Hi Everyone,
Well, today marks four months since I started this column. Not exactly a milestone of achievement, except that I am happy to report that we are moving forward with CFCS programs that began before the pandemic.
I don’t know about you, but during the pandemic I have thought more about the meaning of what I do with my life. Maybe because we have to calculate every step we take these days, but I seem to measure every decision based upon the risk I am taking. Do I see family members? Do I go out or do I stay home? For all of us working at CFCS, I think this gets very personal. Do I find my job fulfilling? Am I risking my own well-being for something I believe in? Do I enjoy or relate to the people I work for? Basically, what’s it for me?
Hopefully, I’ve engaged you in an important conversation that we should be talking about. Our world has been turned upside down and it is easy to question everything. If we can’t find purpose and meaning in our work, we should be actively looking to fix that or we should be looking for a place that we can work where we find purpose.
You might find this conversation unsettling, because this is a two-way street. Does my employer find me to be worthy of my job and see me called to the mission? Do they appreciate me? Conversely, do I find my work to be fulfilling and am I engaged personally in the mission?
I hope to open up this question everywhere that CFCS works. First, this is a good conversation to have with your supervisor and director. If that isn’t happening, now is as good a time to have it. I hope to take this a step further next Wednesday when we will have our July CFCS National Town Hall. I will share not only our values but the meaning of “Employee Engagement.” I hope you can answer why you want to work for CFCS and more importantly, why we want you to be fully engaged in our mission. Hopefully I, along with your Director and fellow staff members, can convince you that your level of commitment to CFCS will determine your level of happiness and sense of purpose.
What studies show in great organizations is that the level of employee commitment is directly tied to the satisfaction of customers. In our case, we call these customers “our families.” We know that an “engaged” employee makes the little things happen, and that this is the difference when it comes to a family believing we care versus someone going through the motions.
Part of our Town Hall will be the theory behind what we do and why. More importantly, we are going to share some stories of people and the actions they take in their everyday life that create meaning for all of us. I feel privileged to work for CFCS because I have received many wonderful blessings from the experience, far more than anything I have ever been able to contribute on my own. It is my hope that we can make this true for every employee who chooses to join us.
So…next week during the Town Hall meeting feel free to ask questions through the “chat” channel. I’ve included the Zoom Meeting info below, in case you didn’t receive it:
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:
Please click this URL to join. https://cfcsmission.zoom.us/j/93123136357
Or join by phone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 253 215 8782 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 931 2313 6357
Also, if you know of a CFCS employee who doesn’t get this communication or the invitation please pass it along to them.
With blessings and gratitude,
Robert