Category: Weeknotes

This week I have learned: That people are probably confusing Serious with Solemn, and banning humour and fun from work makes serious things so much harder. I had a lovely evening listening to Neil Mullarkey talk about humour and improvisation at work and then saw this (prompted by Tom Geraghty's wonderful newsletter). In a conversation … Continue reading Weeknote 636: less solemn

This week I have learned: there are certain points in projects, the "milestones", that might be better described as millstones. Points of playback, or reflection, decision points or just notional lines in the sand. They can put people under huge stress. Working out ways to reduce that stress, but still keep people motivated, is key … Continue reading Weeknote 635: milestone

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 … Continue reading Weeknote 634: normality

This week I have learned: 5 days of being with hundreds of colleagues, away for the most part from the day-to-day is a wonderful thing it's also knackering the penguins article has become something of a brainworm. The extent to which we simply don't understand one another is profound, misunderstood, and probably quite fundamental to … Continue reading Weeknote 633: conferenced and out

This week I have learned: bringing people together is wonderful. We've had a couple of days at a CenterParcs with 200 colleagues brought together from across the planet. It's been great to catch up with people who I've got to know over the last year since starting at Equal Experts, and to meet many more … Continue reading Weeknote 632: conferencing

This week I have learned: a new freedom as I begin my adventures with e-biking to work. I live about 14 miles away from the office, and there are a couple of really quite big hills on the way. Normal biking would leave me a sweaty mess at arrival, whereas I can do the journey … Continue reading Weeknote 631: ebike

This week I have learned: going out and talking about the PlayCards is hard work. Here's a thing that I have made, into which I have ploughed a lot of thought and energy over the years. Putting it in front of people makes me feel incredibly vulnerable. The conversations are good, but I can't help … Continue reading Weeknote 630: revision

This week I have learned: of the death of Pat Fish, who was The Jazz Butcher. They were a band that I loved in my teens. Every time I wait for a bus at Waterloo Station I'm reminded of the album Fischoteque. One of their songs popped up on Spotify a few days ago, and … Continue reading Weeknote 629: Fish

This week I have learned: in one of my #100Coffees conversations a few weeks ago, we talked about my companion's theory that the 70-odd days in the UK between New Year's Day and Easter are the only time any work ever really gets done. The days are short, people are feeling the effects of over-indulgence … Continue reading Weeknote 628 – short measures

This week I have learned: Sometimes the harder conversations come from people you don’t know. I had a fascinating conversation with a stage magician this week to talk about the PlayCards. He made me think really hard about the concept because he came from a very different frame of reference. Public holidays provide a strange … Continue reading Weeknote 627: egg break