It’s Friday and I am looking back at the week – how was it for you? Mine, difficult. The third big stakeholder event, come and gone, and I feel somewhat exhausted.
The day itself was well planned – I have to feel as if I am in control – but of course, I got the timings absolutely wrong, again! Never mind. I do tend to go with the flow because I realise it’s not the amount of stuff we work our way through in these sessions, it’s more about taking everyone with me and getting agreement.
I was thrilled with the number of new faces at this event. Lots more stroke survivors and their carers, but it was the impact of this that I misjudged. These people have so much to give – their experience, their views, their energy and their commitment. But naturally they also share their angst and sometimes grief.
What I had miscalculated is that to be able to share their experience of stroke, which for all survivors was a pivotal point in their life, people needed time to settle in. They wanted time to meet others at the event, to understand the process I’m asking them to be part of and to get comfortable enough to tell their story.
That is why my carefully-timed agenda went out of the window. But so what? These stories will add a richness to the rationale for the redesign that no-one can dispute. For this quality of insight the extra time is worth it.