Author: SunN

I am writing today with my last message to you as a member of the Bethany Executive Leadership Team. My plan is to end my full-time work at the end of this month and continue, on a part-time basis, to complete some projects I have been working on for some time.

Yes, I have reached that time in my life to step away and do some of the things that I have wanted to do but have never felt I had the time. It seems that I’ve been contemplating this move for a long time — it was well over a year ago when I informed Jennifer that I was thinking of retirement — and now is the right time to make it a reality.

When I think back over my career and to my time at Bethany, there are a few things that stand out as highlights:

• I’ve spent the majority of my career working in or for not-for-profit organizations. I relate to and appreciate the caring attitudes and motives of my colleagues.
• I’ve always enjoyed working, especially learning and making improvements, year over year.
• I’ve loved meeting new colleagues and building relationships with them over the years. Some of my best friends today are colleagues I worked with decades ago.
• I’ve sat with hundreds of People of Bethany at lunch enjoying the stories of the day. However, I’ve listened to some stories from staff, especially at Bethany Calgary, that I’d rather not have heard during mealtimes!
• I’ve had four employers, with periods of employment of 16, 3, 10 and 14 years.
• I’ve held substantially the same role at Bethany throughout my tenure, however it has never felt like it was the same — every year brought new opportunities and challenges.
• I’ve worked for only two Presidents, enjoyed learning from the experience and counsel of four Board Chairs, many Board Trustees, Foundation Directors and community volunteers, and working with many colleagues on the Executive Leadership Team.
• I’ve worked continuously (except for some very enjoyable vacations) for the past 43 years — no wonder I feel tired!

I have also met many of you as Bethany has designed and built new care centres; opened, expanded and closed programs; renovated and updated our buildings to meet current standards; expanded our housing portfolio of owned and managed properties; and (unfortunately) helped to re-mediate buildings affected by floods or fire. I have seen employees join Bethany and leave — and have been delighted to see some of them return for a second term of employment.

I will be around Bethany until the end of April “wrapping things up”, and I do hope to share memories with many of you during that time.

Good luck to you all. It has been a pleasure being a part of the large Bethany family and sharing experiences with you.

With best wishes,

— Alasdair

Promoting A Psychologically Safe & Healthy Workplace

As we embark on a new year, I have been reflecting on the common expression “have a happy and healthy new year”. Have you ever wondered what it means to have a healthy workplace at Bethany?

Did you know that on June 1, 2018 there were changes to Alberta’s Occupational Health & Safety Act and Code that now include expectations that require all workplaces to implement policies and procedures that help protect not just the physical safety of workers but their psychological and social well-being as well? As a result of these important changes, Bethany has updated all relevant policies and procedures in alignment with the new requirements and has created a new policy called Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace which addresses harassment, bullying and violence in the workplace. In particular, it provides guidance on what is and what is not harassment and bullying, and helps all Bethany employees understand their rights and responsibilities in supporting a psychologically safe and healthy workplace.

Safety is a core value for the organization and our Code of Conduct sets out Bethany’s expectations, built upon our mission, vision and values, and our unwavering commitment to the highest standard of ethics, care and service for residents, tenants and clients. The Code of Conduct states that every person who works at a Bethany workplace is entitled to be treated with respect and that every known instance of violence, harassment or bullying will be investigated and appropriately dealt with.

To support all Bethany employees, you will be asked to read the new policy on PolicyTech and complete a short quiz. Your leaders will also be meeting with you over the next month or so to ensure you understand how to: Recognize, Respond and Report harassment, bullying and violence in the workplace.

All of us are entitled to be treated with respect by everyone we interact with during our work day, and treating each other with care and respect are core values that we should model every day.

Look out for each other and do your part to promote a psychologically safe and healthy workplace for everyone.

If you have any questions or would simply like to share your ideas, please contact me directly at lisa.watson@bethanyseniors.com.

Kind regards,

— Lisa

Kindness in the Workplace

I’ve been doing some reading lately on employee engagement and organizational culture and one of the common themes in the literature around improving engagement centers around kindness. Research by social scientists, business school professors and other experts on compassion all argue more kindness will improve employee engagement.

Kindness is generally defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. When one considers these traits, it seems obvious that these are “ways of being” that should be inherent in our workplace. However, this is not the always the case.

In our fast-paced world, it is often easy to get caught up with day-to-day tasks and forget to “look up” and engage with others. Yet, the literature tells us, that by being kind we see a healthier workplace, less sick time, lower staff turnover and higher productivity. Simple acts of kindness in the workplace can go a long way and can lead to a happier workforce, better ideas and an improved culture.

If we all were to take a kinder approach in our day to day conversations and interactions, there are a number of positive outcomes that could be achieved:

1. Kindness can lead to a more positive workplace. Positive employees and leaders build teams and places where people want to work and create something employees want to be a part of.
2. Kindness “feels good” and can be contagious. One act of kindness can start a ripple effect as others embrace the positivity produced and share kindness themselves.
3. Kindness can increase productivity – research has shown that acts of kindness will have profound implications on the level of energy, emotional engagement and performance of teams.
4. Kindness can bring stability to the workplace. A kinder workplace means treating the wellbeing of employees as a key part of productivity and sustainability.

There are many ways, large and small, to demonstrate kindness in the workplace.  Kindness can begin with a smile, saying “thank you” in person, holding the door open for the person behind you and asking someone how they are and really listening to their answer. As the Dalai Lama once said “Be kind whenever possible.  It is always possible”.  Meaningful acts of kindness will shift attitudes and will lead to more engaged and connected team members.

As always, I welcome any ideas or suggestions you may have.  Please send them to me at nancy.hughes@bethanyseniors.com.

Regards,
— Nancy