Weeknotes 10 April, 2027

This week felt like a quieter exercise in structure – both in the work itself and in how I approach it.

I spent time with my team to shape the information architecture for our content design guidance toolkit. This is the kind of work that’s easy to underestimate, but sets the tone for how useful something actually becomes. It forced me to think less about completeness and more about clarity. What people need, how they’ll find it, and what we can leave out without losing value.

Alongside that, I continued covering 1:1s for another Design Manager. A different kind of responsibility, but one that made me more conscious of how I listen and where I choose to guide. Less about having answers, more about creating the right conditions for someone else to find their own. It’s a reminder that leadership often shows up in small, consistent moments rather than big decisions.

I also found myself being more direct about where my involvement adds value – and where it doesn’t. In a few cases, that meant stepping back from ongoing rounds of copy edits and trusting the team to take things forward. Not because the work isn’t important, but because continuing to stay close wasn’t the most effective use of time – for me or for them. It’s a subtle shift, but an important one in building trust and maintaining momentum.

There’s something similar in how I’ve been approaching visibility. I’ve been working on my demo skills, but really it’s about being clearer and more deliberate in how I share thinking. Recording walkthroughs of AI explorations and design reviews has been a useful way to scale that. To show what I’ve done, and also how I’m thinking about the work. It saves meeting time, but it also creates a shared reference point that others can build on.

Lastly, together with a direct report, we shared our team’s plans for the upcoming quarter. This is another step in making the direction more visible. Not just upwards, but in a way that makes the direction clearer – where the decisions feel considered, and the trade-offs are understood.

Nothing particularly loud* this week, but a steady focus on structure, clarity, and knowing where to lean in – and where to step back.

*I’m a big believer that loud isn’t always best. Incredible work happens by embracing quietness. Susan Cain wrote a book on it.