Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for letting me use this forum to express my thoughts during this difficult time. When I handed the reins of VetPrac over to Margie, I knew I would miss the wonderful contact I have had with you over the last 12yrs.
I have been watching Australian Border Force comments on SBS this morning and it’s inspired me to comment about crucial conversations.
We seem to live in an age when everyone (until recently) has a job and a role, and people are committed to their roles. We live in a digital separated age when protocols are followed, and people don’t make time to talk to each other.
It is ever more important we talk to each other. The thing which has defined humanity against all other species is our capacity to cooperate and communicate. But the thing that makes us all really special is our capacity to think beyond our habits and initiate new plans and ideas to support our progress and survival.
Listening to the Border Police Chief saying that their staff don’t have training in taking temperatures bamboozled me. Hearing that a Chinese doctor informed authorities in December about a new emerging disease and that it was ignored is eyebrow raising.
But this stuff isn’t uncommon. It happens all the time. We always try to form a protocol to cover our asses, but let’s be honest, NOTHING helps in an emergency better than people talking to each other in a way that enables cooperation and collaboration. So much information can be conveyed, and so much more achieved when we do.
If you are stuck at the clinic or at home right now, consider listening to the publication crucial conversations. It might help you save a life and prevent the spread of disease as well as help your whole team band together during this challenging time.
Warm Regards
Ilana