I understand that the current global and local challenges may be making us feel overwhelmed. There’s no doubt that the ongoing news about the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Somalia and, closer to home, the housing crisis, increasing domestic violence and cost of living pressures may be triggering feelings of anxiety and powerlessness. Add to this the ongoing changes within our new national organisation and work, too, may seem too big or too busy or too hard right now.
All of these feelings make total sense.
And then I think about the natural disaster challenges playing out in our New South Wales community right now. I would like to make a special call out to our employees and our volunteers on the Mid North Coast and other parts of New South Wales who have recently been affected by the terrible floods. Please know that we are thinking of you, we are praying for you and we are offering you any support that you may need.
But then I think about the power of one, a concept that the author Bryce Courtenay explored in his book of the same name, and the individual’s potential to make a significant impact even in the face of overwhelming odds and adversity. Many people have demonstrated this “power”, including Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
Mahatma Gandhi: Gandhi founded the world’s largest democracy in India. His passive resistance and refusal to take up arms, inspired millions to believe in the power of non-violence, refusing to take up arms.
Nelson Mandela: Mandela’s resilience and unwavering fight against apartheid led him to endure over 20 years in prison. Despite the hardships, he emerged as South Africa’s first black president, symbolising hope and justice for millions.
I think Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of the power of one. Jesus led a humble group of followers while challenging the religious and political authorities of his time. Despite being arrested on false charges and executed, his message of forgiveness and love has continued to resonate for over 2,000 years. Jesus’ life and teachings exemplify the enduring influence one person can have on the world.
I often talk about creating One BaptistCare – one organisation with one purpose and one set of values. A collective of individuals (we have almost 14,000 staff and volunteers) working together in teams for the greater good of each other and the people we care for. This aspiration is a journey. Together, we can determine what our purpose and values will be, and how we will work together. Our goal is to create One BaptistCare by taking one step each day. By taking a step each day, each week, each month we will get closer to this goal.
Here are just a few examples of where some of our teams have recently taken “just one step”:
- In late March we acquired two retirement villages and one residential aged care home from Presbyterian Aged Care. Shortly, we will welcome almost 100 of their staff into our BaptistCare family.
- The Home Care Team in Victoria and Tasmania have had a fantastic win, transitioning to AlayaCare, a client management and scheduling system already in use across NSW, ACT and WA. This was a great demonstration of collaboration between the operational, finance, technology and people teams, all trusting each other and acting as one.
- A Restorative Practice Day was held for our South Australian Senior Managers, Managers, Team Leaders and Coordinators. This was a great opportunity to come together to focus on the power and value of relationships in Community Services. Paul Nixon, an international specialist in restorative practice and leadership, was the presenter on the day.
- Showcasing incredible innovation and collaboration, our talent teams around the country recruited over 500 new team members in just one month! That is over 18 people a day! And we have commenced a pilot project to use an online tool to further enhance the way we recruit. The aim is to enable our recruitment team to process candidates even faster and more accurately.
- We are making great progress on the C2 appointments with over 100 unique applications. Thank you to all who are participating. At this stage we are on target for July announcements.
- And at the end of May we celebrated National Volunteer Week. It was terrific to shine a light on our almost 2,000 volunteers across the country. I see the ripple effect of the magic that volunteers bring to both our staff and customers. A great demonstration of the power of one multiplied by almost 2,000!
There are so many great things happening across our organisation and I hope you enjoy reading about some of these things in this edition of Together. Please know that we all have a part to play. We all have something to do. We all have a sphere of influence. Together, we can create One BaptistCare. As we’ve seen throughout history, one life can really make a big difference.
With gratitude,
Charles