Sharma
overwhelms participants during two-day meet
Friday, September
1, 2004 - Roderick Benns
It was the greatest 48 hours of Faye Hetherington’s
life. "You better tell the eastern homes
to get ready," says the environmental services
manager of Riverview Manor in Peterborough. "They’re
going to love this."
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| Robin
Sharma |
That seems to be the kind of attitude that prevailed
after Robin Sharma wowed OMNI’s western managers
over a two-day period in Markham this week, an intimate
semi-circle of sharing and caring that has ignited
the long-term care provider’s leaders.
"It was the best two days of my life. If
I could do it again tomorrow I would," enthuses
Faye.
The impact was something Faye was not expecting.
She had been to leadership and management courses
before, but this one was different. "It was
so personal," Faye says. "It helped
us figure out how we want to live our lives."
Faye says she has had a bad year. Eight of her
extended family members have died in a single
year and much of what Robin spoke about helped
her gain perspective, she says.
"We tapped into fears and our inner selves.
We talked about how to make time for yourself
and for the people in your life," she says.
"I told Fraser (Wilson, OMNI’s CEO)
it was the thrill of my life," says Faye.
Ann Weldon, nutritional care manager at Springdale
Country Manor, says she was "totally overwhelmed"
from her two days of listening and participating
at the retreat.
"Overall, it was a reminder to treat yourself
well, because we give so much each day,"
says Ann.
Ann says there were about 60 people who attended
the event, where a number of personal stories
were shared with each other. "We were given
spiritual rituals to do, too, " she says.
Ann says keeping a journal, analyzing how one’s
day went and planning out a week that includes
exercise, eating right and spending time with
family were all highlighted at the retreat.
"There was goal setting and a lot of reflecting
and soul-searching. It was about being able to
face your fears," says Ann.
Ann says she won’t forget the two-day retreat.
"His presentation was out of this world."
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