Last Wednesday, we came together to celebrate our culture, reflect on moments that matter and provide clarity on our shared vision, the day turned out to be a special moment for us all to connect and spend time together.
Over 140 staff came together at the CISCO Head Office. Aunty Margret Campbell started the day by acknowledging the Cammeraygal People, the traditional owners of the land that we gathered on. Aunty Margaret Campbell shared her Dreamtime legacy and her understanding of our individual and collective need to walk country with respect, honouring Mother Earth’s annual and seasonal curricula of the Sun and Moon cycles.
Jon, James, and Melissa shared stories and their vision for the future and how we are going to work towards sparking a national movement towards a life without loneliness.
James and Laura brought the fun with an array of games and activities that filled the day with laughter and a bit of Bingo (unicorn) controversy.
The day was an exciting moment in our history, and as our strategic goal is taking us to new and exciting places, we asked for you to reflect on our values to ensure they represent the best truth of you and the Wayside of today. You shared your wisdom and passion. Wayside is incredibly lucky to have such a diverse and passionate team.
A key theme of the day was exploring Moments that Mattered or, should I say, the Wayside Way. The Wayside Way defines how we do what we do; it is the way that we meet, treat, and connect with our visitors, and each other; it’s the moments in our Wayside journey that makes us feel valued. It is, for many of us, why we choose to work here. Through your storytelling, words, song, and painting, we now have a deeper understanding of the Wayside Way.
To be honest, the words ‘company offsite to talk about values’ made me roll my eyes. I should have known a Wayside staff day might be different. And it wasn’t just the tatts and the ferocious swearing; it was the air of positivity and possibility. From the big caffeine energy of the kick off to the rousing chorus of Walk on the Wayside, I was, as Jon likes to put it, ‘captured by the awesome’.
“I got so much out of connecting with different people from around the organisation and hearing their stories – seeing my colleagues be courageous and show their vulnerability in front of a bunch of (some near) strangers was electrifying. For a Wayside newbie (though now not as new as I thought!) I’m so grateful to be surrounded by genuine, kind, empathetic people who walk the talk. Brene Brown writes, ‘everyone talks a big values game but very few people actually practice one’… well, she obviously hasn’t met you.” – Miriam
Over the coming weeks we will work through your stories and all the material that we captured throughout the day. Thank you!
We are very much looking forward to sharing your work and the next steps in this journey.
Watch our beautiful ‘Moments that Mattered’ here.
Remember our beautiful song ‘Take a Walk on the Wayside’? Relive the moment here.
