This has been one of those short weeks that somehow feels like three times activity than space have been crammed in without much care as to the effect – a little like my packing for Canada really.

It was just as well it was Bank Holiday Monday as my recovery for a day drinking session in Birmingham Sunday was slow to say the least. For the first time in a decade or more I fell asleep on the train and missed my stop (thankfully there are two main stations in Bristol!) I did get to catch up with my lawyer (and best mate!) though and talk absolutely shite for hours. It was good for the soul.

Hhhmmmm what have I done work wise?

Had a call about a meet-up series Adam – (People Person) – wants to run. It is a nice idea – something a little different in a crowded space and I am totally on board if we can work through a few logistical issues. It’ll be London based but – hopefully – also streamed. Should be fun – Adam and Sara (Marketing Person) are going to see how far they can progress it when I’m away.

Did a LOT more work doing responses for DOS again. Like buses these opportunities always seem to all come together. Dave (Bid Person) has really set things up to make this much easier than it could be but it still takes time and just by the nature of the process the odds are pretty long no matter how great your initial responses. Still it needs doing and I do enjoy it. Honest.

Met up with Luke from MadeTech. When I finally found their stealth office – which is lovely once you spot the entrance. MadeTech are a competitor working in the same space with really similar approaches and yet – because people in this community are brilliant – we were able to have a lovely conversation, share some war stories and some ideas of how to make this way of working better. Thanks Luke.

Sara and I met up with Rob from Disruption Hub – who are part of our group – to discuss any opportunities to work together a bit more – part of my campaign to broaden my writing beyond my own blog and to also add a stream of marketing activity beyond our grassroots / unconference / blogging focused strategy (which is still primary). It was another great chat – a really exciting event opportunity looks like it is going to emerge from it. The Disruption team audience is much more private sector institution people (lots of BIG companies) rather than public service and as such I have pushed the idea of ‘what the private sector can learn from public service digital transformation’ on the basis that actually we are better than many of these large companies trying it! I want to totally subvert the usual narrative – if the Hertz/Accenture and TSB taught us anything it is that there are lessons to share. The more I think about it the more I think the idea really has legs and many of you reading this might well get tapped up one way or another 😉

Thursday afternoon we had a meeting with representatives from all the members of the Group to discuss our social impact strategy and ways of working in the future. I worry I was too vocal at times – I’m new to operating at this level but I am opinionated (shocker I know) and actually when I totally disagree with things I disengage and go quiet but when I think things are *almost* right (according to me!) I can be a little pushy and strident I think to try and push things where I think they should be. This has generally been pretty successful for me but not sure it is sustainable or appropriate.

New website is on the cusp of being ready. It looks great. The words seem to work (though Sara is getting them proof read because I’m useless) and I’m much happier with the proposition and focus of it all. It is only a foundation which we can build on but it feels solid.

Managed to pop to the Two Chairmen for #samdancon just for an hour. Really lovely to see everyone – there were folks from MHCLG, DfE, Parliament, BEIS, Hackney, consultants, contractors and who knows who else – all standing around telling tales and sipping ale. It was great. I’m not sure how I ended up knowing so many wonderful and generous people but I really do appreciate it.

As I’ve hinted at before there are some changes afoot at work and they do effect my role – in a positive way I think – and there have been a bunch of calls about that today. I suspect that will become public when I am away next week – but at least the time difference isn’t too bad.

I fly out to Canada tomorrow. I’m excited and nervous in equal portions at the moment. It really is an amazing opportunity I have been handed and it is important I make the most of it – and also represent Notbinary to the best of my ability but also the UK Govcamp/OTG community! No pressure.

My luggage (or lack of it) has amused a few people.

In other news I have officially downgraded my book ambitions to a Kindle Single weighing in at around 5,000-7,500 words and exploring the topic of ‘Can working in the open rebuild public trust in institutions in the internet-era’ – mixing the focus between public service orgs (including charities) and private sector (mainly challenger banks and energy companies I think). Going to call it ‘The Age of Open’.

Might be another print incoming…decision to be made after publishing this post —>