Poundhouse It s Great to Be Workin With You Again

I don't actually practice a lot of self-publicity online.  Perchance information technology's function of my British nature that, whilst I understand the clear benefits, I would much rather others advocate for my work than for me to practice it.  And if they don't, well I merely must do better!  For one time though, I am breaking rank and opting to requite myself a lilliputian LinkedIn pat on the back.

I recently kicked off a couple of projects with teams that I take worked with before and I was struck by the wave of positive responses I received from them:

• "Information technology'due south cracking to exist working with you once again!"
• "After working with you before, I am happy that this of import slice of work is in your hands"
• "We are so glad and relieved to accept y'all working on this"

This led me to take a pause and appreciate the position I am in and the great client relationships that I have. As I reflected further, more thoughts came to me around the journey I have been on, and so I decided to capture these in this article.

Ivy Foliage Innovation is a new business, started in January 2018. Information technology's called Ivy Leaf because ivy always finds a way through. That actually sums up my approach to my work; drop me into the toughest of projects and I will find a way through to clarity, significant and action. Or in others words and to quote one of my closest clients "Hayley I can rely on you and yous get shit done!"

When I kicked things off in January, it was a daunting prospect to say the least. You know the story… build your career in a big Global organisation then eventually leave to starting time upwardly on your own. Not an like shooting fish in a barrel conclusion. I loved my job and my company were incredibly supportive of my career, but sometimes y'all have to make a leap and that is what I did. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wondered if I would arrive and if I was at all good enough to do this.

Six months in and I oasis't sat still for a moment, delivering a varied portfolio of challenging and rewarding projects for my clients.  I had zero desire to set up a large bureau at this phase. My two primary objectives when setting up my business organisation were:

i)   Do work that I love and can do really well.

2)   Have more flexibility to exist effectually for my young children.

That's it. Simple.

I measure myself on this every day.  Existence clear on what success means to me has been the toughest battle and likewise the biggest triumph of this whole journeying and so far.

With this in mind, I set up Ivy Foliage based on a network model.  This means that I focus on the work where I bring the best value and and then utilise my network when projects crave actress resources or skills that I practice not have. It's mutual from all sides.  I get to do the work I dear and that I am good at with the maximum possible flexibility; my network receive work from me and I from them and the client gets the best dream squad on every project. Result.

I am fortunate to take worked with an amazing grouping of bureau partners from the outset of my career, agencies who are at the summit of their game and also lovely to work with and have a beer with!  They have supported me in different means throughout my career and more than recently in setting upwards my business; going higher up and beyond to help me and for this I am and volition ever be eternally grateful.

The focus of my work is design and innovation management.  I help companies piece of work out why, where and how they need to innovate. I help them to define and communicate their strategies, to translate innovation objectives into design projects and lead teams through the forepart of the innovation process.

Another critical aspect of my work is capability development, an area that I am incredibly passionate about. Afterwards starting my career not knowing what to phone call myself, in a job where I had to fight for every opportunity considering people didn't get what I did and find ways to become the development I needed, I experience a potent duty to pay it forward.

From when I led an in-firm team through to the work I do now, I strive to find means to make development meaningful and actionable to the private inside the context in which they work; translating generic macro evolution competencies into something that means something to them in their job with the coaching to follow through.  The issue? Visible, meaningful progress and individuals with increased confidence that get on to achieve bigger and amend things. That definitely counts as work that I honey.

Information technology's non all been manifestly sailing though, there have of course been things that I accept institute challenging. It'due south difficult not having and IT section to recollect when I need them, and I really don't relish business organisation admin.  Information technology's a small price to pay for the broader benefits.

On a deeper level, the biggest shift for me has been in adjusting to non existence the internal decision maker.  When I worked in-house, I would lead global and regional innovation strategy programs, liaising directly with key stakeholders and setting the direction of the piece of work.  That is dissimilar at present, whilst I accept very strong client relationships that sometimes blur the boundaries between beingness internal and external, information technology is dissimilar and that has taken a little getting used to.  The temptation is e'er there to get back and who knows mayhap one day I volition.  For now, I continue coming dorsum to my two objectives to guide me whenever opportunities come up my way.

I'one thousand positive about entering into the side by side vi months of this journey.  I have so much thinking that I want to share, I simply need to find the right mode to do it!  Stay tuned for that.

And to the teams that I am working with now, information technology's really groovy to work with you over again!

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Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/its-great-work-you-again-hayley-woolford

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