Weeknotes — The start of something new…
Well I have finally taken the plunge into the world of weeknotes…. Why now you ask?
It has been something that I have been meaning to do for a while now but never really got around to it. Working for two organisations meant that it was always one of the things that slipped to the bottom of the list. I am (naively) thinking that now I have started for Hounslow, I will have the time to do them….
So, the first weeknote is going to be a transitional one. It’s been a busy (and relaxing) month
Sutton and Kingston
When you leave a job I am sure that the idea is that you wind down, stop doing things hand things over and generally start to think about the next challenge… That was not the case for me in the shared service. Whilst I certainly handed lots over (sorry David) and there was magical moment where I got the inbox down to zero, it was a hectic last few weeks.
I wanted to ensure that the final pieces of the recruitment were in place so ensured that neither Council were going to miss me. I know that is, of course that’s hard to believe….
My last week was a whirlwind of emotions. Monday undertaking some final interviews for the Information Governance Manager and DPO role. Am very pleased that they went well.
Wednesday we did a retrospective with the whole Digital & IT team including some of my personal reflections of my time at the shared service. As I said to the team, I am immensely proud of the team and the work we have done for the Councils and I genuinely think we have made a difference to the communities in Kingston and Sutton. This was followed by my first ‘leaving drinks’…
Thursday we had arranged a Digital Conference and had over 100 colleagues come to us to share our thoughts, challenges and opportunities to work together more. We had the Leader of Sutton Council, Ruth Dombey, deliver the keynote speech. She spoke passionately about the importance of Digital, making a difference in our communities… A hard act to follow… I gave a brief overview of the Digital work we had done in Sutton and Kingston and importance of sharing… Theo Blackwell followed with an update of the work taking place across London. The rest of the day was an excellent opportunity to listen and speak to colleagues from across Government; London; Surrey and our partners. Then my official Kingston leaving do… Probably least said about that the better….
Friday was my birthday so was able to relax and had a day in London until my final Sutton leaving drink….again least said about that the better.
After all that I needed a break! We had a lovely week in Gran Canaria and did very little for a week apart from relaxing by the pool. It’s rare for me to have two weeks without a work email to be tempted to check every 30 seconds…. It certainly made me realise how important it is to properly switch off from technology….and something that I will resolve to be better at in the future.
So now… Director of Digital and IT for the London Borough of Hounslow!
What an amazing week. Being the new boy and having to learn everything again is as daunting as it is exciting…. Everyone has been very welcoming. I’ve spent time with the Leader, the portfolio holder, the Chief Executive, various Directors and of course my team and starting to get a sense of what’s going on.
Hounslow is an amazing place with some amazing people and opportunities and I am looking forward to being part of the team to make a difference in the community. More on that in future weeks.
Jury is out of whether I’ve enjoyed the commute via train… Certainly less stressful that a drive and much more environmentally friendly. But I’ve not enjoyed the showers and didn’t like list of departures from Hounslow on the App on Thursday! Being positive, I was able to tour parts of the Borough via Bus, that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen!
The train has also meant I have continued the reading I’ve started on my holiday…. Peter James series of books — currently, Dead Man’s Footsteps.
Tune of the week… Random one… Acoustic Mix of I Could be The One by Avicii and Nicky Romero
Let’s see if I keep this up….
