For those who follow me on Twitter, you'll know this was my first week back at work following a short hiatus after leaving The Times and News UK. I've started as an Engineer at Made Tech, and have made the jump from publishing to the public sector. I'll be honest, one week in I don't have any huge discoveries to share, only that there are elements of public sector (from what I've seen so far), that are scarily similar to publishing, and huge amounts that seem to be different.

I took this job as a chance to challenge myself, and try something new after almost seven years at The Times, so I'm really excited to get stuck in and start learning more.

Perhaps the biggest surprise (a pleasant one, I promise) after joining Made Tech was the quality of their onboarding process. An entire week is dedicated to taking all new starters through their HR and company processes, but also introducing us to their company culture, which is heavily reliant on giving regular, open, and honest feedback. Not only does Made Tech encourage this feedback process within its own team, but also within the teams they work with in local and central government. After only a week I can already see how this impacts the team day-to-day, as all-staff meetings, showcases, and company updates are all filled with open discussion, where nothing is off the table. A real win for communication and transparency.

On Saturday, with the sun shining, I took the chance to visit Kingston upon Thames, London. I was planning to take some photos of the river, the parks, and some of the lovely architecture that the town is blessed with. In the end, despite enjoying the walk, and the weather, I came away disappointed with the photography opportunity. Everywhere I looked there was corporate logos, bins overflowing with branded packaging, and a general sense of homogeneity. Perhaps I'd gotten used to how quiet things had been during the UK's various COVID lockdowns, but it really seemed a shame. I'm sure I'll head back there later in the year and find some hidden gems, and feel much better about it!

I've started listening to The Federal Management Playbook this week. More to come on that in future weeknotes.

This is the first time I've 'weeknoted'. I've read about the theory and religiously follow the weeknotes of others, but have never done it myself. A new role, especially one working closely with public sector organisations, seemed like a perfect moment to start. I would love your feedback, or just to know if you're reading. Let me know on Twitter or LinkedIn.