Chesterton Fences

I’ve been in my new role for a few pre xmas weeks, so the real work starts now. I thought I would get back into writing some week notes to work through some of the new challenges that I come across and get the benefit of a reflective practice.

I’ve been doing standard new job admin tasks – getting access to the correct sites, email addresses, groups and network shares. One of the things I’m noticing from all that process it’s just how much activity happens in the areas of FOI, GDPR and Records Management (the bit I’ll be responsible for). Already enjoying a new look at the organisation from a very different perspective.

I’ve had a fun week looking at the so the practise in the sector around records management. I’m discovering a standard process but also plenty of little deviations where people have come up with their own ideas and that’s being good to look at and get an idea for what works and what seems clunky. Beginning a deep dive into a subject is only just beginning – but fun already. It is dawning on my that there’s a lot to learn, which brings me on to my next point :-

One thing I’m going to be conscious of over the next month or so is to remember something I read somewhere about ‘Chesterton Fences’ - the idea that you shouldn’t remove a fence unless you know why the fence is there.

I have plenty of ideas about how to work better by using better tools and improveing processes but I’m trying to resist the urge to make too many changes. Better to gain be confident that I understand how things currently work.

Something, I’ve learned over the years it’s that making changes to things needs to go at a pace that people can be comfortable with. People need a chance to absorb it and see the benefit. I must remind myself the idea you present is being might have been in your head for a while, but it’s the first time the person you are explaining it to has ever seen it, so they need that time to live with it too.