Knowing that we don’t know everything
|Blog
The trials and tribulations of the past year and a half have been a great source of motivation for me to do even more, even better… and even faster. There’s so much to accomplish to improve the reality of seniors that my audacity, my rigour and—to the great displeasure of my Executive Committee—my impatience were challenged. But, fortunately, I am by no means claiming to know everything. I know that I’ll always need to learn if I want to be able to do more, better and faster… but most importantly, well. To do this, we’ve called on experts, amazing people who’ve seen and experienced more than we have, to guide us in our next steps. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to two members of Le Groupe Maurice’s new Advisory Committee: David McAusland, a consultant with the firm McCarthy Tétrault and an internationally recognized lawyer, and Daniel Fournier, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Ivanhoé Cambridge.
I’m extremely fortunate to be surrounded by exceptional people who have a generous streak in them, who want to help others by sharing their experiences, whether good or not so good. As Daniel Fournier told us, with a smile on his face: “I’m going to share my mistakes with you, so you don’t repeat them!”
What a blessing, isn’t it, to be able to take advantage of all this wealth of information, and to feel, on top of that, that it is being shared wholeheartedly? Not only that, the Committee will push us, help us to go further into uncharted territory, in order to discover ourselves and grow even more. What I like is that our new committee is composed of professionals from different backgrounds, outside the world of retirement homes. Their contribution will be all the more valuable.
In this regard, David McAusland shared with us a very enlightening reflection. “We live in a time when everything has become very complicated… and interconnected. We’ve experienced, through the pandemic, how what happens in China affects us, as well as what happens in Africa or anywhere else in the world. If we want to make a difference, we have an obligation to think about strategies that are inclusive and that will endure over time, that will allow us to adapt, to learn, to listen and, as much as possible, to have friends and allies who respect us. When people trust us, and we trust people, it’s amazing what we can accomplish.”
Accountability
We all have an impact on society. All of us. Individually, collectively and professionally. So it’s only natural that we make sure we do so with every ethical and responsible mechanism possible. But it takes modesty, openness and a willingness to change, to improve. As I wrote in a previous blog post, what will ensure our salvation in this unstable world is cooperation, altruism, mobilization, wonder and long-term thinking. All the VPs on the Executive Committee are delighted with the arrival of this Advisory Committee, which we fervently hope will enable us to move in this direction. Because, just like me, they have this thirst for learning to ultimately help others.
“When I met all of you on the Executive Committee and saw the dedication, the authenticity and the passion that drives you, it touched me, because I recognized myself in you. At this stage of my life, I want to be involved in projects that I can connect with, that will allow me to learn and give back what I’ve been lucky enough to receive. And then, when you see what happened during the pandemic, in addition to the growing senior demographic, you understand that what needs to be done is colossal. The work of Le Groupe Maurice is more than necessary and needs to grow to help even more people. That’s why it needs to be extended to other markets. The welfare of seniors and their quality of life is extremely important, which is all the more motivating for me,” said Daniel Fournier.
“In my opinion, in our professional life, there’s financial income and there’s psychic income (PI),” said David McAusland. “It’s what you get from working with certain inspirational people or from facing challenges that allows you to grow. It’s really important for me to surround myself with projects, people or companies that will give me that PI. It’s in these situations that I feel valued, and that’s what I find with you, at Le Groupe Maurice. Being part of this committee is motivating, because the context, the nature of the challenge, the values… all of this resonates with me. At 67 years old, I want to work with inspiring people, whom I respect and with whom it’s easy to communicate… with whom, even if the problems are complex, we can have fun. That’s what makes me feel like I’m making a difference, and most importantly, learning.”
What I take away from David and Daniel’s words, what reassures and inspires me even more, is that despite their great expertise, experiences and successes, their keen and intelligent eyes betray this immeasurable desire to know others, to learn from situations, to continue to be amazed. I’m therefore even more convinced that no matter the profession, the life story… the age!, what makes us rich is the humility of knowing that we don’t know everything.
Luc Maurice
Since this article was written, a third person has been added to Le Maurice Group’s Advisory Committee: France Margaret Bélanger, President, Sports and Entertainment of the CH Group.
