21 things I learned in 2021

In no particular order... When teams are under pressure, the path of least resistance is to stick to what they know. To collaborate with people who work differently slows things down and feels like a luxury. It's easy to overlook adoption and improvement of what we already have in favour of more and more new … Continue reading 21 things I learned in 2021 →

Code is cheap; ignorance is costly

Drawing on my recent experiences with different delivery teams, on Tuesday morning I posted a thread on Mastodon and Twitter about two different responses to team interdependencies in software products. I like one much more than I like the other. On initiative A, the team learned that a "strategic" solution to their needs would not … Continue reading Code is cheap; ignorance is costly →

Things I have learned: Two and a half years into my work at NHS Digital – part 2

In part 1 of this update, I talked about some of the things that have changed for me at work over the past six months. Much of that is down to the challenge, support and learning I’ve experienced on the NHS Leadership Academy’s Nye Bevan Programme. The programme is designed to: ”develop the skills, knowledge, … Continue reading Things I have learned: Two and a half years into my work at NHS Digital – part 2 →

The quick and the dead, or 6 things that change when your service goes live

Some of the organisations I work with are just starting out on this digital transformation thing. More and more of them, however, have been at it for quite some time. After 2, 3, even 4 years, a delivery process of discovery, alpha and beta is well embedded, in parts of the organisation at least. Now I'm seeing more … Continue reading The quick and the dead, or 6 things that change when your service goes live →