Competence Is Magic
CLAC provides many services and programs to help members. But it’s up to you to take advantage of them.
By Wayne Prins, Executive Director
Competence is underrated. According to Webster’s Dictionary, competence is the state of having sufficient knowledge, judgment, skill, or strength to do something successfully.
I have two young girls at home, so I’ve watched Cinderella a time or two. It’s Cinderella who famously says, “Be kind, have courage, and always believe in a little magic.” It’s her inspirational motto for life, and I suppose it’s suitable for a fairy tale.
I like the kind and courageous part, but magic is in a fairy tale what competence is in real life. A better message from Cinderella to the real world would be, “Be kind, have courage, and work really hard at being competent.”
The purpose of a modern union such as CLAC is, at least in part, to facilitate the competence of its members. There are many examples of this:
• Our training and education programs equip you with the required skills and knowledge to succeed in your career.
• Our health and wellness programs provide you with what you and your dependants need to stay healthy.
• Our retirement programs provide you with the opportunity to prepare for a secure retirement.
• Our frequent communications to you—written, digital, and in-person during workplace visits—provide you with valuable information so you can navigate your work-life with informed judgment.
• Our workplace advocacy and representation provide you with a strong voice in the workplace so you have a say in the decisions and conditions that effect you.
These are all services that are readily available to you as a CLAC member. But it is your responsibility to take advantage of them.
It’s all too common that personal responsibility for developing competence is replaced by the notion that someone else will ensure your success for you. Yes, there may be a safety net for those most in need of help. But you are wise to take up this personal responsibility with a sense of determination and urgency, so your success isn’t primarily in the hands of someone else.
The union is here to serve you and your fellow members as a unified and cohesive community of interest, and that will always be the case. That said, communities are comprised of individuals, each with their own gifts, abilities, circumstances, and goals.
This community that you are a part of is made stronger when more members take full advantage of all the services we make available to develop their competence.
Cinderella’s modified motto for life may lack Disney-esque flair, but I assure you competence will take you a lot farther than pixie dust.