This week I have learned:
- after a few weeks which were very abnormal (conference season, 4 day weeks and so on) it was somewhat comforting to have a week which felt like it was more conventional. A couple of days at home, three in the office. Some coffees. Some progress made on client work.
- After such an intense, people-focused few weeks, though, Monday at work at home felt a little lonely.
- I’m happiest when I’m facilitating, I think. I ran a lovely session with a group of colleagues to help them form as a team and establish purpose. It included impromptu walks in the city, Snap! and many changes of gear.
- I learned this week that you can shuffle cards in Miro.
- A fascinating train of thought came out of one of my 100 Coffees chats this week: might the skills that someone needs to get into positions of leadership in a remote-first organisation be better correlated with the skills one actually needs to lead in an organisation in comparison to the skills needed to rise up the pole in a traditional organisation?
- Also: many people who understand technology but can’t write very well seem in awe of ChatGPT. Many people who understand how to write well, but don’t understand the technology are fearful of ChatGPT. Should the people we are listening to about this stuff people the folk who understand the technology and can also write well?
- To be a woman developer in the 1970s wasn’t what it is today. Many more women were coding back then, but the rise of the PC saw a shift to a much more male-dominated industry. However back in the 70s all of the managers were men. This gleaned from another coffee with a female developer who started working in 1977.
Next week: four day week
The week in photos:
mmitII 