Do you object to my objectives?

Conscious that the nation’s attention is finite in light of current Ministerial changes, I’ll attempt to keep this post brief.

In my last blog post, I shared my approach to reclaiming autonomy over my progress and career development as a new recruit. In this post, I’ll share who I shared these objectives with for feedback, how I went about getting buy-in, and the reasons why.??

Let’s jump right in to look at the who, how and why:

1. Cast your net wide: It’s easy to fall victim to the same plague you’re attempting to eradicate as a result of sheer proximity. Leveraging my position as a No.10 Innovation Fellow, I approached colleagues in the Departments for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and Cabinet Office. I shared a live (Google Docs) link to my objectives, asking for their honest feedback. The ask was direct: what’s been done in their respective departments that might be similar, whom they might connect me with to learn more, and what has worked elsewhere that might be a springboard for the work I was proposing??Much like the biblical lessons in John 21:6 with the fishermen disciples, it was important for me to cast my net wider, breaking free of the departmental silo to seek inspiration and validation elsewhere.

2. Survey the Squad: remember the Squad I assembled in the first quarter to act as my accountability crew? Their purpose was to check on the project’s progress and steer it in the right direction. Well, it was critical to get their eyes on what I devote my time on, and get their take on what’s a waste of time/a sure win. Much like Issa Rae advises, its pivotal to one’s success to not only seek validation from those above, but from your peers. These individuals will have real-time feedback on the challenges you’re sure to face, and advise on the best route to take for success. As with the external stakeholders, I shared a live link to the objectives document, asking for feedback ahead of meetings. Then held two feedback sessions, one walking them through the document and why each Purpose, Path and Step was selected. The second meeting was to share how I had incorporated their feedback and ensure this version was in the best working condition to kick-off.

3. Oga at the top: My fellow Nigerian readers might smile at that reference. For those not in the know, this phrase was popularised after Obafaiye Shem's (previous Lagos State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps) Channels TV Sunrise Daily interview in 2013. The phrase itself is used to show respect to someone in a position of authority. In this context, I’m referring to how imperative it was for me to secure senior buy-in for these objectives before moving ahead. As I shared in an earlier blog post, I setup a monthly meeting with the Chief Scientific Advisor (aka my project sponsor). I used the first of these meetings to seek and secure approval, and set an off-schedule meeting to playback changes made. It was important to devote time and attention to this particular relationship as some of my ideas were left-field and strained the hem of the Fellowship. But much like Susan J. Ashford and James R. Detert assert in Harvard Business Review (2015), ‘Organizations don’t prosper unless managers in the middle ranks…identify and promote the need for change’.??

So now you know what I used to frame my next steps, who I sought feedback from to steer me aright, and finally, how I went about doing so. As always, I would be keen to hear from others who have done similar by way of advocating for a change of plan / taken on a new project. How did you go about doing so? Did you seek validation/feedback, and from whom? Don’t be shy…