The Sixth Week
So this week I ended up having a chat with Richard McLean about the ‘Governance as a Service’ concept. Having read the deck last week, Richard kindly got in touch via Twitter and before you know it session arranged. In this age of digital, sharing good learning is so easy, there really is no excuse not to.
Getting going took a little longer as my Skpe for Business let me down, but I downloaded to iOS and set up in mins to get going. WiFi issues prevailed so we used a phone, but technology is still amazing.
Was great to chat to Richard and to listen to him talk through the rationale for taking such an interest in Governance. As a delivery professional I often see it as a hurdle and while some of it is unnecessary, some is really necessary and Richard is doing some great work in drawing that line in FSA. Taking the time to understand that those that sit on governance boards also have needs can really help to drive forward the right type of interactions. They’re not there to see you fail, in fact it’s normally in their interest that you succeed, but you still need to be held account for delivery. So thanks for the time Richard, much appreciated.
Still though, the thing that amazes me the most is the power of networks, be them virtual or physical. A few years ago we wouldn’t even have been having a conversation, let alone bemoaning the WiFi quality.
Still struggling a little with the new app interface for Medium, imagine by the time I get it they’ll change it again. Also learned last week, thanks to some Twitter feedback, that my links weren’t ‘linky’ not sure if its an odd feature or user error? Im pretty much using the Medium app everyday now and I find I do most of my input on my mobile device, which reminded of this tweet from Euan Semple:
Think I’m in the same space, I’ve got a Surface device for my current assignment. So finding myself leaving the regular laptop at home a lot. The Surface is definitely becoming my desktop, and my phone the laptop. My watch is mechanical so not much use as a smart device, but the iWatch 3 is calling…
Running
Set myself a target of hitting 12k of tarmac this week, managed to get 13.6k done. Legs still hurt, chest not hurting quite so much. Time to find me a Pilates instructor I think. Impact training on these old bones, ligaments and muscles isn’t the best idea I ever had.
This weeks reading starts with another rabbit hole, not a big one though;
Read this comment from Neil Tamplin https://medium.com/@neiltamplin/ah-this-im-prone-to-weaving-my-own-version-of-events-in-my-head-without-consulting-reality-to-d1bcc2209fd9?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-1508680027 which led me into this from Louise Cato https://medium.com/@notnowcato/self-doubt-a-plan-of-action-47657b04e6f8?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-1508680173
Sam Villis first ‘nosey day’ has happened and sounds great. Another great example of sharing and learning. Could we have done this 10/15 years ago, probably not. https://medium.com/@stamanfar/a-day-at-parliamentary-digital-service-5d9eabc266?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-1508680579
I write like I think like I talk, long form. Good advice from Ben Holliday that I must try and observe, maybe if I did I’d write more https://medium.com/@BenHolliday/some-principles-for-blogging-d7dc78ca6cd3?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-1508682366
From Dyfrig Williams on his Gov Camp session. Again, more effort required for next year Floyd!https://medium.com/doing-better-things/learning-and-developing-at-govcamp-cymru-17-5e91e9c637a0?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-1508683077
At a time when authorities need to do more with less open data has huge potential for revenue generation and savings. Great use of Open Data in Northern Ireland http://odcamp.org.uk/open-data-case-study-how-belfast-found-350000-in-rates-revenues-using-open-fhrs-data/
From Euan Semple on blogging http://euansemple.com/theobvious/2017/10/23/lobbing-pebbles
Nice thought from Ben Holliday on Service Design and Policy. It’s not a one v t’other they need to work in tandem https://medium.com/@BenHolliday/vertical-lines-and-loose-boundaries-97f0d2c1e2f1?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-1508751874
From Professor Calvin Harris at Cardiff Business School http://www.iwa.wales/click/2017/10/aye-aye-rise-robots-wales/
The great hope of startups, or not. Unless your business model is in alignement https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/22/ask-not-for-whom-the-deadpool-tolls/
AI, we’re not quite as near to Skynet as people would have you believe https://hbr.org/2016/11/what-artificial-intelligence-can-and-cant-do-right-now
I feel this isn’t the only thing Musk is wrong about ;) https://medium.com/the-mission/why-elon-is-wrong-about-the-80-hour-workweek-937fe56154ca?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-1508763946
I’m not and never will be bought into Waterfall v Agile, horses for courses. It’s about the people, irrespective of method. Good advice of stopping early for Mark Dalgarno https://medium.com/@markdalgarno/start-stopping-stop-continuing-e1f1fef7c850?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-1508835784
More from GovCamp Cymru. This time a hearty write up of sessions attend by Jonny Howells https://merthyrranter.wordpress.com/2017/10/24/come-the-revolution-gov-camp-cymru-2017/ the NHS ‘hack day’ and UBI two of interest to me.
Matt Ballantine on barriers to collaboration https://mmitii.mattballantine.com/2017/10/04/self-imposed-barriers/
Some interesting costs here, not sure they add up, but as the article suggests they dont tell the whole story http://www.publictechnology.net/articles/features/analysis-what-do-governments-biggest-digital-services-cost-taxpayers
More good advice from Paul Taylor https://medium.com/experiments-in-working-out-loud/toxic-culture-and-how-to-avoid-it-6433ec3f9c27?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-1509024625
This weeks weeknotes;
Another to add to the list. Louise Cato https://weeknot.es/weeknotes-s02-ep02-the-bag-dfc409e3d68d?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-1508681743
Matt Ballantine https://mmitii.mattballantine.com/2017/10/20/weeknote-358-productive/
Neil Tamplin https://medium.com/weekly-braindump/weekly-braindump-special-interlude-edition-2e8db1ed177e?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-150868221
Richard McLean https://weeknot.es/weeknote-7-16bdf1c117ac?source=linkShare-92a938cec3dd-1508698323
Podcasts;
This American Life, Expect Delays – https://m.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/629/expect-delays
BBC WS, 50 Things that made the modern economy, The Plough – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csvt0k
Loving this podcast at the moment, trying to get through the back catalogue. Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat – https://eatsleepworkrepeat.fm/2017/10/15/deepwork/
Weekly dose of Arsenal. A much better one this week after the Watford game https://arseblog.com/2017/10/arsecast-extra-episode-197-23-10-2017/
WB40. I really do enjoy, and share, Matts cynicism of ‘tomorrows’ technologies https://wb40podcast.com/2017/10/23/episode-42-life-the-universe-and-systems-integrators/
TED Talks daily https://www.ted.com/about/programs-initiatives/ted-talks/ted-talks-audio
Great insight into Gaudí and the tools he used to design builds that only in the past decade have been available as software https://99percentinvisible.org/
Freakonomics Radio – The demonisation of gluten http://freakonomics.com/podcast/demonization-gluten/
Amazing on renewables and the future of battery technology BBC R4 The Bottom Line – Batteries http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b096jb29
Ear Hustle – Getting a date – https://www.earhustlesq.com/listen/2017/10/25/getting-a-date
Freakonomics Radio – How to launch a behaviour change revolution – http://freakonomics.com/podcast/launch-behavior-change-revolution/
Started listening to this as I’d run my usual podcasts dry by mid-week owing to terrible traffic. Hilarious, must go back to the start — http://www.mydadwroteaporno.com
