Who did you talk to outside of your organisation?
I spent Tuesday morning at Google’s King’s Cross office in London with members of the government digital leadership community. I enjoyed catching up with some former colleagues and current allies in government digital transformation, and learned about an initiative in another department that we could learn from in my own team. There were short talks about quantum computing and artificial intelligence. My question: if we’re seeing an exponential increase in the ability to answer questions with computers, which organisations are innovating in how they identify the right questions to ask, and in framing their real user needs both crisply and compassionately?
What did you learn?
I joined a second session in the “Leading Through Implementation” programme for senior leaders in the new NHS England. We reflected on David Rock’s SCARF Model – Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness – which Brin introduced to our team earlier in the year. I also gained a lot from being in a virtual breakout room with 3 colleagues from our regional teams. While we’ve been preoccupied with implementing changes in our own areas, we have lots more to do sharing how we work between teams across the wider organisation.
What would you have liked to do more of?
Outside my NHS role, I’m a non-executive director for 54North Homes, a Yorkshire-based housing association. After Thursday evening’s board meeting, I went out for dinner with executive and non-exec colleagues to say thank you to Mike Gaskell who is leaving the board. Mike was chair of the predecessor organisation, Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association, which he steered through a merger with York Housing Association last year. Being in my first non-executive role, I learned a lot from being on a board chaired by Mike, and we’ll all miss him from 54North.
What did you enjoy?
Friday in the office, where members of the NHS England Data & Analytics leadership visited the user research and accessibility labs. We’re lucky to have these facilities on site in the Leeds Hub, with enthusiastic and knowledgeable colleagues to help teams make the most of them.
Later in the day, I had a Teams call with a couple of colleagues who have led the integration of 111 online into the NHS App. They reflected how, at the start of the year, the team were sceptical of the value of putting effort into this, but that by taking a leap of faith, they had discovered new directions for the product, and developed new ways of collaborating across previously siloed teams.
What do you wish you could have changed?
Throughout the week, colleagues were working in the background to respond to a number of short notice requests relating to team finances. Everyone does their best when these requests come in, within the constraints of limited context and incomplete management information. Having been through this annual cycle several times now, I’m convinced there must be a better way.
What are you looking forward to next week?
A visit to an ambulance service with members of our Patient and Public Voice Board. I always learn something new by getting out of the building, especially in the company of the people we’re here to serve.
Matt Edgar writes here 