Day 1 — The RFDS Journey Begins
So today we officially started our collaborative journey with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). It was both invigorating and exhausting at the same time. The enthusiasm of our partners was both evident and contagious but their expectations are daunting. This journal will be about our journey to meet those expectations.
Our journey began with a new experience…commuting via water taxi to the University of Queensland Campus for a kick off meeting.
Once there we got right down to work with a kick-off meeting where our projects were discussed. Our full team is partnering with the Royal Flying Doctors of Australia and the World Wildlife Fund. Both projects promise to be very challenging and fulfilling. My team will be supporting the RFDS Project. The really neat thing about the morning meeting was that it was held in the Global Change Institute’s Living Building, which project demonstrating how to construct a building that not only has zero carbon footprint but is in effect a living building the helps to support the environment. It’s really a fascinating experiment that demonstrates the “Art of the Possible”. It’s worth a read if you’re interested in the environment. Click on this link to view more info.
However after this it was time for us to head out to the RFSD Headquarters in Brisbane. This was when things began to get real. Our partner executives ran a Q&A session where we were able to get a better understanding of the scope of the project along with the Client Critical Success Factors. This is officially where things got real. We spent 3 months preparing and now have 4 weeks to define and execute a successful project. I can’t wait.
One of the highlights of our afternoon was the ability to tour their facility and see some of their newest flying health care facilities. The dedication of their team is incredible and was evident when they started talking about the trust that they have to have with their partners on the ground. Sometimes they have to fly for hours and land in the dark on an improvised dirt “runway” illuminated by burning rolls of toilet paper. Talk about courage! They even allowed us into their aircraft…..you can see me below sitting in the pilot’s seat.
However, the RFDS is more than a bunch of planes….it’s a group of dedicated healthcare personnel who have the skills and expertise to save lives in challenging circumstances. Their motto is “The furthest corner. The finest care.”
This morning they welcomed us to their family. I hope to live up to their expectations.
