And all change again!

Well, of the two proposals I have been working on, the one that I thought I would start this week is on hold while the client has internal discussions at the end of the month, and the one I thought unlikely has started! And I even have a quick trip up to Leeds at the beginning of next week.

Well, things certainly don’t hang around here!

I started the project last week, but it fairly soon transpired that I simply did not have the skills that were required. I have a non-technical background, and was brought in to add some non-technical expertise to the Business Continuity Management domain, and this project needed someone that had at least a vague idea as to technical architecture. So I lasted all of four days! Still, it was reassuring to know that I could come off the project rather than struggling through trying to do something that I did not fully understand.

Well, a lot changes in the space of a week. Spent the first part of this week putting together some Points of View and some other documentation that describes the work we do within Business Continuity. We are having a big push on increasing the work that we have, and the number of staff that are in the area, and this work was all directed towards helping develop the practice.

Intermingled with that, I had to do some work on developing a couple of proposals that we are working on; a client has asked for some assistance in understanding some of their processes, and we are assembling the proposals and information so that we can then discuss better the type of support that we are able to give. It should be a really nice piece of work….just a shame, given recent changes, that I will probably have to find someone else to do it!!!

Sorry I have not been around – a very hectic week last week, with the Global Head of Business Continuity Management over from the US, and a few late nights looking at general marketing, strategy, and the way forward. Exhausting, but lots achieved.

Anyway, I promised I would tell you about my most recent completed project, which was probably the best one that I have done so far.

Back again!

In the seven months I have been with Accenture, I have been working on four very different projects. The second one was perhaps the most challenging; not so much from a technical perspective, but more as I was still getting to grips with the size and complexity of Accenture.

Well, I said I would talk about the projects which, for my working day, is the raison d’etre!

When you join, there’s much talk about the importance of your first project, and this is so true. Not so much in terms of what you are doing, but more for the opportunities of first building your internal networks, and establishing yourself as an expert in your field. I was a bit worried, as my first project seemed just not to be happening, and the first few leads just melted away (the joys of starting in the middle of the peak holiday season), but I finally got to hear of a project towards the end of one week, and started the next!

Mmm, ….a blank piece of paper, and my first blog….what to write??!! There’s so much happened since I first started at Accenture. Projects, training, travel….but I suppose that the best way to start would be at the very beginning.
First, those all-vital statistics:

Name: Helen Molyneux

Joined Accenture July 2006

Role: Manager in the Security Domain, which is part of Infrastructure Consulting. Head of the UK Practice for Business Continuity Background: Includes a BSc (Hons) in International Disaster Engineering and Management, MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management (done through distance learning), 12 years as an Officer in the Territorial Army, and a somewhat varied career including stints as a research chemist, the Emergency Planning Officer for a couple of local authorities, the finance sector, a couple of tours in the Balkans and a Class I driving license (although I tend not to talk about that one too often….driving sort of proved not to be my thing!) I joined Accenture as an Experienced Hire in July 2006, so am still a relatively new starter, and still finding my feet to some extent. I joined after working in the finance sector, based out in Canary Wharf. I had originally come down to London with the aim of becoming a Consultant in Business Continuity, which is my speciality, so was fairly thrilled to be offered the position with Accenture.

The first week involved a two-day induction course, explaining all about the culture, values, training, progression, and a myriad of other topics, and then it was out to the office, and time to find a project. I am based in London, unless on a project, in which case I will work largely on the Client site. Thus far, this has not taken me too far (Reading and a couple of trips to Germany), but I’ll tell you more about that next time when I talk more about the projects that I have done.

Accenture is quite a daunting beast to join after working in fairly hierarchical structures. At the point when I joined, the 49 people in the Domain were working on over 40 different projects, so line management just does not apply in the same way. In fact, nearly 7 months on, and I have still yet to meet all the people in the Domain. Having said that, efforts are made to help to develop the team, with First Friday afternoons, involving internal presentations about the work/skills, external vendor presentations, and then some all-important team bonding in the pub! Anyway, just a very short introductory blog. More to come, such as life on the projects, the variety of projects that I have been doing, other roles for the Domain, social….