Weeknotes: January
Social Purpose
Well that was January. Time is a disorienting concept, sometimes slow like the last five minutes of a game you’re winning 1–0. The whole of January was the complete opposite. It whizzed by, assisted by the frequent high winds from storms Henk, Isha and Jocelyn.
Maybe we should similarly name our January client projects? Each had a element of thrill and risk: the kickoff of a systems review, followed by ongoing programme management, and finally, the completion of report writing and presentation for another project.
Throughout the month, there was a flurry of efforts to promote the National Database of Social Homes. This series of initiatives reached a peak on Friday (yes, February) with a significant event. Here, we presented our proposals to a group of housing association leaders, seeking their insights and feedback.
Data Driven
We / I will provide more a structured report next week on the great critique and support that was received. But here’s a little taster…
There was a lot of excitement about how open data could really help the social housing sector. Everyone agreed it could be a big win, for residents and housing associations.
We talked about regulation too. It’s a bit tricky – we don’t love being told what to do, but sometimes it feels like without rules from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), things just don’t happen. There’s some worry about adding more rules since we’ve already got a lot on our plate.
There’s a lot of potential for new and innovative solutions if we partner with tech companies. The idea is that if we share our data openly, it could attract vendors to develop cool stuff that helps both us and our tenants. This could also help build trust with our tenants, which is very important right now. And it’s probably best to start small – show some quick wins to get everyone on board.
But overall, a good sample of 40 data and digital leaders who were very engaged and ready to dive in deeper.
Business Need
The initial enthusiasm for actions, events, and agreeing on objectives is rewarding and motivating. However, as you start considering the next steps, you begin to add infrastructure: committees, communications plans, and risk registers. It starts to resemble a transformation (a dreaded word) or a start-up. For me, that’s a positive aspect. I’m drawn to shiny, bright things: they’re interesting and stimulating. Not everyone shares my sentiment.
During the week, I also chaired a reconstituted Programme Board for a client. This was our third meeting (one per month) and it was encouraging to see the foundations of planning and structure adding value. However, there were also a couple of signs of wobble. A few clouds on the horizon appeared in the form of apologies from attendees and a couple of small projects delayed due to ‘resource’ issues.
We use structure, plans, timelines, and actions to expedite implementation. But this approach leaves no room for ‘space’, the activities we didn’t identify in advance, or the tedious pre-integration tasks of testing, training, and communication.
We all know projects are conceived on sunny days, sat in the garden with a cold glass of wine. But most projects fail, and at a high rate. Studies have shown that projects frequently deliver disappointing returns, with some estimates suggesting failure in well over half of all cases.
Digital insights
At the end of the Friday lunchtime event, I suddenly felt exhausted. Perhaps it was the result of a busy January, or maybe the stress of presenting to an audience. Thankfully, I was able to step away… and tackle the weekly supermarket shop! Why aren’t there storm-like warnings for such dangerous activities?!
But over the last 48 hours, I’ve had more time to reflect on what all this means to me, and perhaps to us:
- Recalling Derek Sivers’ TED Talk about ‘How to Start a Movement’, we now have more people on the dance floor. It’s worth rewatching on YouTube.
- ‘You started it’, and that’s me! INTJs know how to apply their knowledge to engineer innovative solutions that are effective and robust. INTJs systematically gather data and use it to devise a master plan to achieve objectives.
- However, the architect and resource investigator doesn’t necessarily have to be the leader or communicator. There are far more suitable people around for those roles!
The sun is shining again; I’m off for a long weekend walk!
