.

Fish have been very busy recently and secretly managed to have some babies! Lots of them!

Finally, had the opportunity to experience a new version of windows as well — not just having co-pilot but very exciting times to see the new version at home. (Yes that was a poor joke — but great to have them installed this week!

Tune of the week: Dancing DJs vs Roxette — Fading Like A Flower