At work, I have the

opportunity…

South Florida Employees Shine

Bright in the Sunshine State

WEEKLY

ENGAGE

Q3. “At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best

every day.”

Focus on Q3

p. 2

Challenge and Quote

P. 5

Celebrations

P. 6

Issue 70 | Week of Sept. 25, 2017

2

…to do what I do best every day.

Cover Story

What prevents you from having

the opportunity to do what you

do best every day? For South

Florida employees from Key

West to Key Largo to

Islamorado to Homestead to

Marathon, not even a hurricane

could stop them. Deerfield

Beach Manager Sharon Weiser

summed it up in one statement:

“All the employees in these

photos make me proud that my

career has been spent as a

United States postal employee. I

want to thank them personally.”

According to Gallup research,

the most powerful benefit a

manager can provide is to place

employees in jobs that allow

them to use the best of their

natural selves, their talents, as

well as their skills and

knowledge. Acknowledging a

person’s greatest natural talents

and weaknesses does not mean

accepting a narrow set of career

opportunities. Rather, it means

each employee will succeed in a

relatively unique way, applying

their own style to the

accomplishment.

3

“You have to be very careful out there while driving. I take my time even in my own car and it carries

over to when I drive my truck,” West Los Angeles City carrier Bryant Thompson said. Retired West

Los Angeles Supervisor Naomi Eick, creator of the Safety Wall, returned to join the celebration of four

carriers who were awarded the Million Mile Award. West Los Angeles Station manager Una Person-

Hodges talked to all carriers about the eye-catching “Safety Wall” exhibition located at the exit door.

“I want you all to look at the wall every time you go through the doors to remind you to be safe,”

Hodges said. She also encouraged the new employees to look at these role models and approach every

opportunity to bring your best to work each day. If the employees take the advice from Hodges and

Thompson it will lend itself to bring the best version of yourself home safely.

Engagement + Safety = Value

L – R: West Los Angeles Letter Carrier Bryant

Thompson and Rancho Park Letter Carriers

Debra Clark, Guy Thomas, and Melvin Kosaka

Retired West Los Angeles Supervisor Naomi Eick and Safety Captain Deborah Chaney

West Los Angeles and

Rancho Park employees

stand in front of the

Safety Wall.

4

Sales Service Associate Crystal Flinn, Chicago “I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Chicago Eclipse Fest on Aug. 21, for this special stamps event. The fest generated more than $4000 in sales in one day. This was my opportunity to do what I do best at work every day, servicing the customers with a smile.” ________________________________________________________

Letter Carrier Samaria Hairston of the Mentor Post Office is

pictured top right (inset).

An Employee Engagement Zumba Happy Hour

was held Aug. 23 in the Northern Ohio District.

“Everyone was energized, excited and looking

forward to the next engagement event,” said

Bonnie Taylor, supervisor, customer services. The

certified instructor was City Carrier Assistant

Samaria Hairston of the Mentor Post Office.

Engaging Moments

5

“Leadership is not about a title or a

designation. It's about impact,

influence and inspiration. Impact

involves getting results, influence is

about spreading the passion you

have for your work, and you have to

inspire teammates and customers.”

-Robin S. Sharma, Canadian writer

and leadership speaker

How does your team

come together to

ensure that you

succeed as a team and as individuals?

Here is your

challenge for

next week!

Share with us your favorite quotes about

This month’s Q12 element.

Email: engagement@usps.gov

September is also National Dystonia Awareness Month Mail Processing Clerk Susan L. McPhail of

Nashua, NH, wanted to create awareness about

dystonia. “A lot of people have never heard of

this often devastating condition,” she says. In

2016, Congress voted to recognize the condition

by designating it for a national awareness

month.

According to the Dystonia Medical Research

Foundation (DMRF), dystonia is characterized

by persistent or intermittent muscle

contractions causing abnormal, often repetitive,

movements, postures, or both. McPhail shares

that there are levels of severity to this condition

and sadly it is not very well-known and is

without a cure. The DMRF is one of the only

well-known organizations that brings

awareness to the public and even some doctors. https://www.dystonia-foundation.org/

Highlights

6

Sept. 4 Debra White Mail flow controller Atlanta

Sept. 8 Royal Hibbard Electronic technician Portland, OR

Sept. 13 Gene Walters Custodian Portsmouth, OH

Sept. 22 Belinda Williams Distribution clerk Birmingham, AL

Sept. 24 Priscilla Dennis Secretary Atlanta

Sept. 27 Bambi Mason Rural carrier Pawlet, VT

Wedding Anniversaries

Mark and Maura Wahl celebrate 33 years of marriage. Mark is an employee engagement ambassador in Washington, DC.

Karry and George Quirion celebrate 21 years of marriage. Karry is a management analyst and George

is a letter carrier, both in St. Louis.

Manuel and Roberta Negron celebrate 13 years of marriage. Manuel is a letter carrier in Sacramento, CA.

Congratulations are due to David and Nou Hang as they welcome the birth of Demetrious, at 8 pounds, 2 ounces. David is a rural carrier associate in Ravensdale, WA.

