This week has felt like a bit of a struggle. While I’m definitely feeling a lot better than I was at the start of last week my recovery stalled a week ago and I’m left with the remnants of a frustrating cough and cold which is sapping my always minimal energy.
I had to skip Cardiff on Wednesday as I just couldn’t face the journey – first time that has happened in this role.
Hopefully I shake it soon as it is frustrating operating at 60%.
The Machinery of Government stuff has not really moved on though there have been a number of events with a cast of senior leaders doing their best to reassure everyone. At the time of writing we haven’t even locked down our name/acronym. We did start to get the first real feel for the scale of the change though and it is significant. We are now a genuinely large and international Department. With soooooo many Arms Length Bodies!
I shared an update on our work around roadmaps in a blogpost – so far it seems to be landing okay. I’ve enjoyed the process to be honest – it was a fun challenge. I want to keep iterating it – and the related Mission Canvas idea – though as it definitely feels like there is more to learn on how to make this land best.
Next I want to write up some ideas on approaches to generate the ideas for the roadmap itself and getting that depth of detail for the prioritisation.
The tickets for the Code for America Summit were released this week so I am off to DC (via NYC) in May. I really enjoyed my previous visit to the conference and the reality is regardless of location digital government is fighting the same battles in every jurisdiction and this even really gathers the great and good. Plus I get to be incognito and soak it in without anyone really knowing who the chap in the cool cap is 😉
I’m staying in Adams Morgan – a neighbourhood I’m not really familiar with but it is nice to visit DC and not just do the obvious stuff – I’m pretty familiar with that after three previous visits.
In a change from my usual operating procedure I did some grown up shit – I made some changes to my mortgage deal to avoid the worst of the rises as my previous deal was ending and I paid down a big chunk of it with what remains of the share money I got when I left TPX. I figure this close to 50 I should give in and act like an adult occasionally! Felt out of character though!
Loved Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance – hit after hit, all performed without the safety net of guest spots…and it seems to have upset all the right people! Plus her sign language interpreter just went off!
I’m also re-watching ‘Person of Interest’ for the first time since it first came out. It is still a very fun watch and its depiction of a surveillance state gone extreme feels even more relevant these days.
I finished my [Road to 50] lists over on my other blog at the weekend – seven lists that probably explain me as well as anything 😀
Music – https://www.bristolburnout.life/road-to-50-music/
Comics – https://www.bristolburnout.life/road-to-50-comics/
TV – https://www.bristolburnout.life/road-to-50-tv/
Rappers – https://www.bristolburnout.life/road-to-50-rappers/
Detectives (books) https://www.bristolburnout.life/road-to-50-detectives/
Travel – https://www.bristolburnout.life/road-to-50-travel/Movies – https://www.bristolburnout.life/road-to-50-movies/
Digital by Default 