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Finding a New Calling: PR and Change Management

There’s something exhilarating in finding that, after a 40+ year journey in Public Relations, I’m finally seeing PR hit its sweet spot in the world of Change Management. It’s not that PR wasn’t meaningful before—far from it. But there’s a natural progression I hadn’t anticipated that feels like everything’s come full circle. The Melbourne Mandate: A PR Calling for the Big Picture For those unfamiliar, the Melbourne Mandate was a sort of manifesto for PR pros worldwide, a call to arms to practice PR as something more profound and lasting. It championed trust, transparency, and ethical alignment as the lifeblood of PR work—a vision I could get behind from day one. But I’ll admit, back in the early days, this was a high bar. PR often still boiled down to the “spin doctor” tropes of corporate messaging and firefighting for a client’s image. In the background, we were all holding on to those Melbourne Mandate ideals, trying to make them our day-to-day reality. It’s taken years, but a...
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Peer Support

Empathy Brings Healing (Written for Service Canada’s internal newsletter) Léa Gagné Werthman, APR Senior Advisor, Transformation Solutions and Adoption Peer Supporter, ESDC, & Member of the Federal Speakers Bureau on Workplace Mental Health When I experienced my own deep depression in 2017, following the traumatic ending to my marriage, my work family was there to catch me. My Director gave me the space and support I needed, and my colleagues were there to listen as I worked through my shock and pain. Employee Assistance connected me with a great therapist, and I shifted all of my energy to self-care and recovering my sense of self. I quickly realized how valuable empathy is by just having someone listen to me. Each time I spoke about my pain with a compassionate listener, the weight of my sadness lifted a little. When ESDC launched its Peer Support program, I responded to the first call-out for volunteers. After a week of training – in the company of an amazing group of like-minde...
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Dwelling in the Place of What If

SO many nights lost to sleeplessness and cold sweats; second-guessing decisions confidently made in the daylight's Right Mind. Passionate pursuits "shushed" for fear of humiliation, or failure, or "insert excuse here"; silencing singing, denying access to the hard-won skill long languishing in memories of who I used to be. Fighting while my Capricorn drive for practicality takes me down every imagined Tragic Ending for my shattered heart. Anxiety: dwelling in the place of What If. So how about this: What if I trust - that it has always worked out. What if I know - that I have everything I need. What if I believe - that I am loved and loveable. What if I dwell - in the place of Peace? This Thanksgiving weekend, the Fall colours are perfect. Crocus bulbs have been planted in Mount Layla, protected by a CAUTION tape barrier, a buried promise for spring; the crisp fall air and clear bright sunlight has made for three full days of thanking Creator for my life. Yes. T...
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Pandemics and Paradigms

It has been 113 days since I last hugged another human being. I shall never again have to face The Commute. My mental health has been under attack since the middle of March. I can bring my Doodle Layla to work with me every day. After more than three years of hard experience Being Alone, the lockdown should have been easy for me. I am leaning in to Virtual Community opportunities - which are everywhere. All of our Systems and Processes are up for debate. New, important, Conversations are provoking Change. Some of my old Beliefs are ready for Revolution. Where are we going from here....??
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Lessons Learned

State of Emergency The premier has just declared that Covid19 pandemic control – “flattening the curve” – requires the implementation of emergency measures. Bars and restaurants must close to patrons, and go to take out and delivery only. All St. Patrick’s day public celebrations have been cancelled today.  Schools have been closed for the next three weeks. Our own PM is self-isolating, modeling “working from home” for a country of knowledge workers. Specially-scheduled shopping hours are being established for vulnerable populations. Interest rates are dropping to zero. These are strange and unprecedented times. It’s consuming the news cycle: stories on how to cope; sharing acts of community kindness; collectively watching and worrying about our friends and family scattered around the world, trying to get home. # caremongering  is trending on Twitter, as a uniquely Canadian-bred movement to keep the lights shining through the darkness.  Lessons Learned. T...
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Inside Out

One year ago yesterday, my husband and I officially signed our Separation Agreement, in the presence of witnesses, a Notary, and shared a ceremonial slug of the “special whisky” Greg brought in honour of the occasion. Turns out, the whisky was awful – but somehow, its nasty burn seemed more fitting than a smooth scotch would have been, given the intensity and jarring impact of that moment on my life.  I had picked October 20 th  as the date for the paperwork, as I reckoned that was the day Greg first left our bed and moved out to the studio the year before that. From that moment to the clink of our whisky glasses, my whole world was turned inside out. I come from a long line of introverts. Apart from the kids who would come to visit me, my mother did not socialize with the neighbourhood folk much. She preferred to keep her private life, well, private. When Greg and I were courting, one of the songs he wrote for me that truly clinched the deal was called “Hermit Wife” ...
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Better, Faster, Stronger

Happy Canada Day from a proud Canadian. Facebook – which I use only judiciously and strategically – likes to remind me what happened on this date over the years. I can completely turn it off if I wish, and for a time, those daily trips down memory lane had the power to completely undo me. So much so that I completely stopped Facebook for awhile. Then I learned how to build my social media bubble: I “unfollowed” a whole community of people; I changed my notifications and trained myself to leave the app alone. And I went away to focus on healing. Walking. Music. Talking. Sharing my story. Yoga. Weight lifting. More walking. Sleep stories. Mindfulness. Journaling. Gratitude. Random acts of kindness. And embracing all of those who gathered around me in my time of need. I called on an army of helpers, and made myself my Mission: to once and for all see me for the magnificent creature I am, and lean into Just Being Me. It has been a project more daunting than any other I hav...
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