The Christmas Story

Take a look at this....

Become the change

Baptistcare’s value of courage and justice in our actions, brings to mind the concept of advocacy. This is about standing up for what is right on behalf of those people who are not able to speak for themselves. As supporters of our elders, people with disabilities, and people with a mental illness, Baptistcare is in a position to defend and protect some of the most marginalised people in our society. How do we go about doing this?

I was in a restaurant and took advantage of their feedback form to bring attention to the lack of disability access. A simple example. As we put ourselves in the place of the people we serve and begin to recognise discrimination, ignorance, or fear of difference in our society, it becomes harder to keep quiet.

Ghandi said: We must become the change we wish to create.

The Nazareth Manifesto

The third of Baptistcare’s values reads: "in fulfilling our mission we are person-centred and embrace courage and justice in our actions."

It is appropriate that we consider the matter of courage and justice in the same month that we celebrate Christmas, the birth of the One who stood for courage and justice in both his life and his death.

A part of the Bible that has been special to me tells about one of the first public events performed by Jesus. He went to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue where he was handed a scroll. In what has become known as the Nazareth manifesto Jesus read the following words:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."

To live such a manifesto requires courage and justice.

Integrity and Respect

We continue to look at Baptistcare’s values, and will spend some more time looking at the statement: Integrity and respect in personal and organisational behaviour.

I’ve tried my hand at juggling on a number of occasions, but in most cases have failed to keep two balls in the air, let alone three. Yet when you watch a professional juggler it looks so easy. In most workplaces we find it necessary to keep several balls in the air and just when you’ve got the pattern going nicely someone throws in another ball or two just to keep you on your toes.

When the pattern of juggling falters and your ability to look like a professional is not going as planned, both integrity and respect come under a great deal of pressure. If we are not people of integrity when the juggling becomes too hard, we will not only depend on sleight of hand and other circus tricks to get us through, but at the first sign of failure the greatest threat comes to the people who are nearest to us.

People of integrity recognise that respect for those around us, whether they be family, friends, colleagues or clients, is of the highest priority, along with our ability to respect ourselves, not allowing our personal values to be compromised.

I’d love to hear your comments about how you maintain integrity and respect in a world of juggling balls.

Respect in our behaviour

Baptistcare’s second value is “integrity and respect in personal and organisational behaviour”.

I have been watching over a number of years the growth of a programme called “Choose Respect” that was developed by a friend of mine. “Choose Respect” has been introduced into a number of schools in Western Australia. A study that was conducted at Boddington District High School in 2007-2008 in conjunction with Murdoch University showed that referrals for serious disruptive behaviour were reduced by 90 percent during the time the “Choose Respect” programme was implemented.

Schools that adopt “Choose Respect” also adopt a code of behaviour which reads: To choose respect is to make a conscious effort to:
• Treat others with Respect, no matter how they treat you;
• Treat yourself with Respect;
• Forgive others who do not treat you with Respect;
• Resist your natural desire to pay back or take revenge;
• Apologise when you do not treat others with Respect;
• Support others who are not being treated with Respect;
• Ask for support when others do not treat you with Respect.

It’s a little word, but it holds a wealth of meaning. What does respect mean to you and what sort of behaviour do you expect from people who are showing you respect in the workplace?

Homeless Connect 2010

A group of Baptistcare employees volunteered their time to assist Perth's Homeless Connect 2010.