Fall 2009

By Denise Bissonnette

I believe that the core purpose of our work as employment professionals is to assist people in seeing beyond their barriers and limitations in order to enter the more expansive field of their potential and possibility.  To that end, we have to embrace the imperative of creativity in helping people recover the capacity to dream, to reclaim the vitality of their imagination, and to exercise healthy judgment in making important choices.  The ultimate gift we have to offer is hope and belief on behalf of their future and a broadened perspective from which they can perceive their gifts, their potential, and the overcoming of barriers and limitations.  As such, we are called to creativity in much the same way that the engineer is called to precision, the athlete is called to physical exertion, or the painter is called to artistic expression.  From this viewpoint, creativity is not just an “extra” that we can contribute when we feel inspired to do so, but as the very essence of our work.  What that means in everyday terms is applying “possibility thinking” as the lens through which we perceive every part of the process which culminates in the illumination of a person’s potential and the expansion of their choices.

By Psychometrics Canada

The Other Side of the Front Line

There are few positions that demand a more complex set of skills than managing staff on the nursing front lines. Nursing is part of a complex health care system. Constantly evolving, like an ecosystem, it is under pressure from economics, science, and human relations. To be successful in this field, you have to make tough decisions, but demonstrate caring. You have to be cognizant of strict guidelines, procedures and rules, but still be flexible. You must communicate well within your team, and also across diverse levels of the organization—doctors, front line nurses, clerical and other professional staff. Personal insight is critical to successful management in these kinds of dynamic work environments.

By Mark Swartz, MBA, M.Ed.

The Opportunities Are Increasing

The idea of employment being sustainable has a lot of appeal in this day and age of job insecurity. Now there’s a whole new meaning to the term. “Sustainability” these days means your job involves green, environmental initiatives, or else falls under the umbrella of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). It’s a great new way for your clients to increase their marketability. They can differentiate themselves as capable employees who can also get profit-enhancing CSR done. But don’t just take it from me.