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Sharing Is Caring

Sharing Is Caring
By Beverly Torain
Retired Postmaster of Apex, NC and President of Joseph B. Winters Jr., Raleigh, Branch 177

As a longtime advocate and NAPS member, the issues we encounter on a daily basis still amaze me. As we communicate with our fellow advocates and peers, the sentiment is the same: “You can’t make this stuff up!” Postmasters, you are the team leader and the foundation of your unit; without a strong foundation, the structure crumbles.

In the current Postal Service environment, the stresses of the job are all too prevalent. There are more and more reports, with Zoom meetings and teleconferences to go over these reports and dissecting them to the bare bones. What happens when the supervisors or managers are just going through the motions of completing those reports, never truly understanding what a report means, from where the information is generated or even how it impacts the daily operation of the unit?

It saddens me to know our current EAS workforce doesn’t even understand the basics—things such as DCV, which is nothing more than CSDRS with a new name, how to interpret or determine how long a carrier should take to pull down and get out of the office or how many pieces of letter mail are in a foot. Flats? Or even better, where to go to determine how to split a route for delivery.

Last year, every Customer Service supervisor throughout the country attended training seminars to help them better understand their job and how to perform it more efficiently. How many have maintained that information?

Postmasters, it is up to you as the foundation of your unit to ensure your structure is sound. You, as the leader, are charged with training, mentoring and coaching. But do you have the knowledge, skills and abilities to stand up to the challenge? Or is your foundation lacking, as well?

Every day, we represent EAS employees who have failed to perform their duties as assigned. Is it because they don’t or can’t due to a lack of support and knowledge? How many times has it been revealed that even the foundation is lacking in knowledge, but tries to hold its structure accountable?

There is no shame in admitting you don’t know. Not knowing and not admitting can result in anger, frustration, hurt feelings and a very toxic environment. Everyone should set aside their pride and ask for what they need.

Postmasters: It’s up to you to make certain your structure, as well as you, are equipped with all the tools necessary to have a successful unit. Share what you know with your employees—empower them to be the best they can be. Knowledge is power; sharing is caring!