We’re back! Hitting the ground running, our team has been working through the requests to ensure we prioritise according to deadlines to make sure we can complete all the time sensitive tasks in line with the due date given to us. Some of our team also worked through the Christmas period, monitoring the inbox to pick up urgent requests and communicate vital information around emergency weather like floods or snowfall. Big thanks to the team for being on call during the holidays!

Mushrooms

A Digital Decluttering

Are you finding it hard to find your feet after a longer break from screens, colleagues and work? You’re not alone!

To get back into the swing of things after the winter break, our team has been participating in a digital declutter, to start the year with a fresh mind and a clean desktop.

To start, assess your digital landscape. Take stock of your devices, accounts, and digital files. Knowing what you have is the first step toward effective decluttering. Start with the digital spaces that you use the most, like your inbox (don’t forget your drafts folder!), your computer desktop, and any smartphones you use for work. These are the places where digital clutter can accumulate and begin to affect your performance. You don’t have to declutter everything at once, a little goes a long way. Perhaps you use a content board or queue system to manage your team’s workload. These platforms can quickly become disorganised and like us, you might enjoy starting the year by reviewing last year’s tasks and seeing what can be completed, what can be closed and what needs more information in order to process them.

One of the best ways to declutter your desktop is by organising your files and folders. Use clear, intuitive folder names and categorise your files logically. You can even use a colour coded system to organise content by specific subjects, to make locating documents easier and prevent clutter from accumulating in the first place. Delete or archive any files that you don’t need anymore, after backing up any important data to the cloud.

To declutter your email inbox, you could try:

  • Unsubscribing from newsletters or promotional emails that you don’t read or need (if relevant)
  • Utilise the built-in filters and labels to sort your emails by sender, subject, or priority
  • Archive or delete old or irrelevant emails that you no longer need
  • Set up a folder or label for the current year, quarter, or month, and sort your emails accordingly
  • Check you are using the most up-to-date email signature with the correct information

Finally, invest in digital tools to support your productivity throughout the new year. There are lots of project management apps, note-taking tools, and calendars that can help streamline tasks and enhance your efficiency. Don’t forget that digital decluttering is not a one-time task, but an ongoing process. Add a few regular decluttering sessions into your calendar to ensure your digital life stays organised and clutter-free.

With all the cold and flu going round now, it’s time to tidy and wipe your desk space with an antibacterial wipe. Don’t forget to clean your keyboard and mouse, which can commonly harbour germs.

To-do list

Setting goals and priorities for the new year

Once your desktop is clear, it’s a good time to consider your priority tasks for 2025. Separate from your team’s goals, which have likely been outlined by your manager, it’s a great idea to set some personal goals to aim for in 2025.

Setting some realistic and achievable goals can make your time at work more fulfilling. Finding ways to build your unique skills and expertise into your existing projects can help you further develop your relevant skills and complete new tasks that last year would have felt out-of-reach.

Coming together to share feedback in our content crit

This week, the team got together in a group call to take a look at the bird licencing work that Sam and Phil have been working hard on. After presenting their content, the team had a chance to share their feedback, ask questions and provide insights wherever possible. Working collaboratively like this allows us to share best practice and ensure consistency across our digital projects.

Meeting accessibility standards through teamwork

Accessibility is a team effort. Everyone has a role to play and it’s important that no one person is left alone to make these changes. One person might notice something that another does not, and likewise, if you’re missing something obvious, a colleague can often point it out.

This is how teamwork helps to maintain accessibility standards and why the sharing of best practice amongst teams matters. After all it’s much easier to build something inclusively from the start, than it is to work to correct a document or piece of content that has not been built in line with accessibility guidance.

Other things we’ve been working on:

  • This week, Sophie has published several website content changes, from updating links to working with the Translation team to improve the language used and ensure it is consistent, to help customers complete their tasks in Welsh on our site
  • Shaun has published the new Best Available Technique web-pages for installations and been working with the subject matter expert for farming emissions on ammonia assessments. Changes to how NRW permits the disposal of waste sheep dip have necessitated amendments to those web-pages and further amendments will be needed by the end of the month as this permit is withdrawn completely.
  • James has been creating the invites and scheduling information for our marine licensing user research interviews. He’s also been reviewing the discussion guide for the interviews
  • Lucinda held a workshop to present and get feedback on some wireframes to improve the send a flood message service
  • Shaun has also been talking to Development and Planning about standing advice for local authorities and developers on air quality