{"id":1236,"date":"2021-04-23T14:47:16","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T04:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metronorth.health.qld.gov.au\/staff-news\/?p=1236"},"modified":"2021-04-23T14:47:16","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T04:47:16","slug":"21-04-23-cwo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metronorth.health.qld.gov.au\/extranet\/executive-messages\/cwo\/21-04-23-cwo","title":{"rendered":"Message from the Chief Wellbeing Officer: Bruce Sullivan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi team,<\/p>\n

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your ongoing messages of gratitude, concern and support since Monday! If you haven\u2019t yet seen Jackie\u2019s (our Acting Chief Executive) message, unfortunately my contract is unable to be extended and next Friday will be my last official day as a full time contracted employee at Metro North.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you know my <\/span>personal<\/span> values of gratitude, connection and helpfulness then the rest of this message reflects those <\/span>v<\/span>alues.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the thousands of you I <\/span>have <\/span>had the honour to meet and serve in person, thank you for opening up your hearts and minds to the possib<\/span>i<\/span>l<\/span>it<\/span>y that our culture and wellbeing can and has improved, even in these radically unprecedented times.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For those of you that have responded via email<\/span>, <\/span>vidcast<\/span> and phone to my <\/span>regular<\/span> messages<\/span>, thank you for your gratitude, encouragement, conjecture and support!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To the teams<\/span>, both clinical and non-clinical,<\/span> who I have served at Executive<\/span>, Facilities, Directorates<\/span> and Board l<\/span>evel <\/span>and to the enabling functions of HR, Finance, Com<\/span>m<\/span>s, Procurement\u2026 thank you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most especially to my team <\/span>and every individual in those teams <\/span>at Workforce, Culture and Engagement, Organisational Development and our online Talent Management Team\u2026 THANK YOU SO MUCH! <\/span>You<\/span> have pivoted, challenged, <\/span>explored, experimented<\/span>, planned<\/span>, focussed, flexed<\/span> and executed great plans<\/span> that will continue to have a significant positive impact on the culture, capacity, and wellbeing of everyone at Metro North<\/span>. I know in my heart that each of you <\/span>truly want this to be a great place to work<\/span> and it\u2019s been an honour to serve you as leader these last 12 months. You\u2019re in great hand<\/span>s<\/span> with Mark <\/span>taking over <\/span>at the helm!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Change is everywhere.<\/span> The past 12 months have seen enormous changes both in our professional and personal lives.<\/span> In serving you these last 12 months almost every presentation talked about change and how we keep ourselves healthy and sane in these rapidly changing times and I\u2019ve been personally testing my own teachings this last week! <\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My office is in <\/span>B<\/span>lock 7 which in 1984 was also paradoxically the hospital that my <\/span>M<\/span>um <\/span>spent way too much time<\/span> before she lost her <\/span>two<\/span> year battle with breast cancer. Hilda was the nurse that cared for her over those <\/span>two<\/span> years and then cared for me in her passing. She taught me that it was not the ending of my life but rather the ending of <\/span>m<\/span>y life with my Mum and the beginning of my life without my Mum. That one teaching has helped me cope with change to this day. She also taught me that everything good in life will be a result of change<\/span>,<\/span> yet not all change is good. It\u2019s a paradox that there will be good and bad in every change. We love our <\/span>air-conditioned<\/span> home<\/span>s<\/span> but <\/span>what about the paradox about <\/span>the carbon impact<\/span> on our planet?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Change <\/span>is everywhere<\/span>. How you respond is what matters. How do you cope well with change? Maybe you\u2019re a change superstar and don\u2019t sweat the small stuff. <\/span>Change is going to happen throughout our lives and how well we cope will depend on what else is happening and how full our resilience reservoirs are.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not coping with change at the moment, <\/span>reach out for support:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n