I am just back from two days in Surrey at ACN HQ. Monday was spent at a very interesting Senior Management training seminar with Action Planning (thank you, David Saint!). Eleven of us spent the morning thinking about how we manage our time. I know that I am new at this, but even so I found the models presented and the ensuing discussion very helpful. I feel at this point as if I am having to interrupt people constantly in order to figure out how to carry out even the simplest tasks—but everyone is very patient and I’m sure that I will get there in the end. I am now beginning to realize that working completely on my own presents a whole different set of time management working environment issues. Too much chatting = time wasting, but no chatting at all… whatsoever… at any point in the day…means that there is no interchange of ideas and no help to refine strategies or debate decisions to be taken. This is where Scottish Lorraine and I can make use of each other. Maybe we should institute quick weekly phone meetings or even a bit of an email exchange every day. There is plenty to do always, so it isn’t a question of being bored, but interaction is key to keeping one’s focus and enthusiasm at good levels. On a more practical note: I am determined to get rid of my paper to-do lists and my diary and switch over to electronic versions. These can be stored on the ACN system which means that I won’t accidentally lose them and others can access my diary to set up group meetings. Chris Kennedy, the Director’s PA, very kindly showed me how to do this yesterday, so today I got started. Once I get used to this, I’m sure that I shall never forget an appointment again!
The highlight of Tuesday was a meeting with Patricia Hatton, Head of Fundraising & Marketing, to discuss my strategy for moving ahead in 2014 and my various targets. This was great as I have been worrying a bit as at the moment I am swimming in lists of things to do and nothing is quite ready to show much in terms of results—always the way at the beginning of this sort of venture! Patricia was extremely helpful and reassuring and we batted around a number of interesting ideas that I shall be playing around with now that I am back in my ‘office.’ The bottom line is that I need to generate as much prayerful support and funding for the projects that we are currently helping to realize and in general for those who might need our help but haven’t yet asked for it. What I am doing now is laying the groundwork for a comprehensive awareness-raising strategy across the North West which should result in lots more people helping those who most need our help. Watch this space to see how it all develops.
Time to call it day—my eyes are crossing having spent all day converting my diary to Outlook, writing to bishops and creating a spreadsheet to chart the progress of my monthly strategies. As Good Friday draws nearer, I am trying to view all of this complex, computer-generated infrastructure as the modern approach to trying to help those who suffer for their faith—how different this is from the ways we might all have tried to help around 2000 years ago… if we would have been brave enough to try and help at all.
Thanks for reading! Caroline
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