Celebrations!

Birthdays

Do you have something to celebrate? Go to LiteBlue and use the “Employee Engagement Information”

link followed by the ”Employee Celebration Submissions” link to enter birthdays, postal and wedding

anniversaries or to announce the birth of a child.

New Arrivals

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37 years of service Donna Economides Supervisor, distribution operations Rochester, NY 36 years of service Shirley Wagstaff Lead sales and service associate Buffalo, NY 22 years of service Ben Termini Letter carrier Rochester, NY 17 years of service Jack Goodman Lead sales and service associate Alma, AR

Postal Anniversaries 40 years Kathleen Krause Rural carrier Bedford, NY 36 years John Vetashick Training technician Wilkes-Barre, PA 34 years Louis Delisio Lead automotive technician Chelsea, MA 33 years Royal Hibbard Electronic technician Portland, OR 32 years Ann Bottoms Postmaster Ashford, AL 31 years Bettye Barnes Supervisor, customer services Alma, AR 30 years Yolanda Rouillard Accounting specialist Minneapolis 25 years James Allen Electronic technician Detroit 24 years Kenneth Young Postal police officer Chicago 23 years Julie Chudy Mailing requirements clerk Little Rock, AR 17 years Alicia Larry Business mail entry clerk St. Louis _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Retirements

More Celebrations!

8

Letter Carrier Keith Schleusener retired from

the Seward, NE, Post Office on Sept. 22. His

team recognized him with a cake and a garden

rock depicting his favorite college sports

team - the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Retirement, After 25 Years of Service

Years of Service

9

What Can We Do for Hurricane Victims?

HOW TO CREATE A 72-HOUR EMERGENCY KIT Imagine ……Emergency personnel knocking on your door telling you that you have five minutes to evacuate your house (fire, gas

leak, railroad collision, and earthquake). What will you spend those five minutes grabbing?

Here is a list of basic items to include in your 72-hour kit:

WATER FEMA recommends one gallon of water per person per day.

FOOD Granola bars • Food bars • Protein bars • Oatmeal packets

beef jerky • Peanut butter snack cups/crackers • Freeze-dried

meal pouches • Dried fruit and vegetables • Meat in a tin or

pouch • canned ready-meals • Home canned food • Camping

plates/utensils • Can opener • Comfort foods and special

dietary foods • Bring a cooking canisters that can be used to

boil water.

FIRE and HEAT Matches • Lighters • Portable stove

Portable grill for campfire

LIGHT

Glow sticks • Headlamps • Lantern • Solar inflatable lantern

Personal flashlight • Large flashlight

SANITATION and HYGIENE

Wipes • Toilet paper • Soap • • Toothbrush/paste Trash bags

TOOLS AND GEAR Axe • Shovel • Duct Tape • Knife

COMMUNICATION Cell phones • Handheld ham radio

Walkie-talkies • Signaling device

Reference: https://momwithaprep.com/72-hour-kit/

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October Observances AIDS Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month

National Crime Prevention Month

National Stamp Collection Month

National Positive Attitude Month

Workplace Politics Awareness Month

If you have an original picture or story you would

like to submit, please send it to us with proper

names, job titles (no abbreviations, please) and

location. Submissions should also include the city

and state. Thanks!

Next Week’s Observances: Customer Service Week – Oct. 3-7

Mental Illness Awareness Week – Oct. 2 - 8

National Custodial Workers Recognition Day – Oct. 2

National Do Something Nice Day – Oct. 5

Source: National Day Calendar

http:///www.nationaldaycalendar.com

1-844-303-6424

LiteBlue Suggestion Box

engagement@usps.gov

September Wrap-up

Where did the month go? This has been a September to remember. Not only do we have much to remember, we have much to be thankful for. Ironically, September is National Preparedness month. Hurricanes have ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal south. We have shared information on how you can help especially through PERF, the Postal Employees Relief Fund. Hopefully, you will never need the benefits this fund offers. Many postal employees were impacted. Those who couldreported to work and did their best to keep their communities connected. We salute you and thank you for your service. You make us Postal Proud!

The Postal Pulse Survey was well underway through Sept.15. The survey helps to measure the strength of your workplace. The questions are a result of Gallup’s research of more than one million work teams around the world. How did your work place stack up against Q12 (12 Elements of Engagement)? Think about how you and your team will use the survey results to meet the challenges of your workplace.

Hispanic Heritage Month started Sept. 15 and will continue through Oct. 15. Check out your local celebrations. Take the opportunity to learn about Hispanic culture and how it contributes to the tapestry of American life.

This month, one of our readers wanted to create awareness of a health condition named dystonia. It is a debilitating illness that more than 300,000 people live with. Go to the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation website for more information.

In September, we identified the importance of having the opportunity to do what we do best for our teams and in October we will shift our focus toward recognition and its power to inspire and appreciate one another. The challenge is to find something right. Q4: “In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.” Look around you and celebrate the good in our workplace.

Monthly Observances