As we bid farewell to 2023, it’s time to reflect and look ahead, while keeping up the momentum. While it’s been a busy year, I’m looking forward to the Christmas break.

Key Themes for the week, 11-17 Dec 2023 #

Budget Approvals for 2024:

The annual budget approval cycle presents an interesting challenge: aligning traditional cost accounting based on projects with the need for value streams and cross-team collaboration. We’ve developed plans based on the approved envelope and presented them to the Governance forums for approval. We’ll have to provide further details on the value generated from previous funding.

Morale, Mobilisation, Tactics:

Maintaining morale, especially post-voluntary redundancies, is critical. We’re focusing on enabling cross-team collaboration and morale-boosting initiatives. Domain silos are important for code maintenance, but we need tactics to facilitate cross-domain collaboration.

Leadership Responsibilities:

My manager’s maternity leave has presented an opportunity to step up as PMO team leader for the first 5 months. My peers will then take turns leading the team until my manager returns. This is a chance to build on my manager’s work and prepare my peers to strengthen our Product & Technology group. I’m focused on:

• Providing learning opportunities for PMO to enhance its effectiveness

• Streamlining planning processes

• Defining clear accountabilities and responsibilities

• Establishing a career progression framework

• Optimizing finance, resource, and risk management

• Ensuring clear governance support for key deliverables

Start-ups:

I’m pursuing two personal startup ideas, testing my execution capability.

Mentorship Feedback:

A senior leader commended my people skills and ownership mindset, suggesting I adopt a more assertive approach to get things done. This aligns with previous feedback on assertiveness.

Key Insights #

• Metrics and preparation are essential.

• Cultivating practices is more important than sticking to routines.

• Projects and initiatives require distinct approaches.

• Leadership requires conscious effort and development.

• Assertiveness is about clear communication and non-violent negotiation.

What’s in store for next week? #

• Reflect on first month of leadership stint

  • Programmes: establish 101 and governance for focused delivery

  • People: career framework guidelines and clear RACI for programmes, and morale building with cross-functional workshops

  • Process: Governance, metrics management, risks & ops management across OpEx and CapEx

  • PMO: taskforces, lessons learnt

• Start-up founding

• De-clutter

• Pass driving theory test

AOB #

Was the shopping lady in Lostwithiel being a bit racist? What about the on at M&S?