As January comes to an end some of our new year resolutions start to dwindle – but here at AB we are sticking to our plans for development and learning new things.
Here are just a few of the plans from the team:
In 2017, I set myself the goal to teach myself InDesign and Photoshop. It transpired very quickly that it’s going to take a lot longer than a couple of video tutorials to do that. So, although I know so much more than I did at the start of the year, I’m going to continue on that journey. But getting better at digital is a big focus for me this year. I want to be able to talk about user metrics, SEO and UX as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. I’d also like to properly, properly learn about whisky, because it’s fantastic.
– Simon Ward, editor
In 2018 I have set myself the target of further developing my systems and programming skills. Working in a process and admin heavy role, I see these skills helping to promote efficiency in my day-to-day, freeing up more of my time to actively contribute to the progressive endeavours of the business as a whole.
– John Phillips, operations manager
Last year saw me move from freelance to being part of the AB team, which has been great. I’ve been building on my digital skills on AB’s platforms. Things move fast and I’m keen to get stuck into new courses to keep up to date with the latest developments. I love a podcast, so this is one area I’d like to master. I got a Fitbit for Christmas, which is timely as I’ll need all the help I can get for the 10k charity run in three weeks that I optimistically signed up to before Christmas –nothing like a deadline to focus the mind!
– Christina Salzano, editor
Start following more industry-related social media accounts, such as Voice magazine and The Drum, and crucially spend time reading their articles and taking note of what they’re saying so I’m up to date with the latest thinking, developments and news from the world of internal comms. Through this, I hope I’ll be able to better advise/liaise with clients, while picking up ideas and inspiration for future work. Cute dog videos will still occupy a lot of my time on Twitter, but I can also use my commute time to deepen my understanding of IC.
– Lucy Clapham, reporter
I turn 50 this year, which is a bit of a wake-up call on the way to the cemetery. I’ll be looking for ways to maintain and improve my physical condition to ensure I enjoy at least another 30 years without becoming a burden. This will involve more exercise and creating healthy lunches using the limited equipment in the AB kitchenette.
– Oliver Frankham, senior reporter
For me, 2018 is the year of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and putting into practise what I learnt reading ‘Busy’ by Tony Crabbe. A lot changed in 2017 and my focus is firmly on the right things so 2018 will allow me to put all that into practise and maybe even conquer a pull-up in the gym! A few cycling challenges will be thrown in and kicking off my coaching qualifications will be a focus for the first half at least.
– Jenni Field, Senior consultant
