Is on my list to write a post about my process of writing these weeknotes. I have been postponing this for long as I’ve been busy. But one thing I want to share is how important it is to take notes. Capture your thinking in small nuggets. When you read, highlight stuff on kindle. Knowledge is about making connections. Purposeful note-taking can help you a lot in your writing routine.
My selected weeknote of the week is by Leanne Griffin. She is a service designer working at Citizens Advice. She wrote about storytelling, service design and good conversations.
Good things permalink
Inspiring One on Ones permalink
My previous employer had a solid Learning and Development practice. And the Sapient-Lloyds team leadership was great extending this, with virtually unlimited training budget. I learned a lot there, and specifically about One on Ones. Shalom Thomas and Jeff Collins, my former people managers at Sapient, were masters of purposeful and useful One on Ones. Is something I enjoy a lot to learn about it, as I think they have a great impact on my career.
Every week I have the privilege of meeting people that I admire. What I try to do all the time is to make myself available in a consistent way. There is no secret sauce: One on Ones every week, 30 minutes, with the right attention and intention. I try to be a good listener and help to spot patterns. I make my best to support what they want to do: agency is key. I rarely try to influence in any manner, but I ask lots of questions. Many times I have to say: “But we are talking too much about work again, let’s go back to you”.
I am surprised by the progress they are making every week. The creative ways they find to thrive. The resilience to navigate a complex organisation in and unpredictable world. I feel is a privilege to get to know them better and observe their journey.
Learned things permalink
A big smile and great questions permalink
Julia Whitney is a design leader I’ve met at Leading Design 2018. To understand her work, I recommend this talk at LX 2017, The Human Blueprint. You will have great insights about organisational change and psychological safety.
After meeting her at Leading Design, I had the opportunity to attend a few sessions with her at Babylon. After this, we talk infrequently and I follow her work closely.
I had the opportunity to catch up with her this week. I am a big fan of Julia’s communication style and sagacity. One topic that I am reflecting now after our conversation: how hard it is for me to let go of my previous skills that aren’t quite needed in my current job. I will be talking more about this in a few weeks in the DesignOps Virtual Meet-up if I beat my Impostor Syndrome.
BIPOC permalink
A few weeks ago, I was sharing with you folks about my origins and the history of my great-grandfather. This research is ongoing, and I will write more about it soon. This week, I want to share something I learned recently: the definition of BIPOC.
It’s important to remember that a lot of people others assume are “white” are in fact Indigenous, Arab, Persian, Turkish, Latinx, etc. Their identities are complicated, experiencing both the advantages of being assumed white and the prejudice against their communities, often being told they’re not “enough” of or “really” either
The article What is Racism by Rebecca Barret-Fox is a joy to read and a good starting point if you are interested to learn about racism.
Accessibility and neurodiversity permalink
This week Fred Warburton presented his accessibility work in the Manchester a11y meet-up. He will write a post about this so I will not gonna share anything about it to avoid a spoiler.
There was a bunch of other great speakers. The one I learned most was Rachel Morgan-Trimmer. She spoke about things you can do to make your information accessible for a neurodiverse audience.
The panel was quite good. All presenters answering questions from the audience. The facilitator used the traditional fishbowl technique with Miro and Zoom. I am definitely stealing this idea.
Things that bring me joy permalink
Nonsense YouTube videos and personality tests permalink
Great Friday night with Leili. We watched a funny video, where a psychologist and a quantum coach debate their practices. After that, we compared our DISC profiles and talked about dominance and compliance. With gin, of course. A curious fact: DISC personality tests were invented by the same couple who created the Wonder Woman and the techniques used today in lie detectors.
Brazilian cheese permalink
We got this huge delivery yesterday, a cheese box from Ireland. It’s a Brazilian guy living in Dublin, who managed to replicate the taste of the cheese from my home town. I’ve spent some time this morning grating the mature cheese. Leili will be working her magic preparing Pão de Queijo. Life is good.
Healthcheck permalink
I am not doing my exercises and meditation, and this is clearly affecting my sleep. Have to get back on track.
Weight: 98.1 kg Food: More delivery than expected. Drinks: 1 gin Smoking: 6 Juul pods. 3 CBD’s.
Culture isn’t a set of beliefs, it is a set of actions. Don’t listen to what they say, watch what they do - Rob England.