By: John Rabin, Assistant Administrator, Field Operations Directorate
This has been quite a year, and among the many things that 2020 brought, it made me more reflective. It made me hunt the good of the past year and also think about the not so good. As we come to the end of the year, it’s good for all of us to reflect on our past year and ask ourselves what were moments of success? How did we embody FEMA’s Core Values of compassion, fairness, integrity, and respect? What were lessons learned and how did we grow from them? What are our goals or "resolutions" for the year to come? As we look back on 2020, it may be difficult to recall those moments that were fulfilling, heartwarming, and make us feel accomplished. If 2020 has taught me anything, it's that the small moments can add up, and may matter even more than the big ones.
When you start to look back on this past year ask yourself, "What were the moments where I did the right thing?" The right thing could be as small as washing your hands multiple times a day to ensure the safety of your colleague's and loved ones. It could be speaking up for others whose voices are smaller than ours. It could be taking that extra moment to put yourself in a colleagues shoes before answering an email. Or picking up the slack for a colleague that has been impacted by COVID-19. These seemingly small acts could have saved a life, could have made someone’s day a bit easier, could have been the positive work experience that someone needed. Doing the right thing matters, no matter how small of a thing you may think it may be. It just might be a big thing to someone else.
As we celebrate the end of 2020 and see some hope that 2021 will be better, let us think about all the ways we demonstrated our core values and make a commitment to do it even more next year. In 2020 we found that the people that we helped – before, during, and after disasters – was us. Ourselves, our friends, our families, and our communities. Let’s commit as individuals and colleagues to do the same next year. I hope you have a safe and restful holiday and I hope that next year is filled with Compassion, Fairness, Integrity, and Respect.
Sincerely,
John Rabin Associate Administrator Field Operations Directorate
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This week’s employee spotlight comes to us from the field. Michael “Mike” Lambrecht was nominated by his colleague, Mary Dawson, for being the kind of person who consistently displays integrity towards fellow employees during various deployments. As a Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) IM Core Branch Director, Mike recently worked on DR-4562-OR and had this to say about his experience. “It’s about doing the right thing all of the time regardless of the reward or who’s watching. Integrity is something that you either have or you don’t. I often have to review travel vouchers as a part of my duties. There have been times when I needed to approach someone about an expense, which can be a difficult topic to discuss. I remind everyone that, although FEMA doesn’t ask us to supply receipts for amounts less than $75, we are entrusted with good faith to claim actual expenses paid.”
Do you have an example of an employee who lives FEMA’s Core Values? Email FEMA-ORR-CoreValues-Team@fema.dhs.gov to have them featured here.
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By: Pam L'Heureux
Integrity encompasses our responsibility as stewards of federal resources, services, and programs, and our conduct as trusted professionals. We earn trust by being accountable, present, honest, and dependable.
What does Integrity mean to me?
Doing the right thing even when no one is watching. I believe integrity is the foundation of trust, consistent actions and honesty which I build with co-workers in doing what is right!
Pamela L’Heureux FEMA DR-4562-OR Chief of Staff, FEMA Field Leadership Cadre Operational Coordination Division (OCD)
Would you like to share what FEMA Core Values mean to you? Email FEMA-ORR-CoreValues-Team@fema.dhs.gov for more information.
By: Loralyn Smith
Building Inclusive Teams
Empathetic leadership is a KEY component
Diversity and inclusion are often treated as an isolated initiative controlled by HR personnel. That is a myth from my viewpoint. Real change happens when every individual leader believes in the value of belonging (both intellectually and emotionally) and acts accordingly. Only when they step up to own diversity and inclusion will our culture begin to change and thrive.
The starting point for this process is for leadership to tune into the feeling of empathy. They need to remember a time when they were excluded, shamed, and interrupted, so they can apply those lessons outwardly. This is something that they need to feel within and be able to explain why they care, why it matters and why it should matter to their direct reports.
A snippet from Simon Sinek - Understanding Empathy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi86Nr9Mdms
Loralyn Smith Management Analyst RTPD| Recovery Directorate
9 Smart Strategies for Working With Difficult People [Infographic]
We've all encountered a difficult colleague in some form or another. In fact, experts estimate that between 60 and 80 percent of reported difficulties at work are caused primarily by strained relationships with coworkers.
Link to article and infographic: https://www.netcredit.com/blog/work-difficult-people/
Standing Up for Your People - Showing Support When It Matters
Have you ever worked with someone who defended you when you made a mistake, or, for honest reasons, performed badly on a task? Or reversed? This article looks at how to defend people appropriately. It looks at why you should; explore when you shouldn't; and think about how you can stand your ground diplomatically and effectively, without damaging your reputation.
