In Your Shoes - Gill Simpson

Monday – Another Fun Week

My day starts the same as every weekday – 7am alarm, 7.15am alarm, and then Alexa starts playing Absolute Radio Rock at 7.30am (which is the final call for getting up and ready). Today I am wakened by ‘I want to Break Free’ by Queen, a true classic.

I get myself and my two little girls ready for the day.

My father-in-law arrives for the school run and I shout a hurried goodbye to my husband, kiss my eight-year-old goodbye with a ‘have fun’ and my five-year-old goodbye with a ‘be good’, and do my (very lucky) eight-minute commute to the office.

Monday’s always start with a Management Team stand up meeting, to review our Action Register and wins for the week. This ensures we are all aligned and getting any support that is required.

The rest of the day is filled with calls, emails and planning.

My Monday ends in my usual hang out, the gym café, where I catch up on emails (with a much-needed coffee) while my girls have fun at their tennis lesson. Mum life!

Tuesday – two Innovation Parc tours = 10,000 steps!

I usually work from home on Tuesday’s, however today I have visitors, so off to the office I go.

I welcome our partners from ESP and SeaGreen Wind Energy, to visit our Skills Academy space that is currently in development. It’s great to see the big empty space start to take shape. While there, we have a sneak-peak at the Innovation Labs, located just next door.

It’s exciting to be a part of such a big transformation with these new spaces. My mind is already filled with the creative ways we can fill the interior and get our brand all over them. Beanbags and swing-chaired desks are on my Pinterest board!

We have a potential last minute event next month, so next up is a request for the team to visit the space they can use. All goes well – I never get bored of seeing our visitors faces as they visit MSIP for the first time and see everything that we are doing, with their own eyes. It truly is a privilege to be a part of this!

Tonight’s activity is Rainbow’s and Brownies, which means I get an hour in my car to catch up on emails while sneak eating some chocolate from my girls’ snack box.

Wednesday - #strategy

Today we have our MSIP Strategy Day – something the Management Team at MSIP makes time for one day each month. There’s so much progress and change happening, that it’s important to pause, reflect and make sure we are on track.

I always enjoy these days – we are a strong Management Team, each focused on and skilled in our own area. But we also come together very well and demonstrate full alignment on our strategic priorities and vision for the future. And this filters down across all of team MSIP – we are all swimming in the same direction (Dory would be proud)! It’s certainly something we don’t take for granted.

And of course, what is a strategy day without lots and lots of tea and biscuits?!

Tonight’s activity, dancing (not me thankfully, just the children).

Thursday – Meetings, Meetings and Meetings

Thursday starts with a Weekly Management Team Meeting. This is where we touch base on our projects and make any decisions required, to move things along.

Next up, I have a company visit one of our spaces for an event. This goes really well, with the help and support of the wider team.

I then visit one of our tenants, Tronius, to chat through communications and events ideas. It’s great to be able to pop in for a catch up in real life!

Final meeting of the day is my weekly catch up with Katie, our Marketing Executive. This is where we run through all of our operational activity and look to the week ahead, to make sure we are on top of things. Some Netflix and shopping chat may also slip in there. It’s all about balance!

My working day ends slightly later than planned, and it’s a mad dash to collect my girls and take them to their class at the gym. The bonus - I meet my sister Jen in the gym café for a coffee and blether.

Friday – Ending the Week Calmly!

Today was meant to be a visit from one of our partners, but Storm Eunice has (sensibly) resulted in the meeting being postponed. Which means a spontaneous end to the week working from home.

The weather is a bit mad outside, and I take great delight sitting in my comfy clothes, slippers and hoody while I work.

I have a few calls about different communications announcements we have pending, lots of exciting progress we will soon be sharing!

Another big part of my remit at MSIP is leading on our community engagement. I absolutely love this part of my job! I spend the afternoon recording a presentation on what we do and how it links into STEM skills, for Fintry Primary School to use as part of STEM Week. I watch the recording back, and it’s not as awful as I think it is. So that will do!

It’s Friday at 5pm. That means an end to my working week. It also means it’s time to tidy the house and get ready for a mad weekend! Before it starts all over again…