A story arc

Frustrating start of the week, overthinking of my tasks, where they live and how to manage them - Did a diagram of how we are using planner, to get it out my head. Quite how to make changes and be opinionated is a challenge. So some output at least.    Met a product manager who as you might expect had some ideas and options of how things are like they are and plenty more on how to move things along. Was a good meeting at a good time to get out of my overthinking funk and hear a new voice. One to remember for next time. Also a simple change in scenery by gong in to the office seems to help.

More discovery around a collab tool, which it turns out there needs to be some due diligence around. A small example of scope creep from my initial task, but it won’t all be down to me, and after the meeting to discuss some more, turns out there’s some solid things to clarify.

Reading a project brief on a new system needs and requirements work. Around that I had a great session discovering quite a few things about how Risk is managed, and filled in some great background on the details from a very experienced and committed person (yes, yet another one) who had me mulling everything she’d said most of the evening, and then messaged the next morning with a bit more she’d forgotten.

On the same topic of said collaboration tool, had an intellectually stimulating discussion that quickly moved on from the specific tool to wider explorations of how processes, people and work all fit (or don’t) and crucially, what to do about it. I think I have a better picture of the context I’m working in now, and really helpful to hear how people with very different time in relay some different facets of the dreaded ‘culture’

I also noticed that the story of the week, was frustration with myself and my distraction, and then wrestling things back to a much more positive place - helped by the aforementioned people. I felt I unburdened myself a little by talking how my todo lists are sort of an anti distraction method, and people were kind enough to indulge me.

Media this week

Succumbed to watching Celebrity Traitors - had no interest in it up til now, and predictably enough it is pretty interesting.

Oh and ‘The Island’ with Stephen Mangan on BBC Sounds is 15 mins per episode of funny, daft stuff based around Desert Island Disks.