This week wore me out. I slept badly on a number of nights, waking up in a panic and then seeing that it was an hour before my alarm was due to go off. The week was packed to the rafters with meetings, leaving only a few odd hours here and there free for any focused work.
We’re only two months away from the longest day of the year but it’s still very cold here in the mornings. Spring is making it hard for summer to move in.
This was a week in which I:
- Managed the communications for an issue we uncovered on one of our systems. The problem had gone unnoticed for a few years. It was frustrating as I had asked questions about the tool on multiple occasions but never saw it through to a conclusion. There’s no major damage done, but gathering the facts and writing the communications was an additional overhead to an already busy week.
- Took part in a pre-kick-off meeting for the next stage of IT infrastructure work in our Beijing office. We’re aligned internally on the big picture of what needs to be done and now need to move fast to get the work lined up with our external technical partner.
- Attended a presentation where we got an excellent overview about how our part of the firm sources new clients.
- Completed a review of an early draft proposal for support and maintenance of our New York office IT infrastructure.
- Attended many meetings relating to the big Group-wide programme, including another ‘masterclass’ session held in conjunction with the software vendor. Refined our thinking on the presentation we are scheduled to give next Thursday.
- Joined a webinar with the business head of our division and met new members of his immediate senior management team. Very impressed with how he responded to a question on gender diversity in that team.
- Made progress with staff contract renewals.
- Reviewed quotes for renewals of infrastructure licences in London and Dubai.
- Attended the quarterly IT and Real Estate Services review for the Dubai office.
- Said goodbye to a colleague who has been on the team for the past three or four years, first in Johannesburg and more recently in London. We’re sad to see him go, but it’s great that he’s driving his career and moving onto the next chapter in his working life.
- Met with our new Head of Infrastructure and Operations who joins the team as a peer next month.
- Had a productive risk review session with my peers in the IT management team.
- Met up with a colleague in our Compliance team for a ‘random coffee’. A lovely half-hour covering a lot of topics, including our recent performances in Learned League.
- Spent an evening catching up with all of my handwritten notes from the past couple of weeks, getting them into my to-do list system.
- Attended the latest Microsoft 365 UK User Group meeting which had some excellent presentations on apps and customisations for Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Viva.
- Made a bit of progress with planning some home improvements. Took a trip to Milton Keynes with my wife to look at sofas, and ended up indulging in a Pret-A-Manger lunch while we were there. I do miss office lunches.
- Enjoyed a sunny Sunday morning bike ride with my eldest son. I had to raise his seat post by about four inches as he hadn’t been out on his road bike in a year or so. It was lovely to spend some time with him.
- Collapsed in the evening with my wife in front of TV crime dramas. We’re making our way through both Spiral and Line of Duty, alternating between them as we finish each series.
- Loved watching the Emilio Romagna F1 Grand Prix from Imola. It had all of the ingredients of a great race and lived up to expectations.
Next week: A hectic one, with lots more meetings again plus some deadlines to meet. I have a couple of evening Meetups in the diary but they may need to make way for getting stuff done instead.
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