Roisin Markham

Beginning the week in a fog of being ill, reflecting I wondered what I’d achieved?

Thought it was very little but that’s not true, loving my reflection in studio notes.

This blog post is written by me without the aid of AI. So enjoy it!

My studio notes 

• Completed and handed off communication review of a fourth sector organisation it included a UX review of the website plus attention to carbon usage per page and accessibility assessment. Recommendations included improving accessibility, reducing energy and carbon consumption, the events section not being buried and minor inconsistencies.
• First draft of regenerative agriculture business case handed off to client. It’s not perfect but I’ve stopped stressing about it. Awaiting feedback.
• Soil health course and pilot outline proposal, using my applied knowledge & show don’t tell written and handed off. I’ve spent some time trying to solve how a curious farmer moves from wanting to know more to having a trial field on his farm. To me it’s a design problem. I’d love to do research on it and really solve this gap. However this piece of work is education and training delivery. It feels unfinished without the pilot and wrap around research. I have further thoughts on this.
• Kicked into new project work, second time working with this client and their client. I’m really looking forward to this project, working on an awarding learning and development net zero initiative. My role has several elements and really positions me leading the work on practical application of knowledge. Last year I designed and delivered the circular economy module, I included a dynamic group and innovative circular thinking exercise. I relished designing it and was really purposeful about it. Spent way more time on it than I was paid for. Its aim was participants could use the knowledge next day at their desks or out in the field. The feedback was phenomenal. I nailed it. So now I’m applying that approach to the other modules and leading the delivery of the course for the second cohort. I’m also looking forward to bringing the toolkit to the first cohort and creating their second year learning pathway. Anyways more on this soon.
• Partnered with another SME to apply for a leadership and communication tender. We’ve been looking forward ways to work together for a while. They did most of the heavy lifting on it. It meant I rewrote some BDT Consultancy descriptions of what we do and my own bio.
• Reviewed and followed up on my EU Intelligent City Sector Expert work.
• Research on impact KPI’s to support a beyond profit share.
• An amazing conversation following an invitation to speak at another all Ireland event. Realising my work and IDEN, Irish Doughnut Economics Network, work are very meshed. Again the value of my network to support this work is unique. Looking forward to a deep dive and strengthening all island connections on community asset and ownership as part of a just transition.
• Supporting others in my network to connect to people, information and frameworks to progress their work.
• Created an Irish University Stakeholder spreadsheet for IDEN University Debates that two of the Young Leaders are pioneering this year.
• Thought about other work on my desk

This week I’ve begun investing in two systems for work

• a second brain, I’ve tried several systems notes, evernote, one note, notion. I think I even tired a Miro board at one point. So I’ve committed to trying something for two months to see where it brings my design work, writing, thinking and consulting services.
• a client tracking system – time, money, clients work. Especially since I’ve started hiring people for specific client work as the projects grow in size and complexity. But also as part of my own focus on how my neurofizzy brain can get distracted. I’ve paid for it for a year and I’m going to run it for 3 months to see if it’s useful.

Insights

• My approach to experiential facilitation and education means that people anchor their learning so they can apply it. The next day at their workplace, in their communities they can access that learning and they are empowered to put that knowledge into practice. I’ve started to refer to it as a First Step, Next Step and it’s becoming a cornerstone principle. It’s supported by show not tell or do don’t tell.
• I pay attention to people’s energy and their relationship to experience they are having in workshops whether they are learning or strategic design sessions. I’ve always known this but never realised others don’t. I design learning and facilitation with this navigation in mind so the experience is embedded.
• My single notebook system for all client work is annoying me, time to reconsider my approaches to note taking. My preference has been an unlined A4 notebook I can draw in & take notes. I move to a lined spiral bound notebook when the work gets complex but I don’t like that space for certain meetings notes. I did use one notes for two years with a specific client contract keeping everything digital. The act of hand writing and drawing supports my brain. In certain meetings drawing helps the flow of my thinking and reflection.
• Our business works in the emergent fourth sector, the cross sector and silo I’ve been specialising in for years seems to have a name now.
• Some work I’m interested in seems to be done by Universities and EU projects.
• I’m excited for work on my desk and getting organised for it
• I’m thinking of making our garden a client
• wondering about sense-making across my daily drawings, 12 days into January, year 3 of the practice and I’ve begun to draw the date differently…

On a personal family note I reviewed our private healthcare insurance and saved over four hundred euro on it.

Questions for you:

Curious to know what you use for note taking, what works for you?