One Veteran, One Team...5 June 2012 Blog

As I mentioned previously in my blog, the Office has adopted the theme of One Veteran for the period of my mandate. As this theme suggests, I feel very strongly that all Veterans, regardless of their service, should be treated fairly by Veterans Affairs Canada. To the same end, it is crucial that the many voices within the Veterans community come together to share the same goal: to ensure that those who have honourably served our country have access to the benefits and services they need, in recognition of their service and of the individual sacrifices they and their families have made.

In many ways, the concept of coming together to work as one team applies to the Office. With a team that is split between two different locations—one in Ottawa and one in Charlottetown—it is extremely important that geographic distance does not take away from the quality of the work we do to ensure the fair treatment of all Veterans. Our two office locations strive to maintain good communication so that we are able to work together as one team.

While modern technology has simplified the task of working across provinces, it is important to solidify working relationships face-to-face. One way that we have had success in cultivating an efficient working relationship between our two work locations is by holding annual retreats, where Office staff from both locations gather for two days to share information, discuss processes, and connect with colleagues whom they don’t regularly work with face-to-face.

During the second week of June, my team will assemble for an all-staff retreat. This will be an opportunity to foster communication and plan strategically for the year ahead. We will use this time to plan for upcoming outreach tours and systemic reviews, identify possible areas of concern, and generally ensure that the team is working together towards a common goal—the fair treatment of all Veterans. I expect that this retreat will be very informative and productive, and I will be sure to provide an update following our return.