Catch SLU Alumnus's Inspirational Cannonball Day Talk

11/01/2018

On Tuesday, Oct. 23, alumnus and best-selling author, John O’Leary (CBS ’99) returned to SLU to inspire the SLU community again with his message about the power people have to transform their lives when they live with purpose and practice gratitude. 

Two speaker events were held, allowing over 250 faculty and staff to hear John’s message.

“As members of the SLU community, we are asked to grow and find ways to continuously improve what we do in order to meet the changing demands of higher education and healthcare,” Mickey Luna, Vice President of Human Resources, said. “John reminds us that we can transform the challenges of change into the gift of possibility and impact.”

The Cannonball picnic followed at 11:30 am on the Quad near DuBourg Hall, and the speaker events and picnic were sponsored by the Division of Human Resources and the Cura program.

O’Leary’s message complements the latest development opportunities offered by the University, “Leading with Engagement” and “Partners in Change.” The workshops, offered to supervisors and their reporting teams, provide a framework for discussing the work University staff members do and identifying modifications to enhance the day-to-day work environment, such as discontinuing a task or continuing a task with improvements for efficiency. 

“As part of our University Action Plan, all faculty and staff supervisors are expected to hold meetings with their direct reports in what we are calling ‘work design meetings,’ and we believe John’s inspirational message is the perfect backdrop for entering these discussions with the mindset of gratitude and knowledge that each of our roles has a valuable purpose in supporting the SLU mission,” Luna also noted.

The SLU community is encouraged to continue to discuss O’Leary’s message through the event’s Reflection Guide, which includes discussion activities and educational resources related to the event’s themes, or through Cura.

For those who wish to watch O’Leary’s talk, catch it here.