August 19, 2021
Joe’s Blog: Come Together
When you play piano in a band – as I did many years ago – you are a vital part of the rhythm section. The drummer, bass player and keyboards have to sync up together to almost breathe as one. When we “were on,” I didn’t even think about the beat. It just flowed. It didn’t matter that my bandmates and I were all different people with different backgrounds and beliefs. What mattered when we were on stage together is that we were committed to the show.
The show needed us to click, and we did.
Fast forward to today. We’re now in the fourth wave of this pandemic, and we need to click. Yet some of our teams are divided regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Abraham Lincoln, a man who knew a bit about leading during a time of division, once said “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Ultimately, the decision today to require us all to be vaccinated is about being united. United in purpose and united in our approach to serving our communities.
Whether we are clinical or non-clinical, when we chose healthcare as our profession and for our livelihoods, we committed ourselves to science and safety. On that I think we can agree. Our daily work is in service to the health and well-being of others. And together we do amazing work, all of us together making a difference in the lives of the people we serve.
We’ve made it through the worst healthcare crisis in a century by working together. Our successes so far have been grounded in fighting this as a system, not individual units, locations, or stand-alone heroes. And not fighting each other.
To beat this pandemic, we need to come together in purpose and in method. But how?
Here’s how we can come together:
- Be caring
We need everyone and we don’t want any of our colleagues to leave CentraCare. It’s important to acknowledge the hesitation or fear that some have regarding the COVID vaccine and share factual information rather than focusing on personal differences.
- Be genuine
We’ve remained unified in our fight against COVID-19. We must remember, the fight continues against the virus – not with each other.
- Assume positive intent
Our culture of working together as one team is core to our purpose. Please assume positive intent when talking to colleagues about this topic – especially when differing views are shared.
Let’s use this moment to come together. The show needs us to click.
Joe Kalkman is the Chief Administration Officer for CentraCare and leads Human Resources.
We welcome comments from CentraCare and Carris Health employees. Please include your name and CentraCare/Carris Health email when submitting your comment.
“When we chose healthcare as our profession and for our livelihoods, we committed ourselves to science and safety.” “Our daily work is in service to the health and well-being of others.”
So eloquently spoken Joe.
Thank you for your message of hope and unity.