Our Francophone Community is Incredible.
And the leadership within that group is a force to be reckoned with! It was on full display last night at the Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick Gala.
It forced me to reflect on the past 11 years in business. Every single transformation we’ve been involved with in the Acadian community has resulted in long-standing partnerships.
The relationship between service providers (marketers, management consultants etc…) and customers can be marred with hope, angst, and endings that no one is happy with.
I haven’t experienced that in the Francophone community.
They have been true partnerships.
Born out of mutual respect for each other’s capabilities.
We work with organizations going through change; those that are facing crisis or have plateaued, and help them recover and thrive.
The work with Jason Somers, Jean-Claude Savoie, Alain Bossé, and Nathalie Savoie at Groupe Savoie. The work started with my dad. Mark Symes has continued working with the team on strategic execution, and I have the honour of serving on their board.
Gérald Richard and Monique Boudreau in the education system. We worked to redefine education in the province. There is a chapter written on the work we co-authored. It was a rich and rewarding partnership.
David Savoie at Acadian Construction Ltd.. We worked to help him build a systemic approach to leading the business after he took over from his sister. It remains one of the most successful and shared 18-month transformation stories in our repertoire.
Justin Beaulieu and Pierre-Luc Cyr, CPA, CMA at Beaulieu Plumbing & Mechanical. From a heartfelt succession to strategically supporting the organization. It has been a pleasure.
France Desrosiers, Patrick Parent, MBA, Brigitte Sonier Ferguson, and the entire leadership team at the Réseau de santé Vitalité. The way you are revolutionizing health in Primary Care and the way you are re-engineering the model of care to serve New Brunswickers is inspiring.
Mario Allain, Jamie Pelletier-Bernier, MBA at FundyPros Specialty Construction. I love the work Mark has worked with you through over the last 5 years.
They were all significant transformations.
We contended with conflict at every turn. We’re re-wring the strategic mindset and re-engineering the way the organization executes. They take enormous commitment and stamina.
And in the world of transformation, you can’t be transactional. We’re going into battle (excuse the military metaphor) and the odds are not in the leaders favour.
I mentioned that to Claude Francoeur, and he just smiled with a fist in the air and said, “It’s the Acadian Way.”
I’m proud to say that we are still working strategically with most of the organizations I’ve listed above.
Mark and I won’t miss the CENB gathering again. Thank you for the invite Jason.
We are stronger as a province because of our diversity and I hope we find more ways to invest in and celebrate that strength.