Link to article: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/standing-up-for-your-people.htm
Brené with Aiko Bethea on Inclusivity at Work: The Heart of Hard Conversations
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World AIDS Day - December 1
World AIDS Day has now been observed for 32 years – since 1988. Across the globe, World AIDS Day brings together individuals and organizations to call attention to the continuing HIV epidemic.
This year’s theme is Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact. World AIDS Day is an effort to increase HIV awareness and knowledge, and provides an opportunity to speak out against HIV stigma and ignorance. In the United States, approximately 25 percent of new HIV cases occur among young people between the ages of 13-24. HIV/AIDS is not going away, despite the growing use of PrEP, which has shown tremendous success stopping the transmission of HIV.
This year, members of the federal community and Harold Phillips, Chief Operating Office for Ending the HIV Epidemic will host a Live with Leadership World AIDS Day Edition on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
Access the event via Zoom.
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The Office of Equal Rights Holds Third Civil Rights Stakeholder Summits
On Dec. 3 the Office of Equal Rights (OER) will host the last of three Civil Rights Stakeholder Summits. The third summit, “Environmental Justice Summit: Implementation Throughout Disasters,” is an opportunity for FEMA and our stakeholders to participate in a crucial conversation on equity in disasters. Motivated by FEMA’s core values of compassion, fairness, integrity and respect, the goal of this summit is to strengthen the foundation for an inclusive, whole-community based approach to emergency management.
The summit is designed to foster a collaborative dialogue to identify biases impacting equal access to programs and services before, during and after disasters.
FEMA understands that disasters impact individuals and communities differently. To foster a more inclusive, prepared and resilient nation, OER seeks to strengthen the agency’s communication with members of underserved and historically marginalized communities, such as those with low income, differing ethnic groups and limited English proficiency.
Perspectives and feedback from the public are critical to ensure FEMA effectively prepares and serves all communities.
Upcoming summit date and topic:
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Thursday, Dec. 3:
Environmental Justice Summit: Implementation Throughout Disasters
Register in advance to join the summit discussion.
Federal Occupational Health Webinars and Podcasts: Upcoming
5 Ways to Generate More Joy
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 12:00:00 PM CST - 1:00:00 PM CST
There are more ways than one to spark some extra joy in your life! Discover how to increase your happiness, improve your well-being, and get the most out of the season, the new year, and beyond.
Click HERE to register.
Browse previous webinar and podcast recordings here: https://www.magellanassist.com/mem/memserv/ondemand/index.aspx
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African American FERG
Food for The Soul
The African American FEMA Employee Resource Group will be celebrating the holiday season by hosting a recipe-sharing and networking event.
Are you a foodie? Do you love cooking? Is there a special recipe that resonates with you or your family? If so, share and present your favorite recipe with others at Food for The Soul: December 17 @ 5:00 p.m. ET via Zoom
Employees are invited to submit a recipe of their signature dish. For inclusion instructions, please visit the African American FERG SharePoint page. All recipe submissions are due no later than 5:00 p.m. (local time) on December 3. If you have any additional questions, please submit them to the AAFERG mailbox at fema-africanamerican-employeeresourcegroup@fema.dhs.gov.
All employees and families are welcome, but will not be compensated for the event.
Details on how to attend will be provided via FEMA Weekly in December.
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PRIDE FERG
The PRIDE FEMA Employee Resource Group will be having leadership elections in January. Currently, Alex Sachs and Jamie Casterton are co-chairs of FEMA Pride.
December 10, 2020 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. EST is the FEMA PRIDE Holiday Virtual Social Hour. To Join:
Meeting: https://fema.zoomgov.com/j/1604971499
Meeting ID: 160 497 1499 Passcode: 296729
For more information about PRIDE FERG, click here: Intranet Site
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Veteran’s Advisory Council FERG
The Veteran's Advisory Council (VAC) FEMA Employee Resource Group monthly meeting will be held on December 9, 2020, from 2:00 - 3:00 PM EST.
If interested in joining the VAC, send a message to FEMA-VeteransCouncil@fema.dhs.gov with Membership as the subject and include your branch of service, years of service, and rank at the end of service, if applicable. If you did not serve in the U.S. Military, you can still join. Just state you have not served, but would like to join the VAC. Semper Fidelis.
For more information about VAC FERG, click here: Intranet Site
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FEMA Women’s Forum
FEMA Women's Forum's mission is “to partner across the agency to engage, educate, and empower FEMA employees to advance the interests of women.” The Women’s Forum will have a new panel of officers for 2021, which we will announce next month.
For more information on FEMA Women's Forum, click here: Intranet Site
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The ORR Core Values Team appreciates your participation and feedback. We want our content to be concise, interesting, and useful. Please send your comments, ideas, and content to the ORR Core Values Team inbox at: FEMA-ORR-CoreValues-Team@fema.dhs.gov
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