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Let's Do a Better Job Building Relationships

Let’s Do a Better Job Building Relationships
By Dee Perez
New York Area Vice President

Is it the workload, the expectations being dumped daily on local management and front-line supervisors or the constant changes to which we are asked to adapt? We are in a constant state of flux every week.

The message is clear from reading many of your emails and speaking to you at NAPS training seminars, branch meetings and state conventions: You are frustrated, tired and mentally exhausted with all this data and reports. Some EAS employees are at a breaking point. If you are at your breaking point, please contact the Employee Assistance Program at EAP4YOU.com; help is available 24/7.

You may be fed up with the way upper management treats you. And regarding all the Zoom meetings where you hear the same broken record messages play repeatedly, for hours, I understand you tune out after 15 minutes. You may need to reevaluate the job and ask yourself if really it’s something you want to continue to do. Unfortunately, from the handwriting on the wall I’m reading, it’s going to get far worse.

At the New England State Convention in May, I did a presentation on membership. I addressed the nonmember issue that affects every NAPS branch. In addition, former NAPS Executive Vice President Jay Killackey did a presentation on representation. The overall presentation was spot on, but, more importantly, his message was about building relationships with those in the chain of command.

If we are to have successful work relationships, we must aspire to have mutual respect, communication, honesty and integrity. We must work as a team, pulling in the same direction. Without these attributes, you are doomed as a leader, as well as the team relationship you are trying to build.

At every level in NAPS and the Postal Service, we all need to do a better job in building relationships—not just with our co-workers, but also with our superiors and subordinates so there’s mutual trust among everyone. This applies to CRDOs, DMs, MCSOs, MPOOs, support specialists, postmasters, area managers, MDOs and supervisors.

The entire chain of command needs to look in the mirror and change. You start off by giving respect to those subordinates who work for you. If you treat them right, they will respect you. Far too often, though, a write-up or adverse action is the result of a personal issue involving you and your supervisor; this must cease.

We must stop personalizing things with each other and, instead, be on the same page and work things out. All EAS employees need to start taking care of business. You were not hired to appease craft employees. Rather, you were hired to manage them, make sure they are performing to their demonstrated performance expectations, following your instructions and coming to work daily. Then, perhaps, the relationship with your manager will be better and far more respectful.

If all EAS employees maintain their integrity 24/7 and take care of their postal responsibilities, I suspect we would have very few to no adverse actions or letters of warning being issued to EAS employees by EAS employees!