What's the biggest challenge that you face in your role and how do you overcome it?

My role entails supporting various business areas with risk management and assurance activities. Therefore, at any point I am spinning many different plates and the challenge is keeping all these plates spinning and ensuring none get dropped. To achieve this I apply ruthless prioritisation and try and keep everything moving forward. I take an activity to a point where I am awaiting information, a response, etc to progress, then immediately switch to moving the next item forward. This way any risk of procrastination is avoided and things are always getting progressed, and it keeps me busy and enthused. I feel empowered in my role to work with autonomy, but if required I have a very supportive boss who I can readily turn to, and run my proposed approach/thinking past.

The biggest challenge for me is to manage the volume of activity that can present itself during busy periods. This could involve team management admin, attending governance meetings, problem solving particularly challenging technical queries all whilst trying to deliver to the financial timetables that are set. For me the best way to keep on top of this is to avoid surprises as best I can and plan my day ahead with a buffer for inevitable stumbling blocks. Managing the timetables available to us and using my calendar to manage my time around activity that requires my undivided attention. There may even be times where this isn't enough and the best way to get through a challenging time like that is to speak up and be proactive by flagging your potential limitations with the wider team. Phoenix staff are generally very supportive and will pitch in where we have bottlenecks for one part of the team and down time for others. This really helps when things become high pressure and time is short.