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ORR Team,
Integrity is a Core Value that compels us to always do the right thing, even if no one is watching. It is a fundamental part of our character. It is the glue that links what you think, what you say, what you do and who you are. Integrity means being trustworthy, reliable, accountable, and holds us responsible for our actions, whether good or bad. It begins with clear, upfront, and direct communication. Make a mistake that needs to be addressed? Own up to it and quickly move on to correcting it. See something that’s dishonest or just not right? Speak up and communicate why this doesn’t seem fair on an ethical level.
Workplace integrity can be demonstrated with honesty, loyalty, respect, and responsibility. Having integrity in the workplace is essential to building trust with your colleagues and leadership. It's also vital for making ethical decisions and addressing challenges calmly and decisively. Integrity promotes better leaders who understand that their actions, words, and decisions will shape this agency’s core values. It helps foster a positive work environment, promotes strong and resilient teams, encourages diversity and equity, and builds and maintains trust. Integrity means rising above in actions, words, and example. As a leader, I must be the hardest working on the team, setting an aspiring standard for my teammates. I am transparent, honest, and dedicated to my work upholding the core values of this agency. I work hard to ensure that integrity is the foundation of everything that I do.
"Integrity – Choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.”
– Brené Brown
Ann Gomes | Deputy Infrastructure Branch Director | Region IV | Orlando Processing Center
To download FEMA Core Values resources for distribution and training, go to FEMA Pub 1 - We are FEMA! Intranet Site
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Living the Core Values Spotlight goes to Risa Abraham!
"Let’s face it: sometimes our co-workers are like the family members who don’t know what or how to say things in a tactful way. Whether they are deliberately obnoxious or unknowingly crass by nature, we’ve got to deal with them either on their level or rise above to remain on our own. I’d like to nominate Risa Abraham, Public Assistance Division Program Analyst, for showing integrity in a moment where a distasteful question was anonymously posed during an all-hands team event, and she chose to respond in the most professional manner to clarify and reiterate statements that were previously made during her presentation. I thought her response served as a reminder to not feed into the negative energy that other people attempt to serve. Integrity is taking a stance for what is right, no matter how disapproving the actions, or words written in this case, are taken by someone else."
Jameelah Haynes-Lee | Program Analyst | Public Assistance Division | Recovery Directorate
Would you like to nominate an employee or colleague who exemplifies FEMA Core Values? Complete this anonymous form or email FEMA-ORR-CoreValues-Team@fema.dhs.gov for more info.
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FEMA Core Value: 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?
I think integrity speaks to the heart and soul of the human being itself. What do you stand for, and how will you make it come to fruition. I think a good leader shows integrity first and inspires others to follow. It does not involve chain of command or belittling others to make yourself feel more empowered. It is by your integrity alone, that you empower others to find their own strengths and abilities.
Holli L. Griffiths | External Support Branch Director | Incident Management Support Division | Logistics Management Directorate
Would you like to share what FEMA Core Values means to you? Email FEMA-ORR-CoreValues-Team@fema.dhs.gov for more information.
Integrity and diversity are significant factors in the workplace. Employees often will not follow the steerage of co-workers and leaders that do not seem trustworthy and who do not have a clear set of values, ethics, and standards. A person with integrity entails someone doing the right thing even if it may not be the easiest thing to do. Sometimes demonstrating integrity can require courage and determination to do what is ethical and equitable. Integrity encompasses honesty and adhering to the guidelines that your peers have set to help create equity in the workplace. These guidelines also include being cognizant of diversity and how your actions can have differing implications for different people.
Diversity consists of being inclusive of people from a variety of different social groups, ethnic backgrounds, genders, and identities. Diversity is something that we should keep in mind when thinking about diversity because how we define our morals is often shaped by our background and identity. What one employee considers showing integrity may differ from another employee. However, as a rule of thumb most will agree that practicing integrity involves being dependable and following through on commitments, taking responsibility for your actions, and setting a good example for your peers and employees.
“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself. Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.”
-Nelson Mandela
“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”
-W. Clement Stone
Simplifying Humility and Integrity
Integrity can be a difficult concept to define and understand especially within the context of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Please take a few moments to watch the following video where Joe Sabini helps us deconstruct this concept and teaches us how to practice integrity in our daily lives.
Simplifying Humility And Integrity | Joe Sabini | TEDxUniversityofNevada - YouTube
Doing the Right Thing: Reinforcing/Redirecting (and Receiving) Feedback
When you are giving feedback, there are two different types. Each one has different benefits. As a leader, you need to give both types of feedback to help your team members develop and stay engaged. Giving and receiving feedback can be incredibly hard. It can feel uncomfortable. No one wants to tell someone they need to improve. Even offering positive feedback sometimes feels awkward. This is especially true when people involved aren’t used to it, which is why it’s important to build an environment where people feel safe to express their thoughts and ideas. Doing so makes it possible for everyone, both yourself and your team, to do better work. As a leader, it’s up to you to model how to give and receive both positive and negative feedback. An important thing to model is that feedback isn’t just about what’s wrong. So if you only give feedback to redirect work when something is off, people are going to begin to feel that they’re constantly in need of fixing. People can get solved, but that’s not enough to help people grow, which is why feedback should also reinforce good work. Maybe the most important thing to model is that it’s good to get feedback. When your team sees that you as their leader want and need their feedback to do your own work, they’ll know that getting and receiving feedback is just part of the job.
Reinforcing Feedback
Share it when you catch team members doing the right thing. This feedback:
- Highlights behaviors that positively impact results.
- Inspires team members to repeat these behaviors moving forward.
- Builds team members' confidence and competence.
- Creates a culture in which people feel respected and appreciated.
Redirecting Feedback
Share it when you see opportunities for development. This feedback:
- Raises team members' awareness of undesirable behaviors.
- Highlights the impact of those behaviors on team performance and results.
- Clarifies expected future behaviors.
- Communicates belief in team members' abilities to improve performance.
"Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves."
-Stephen R. Covey
Visit the ORR Core Values Team SharePoint to download your copy of "FranklinCovey's 10 Examples of How to Give More Effective Redirecting Feedback".
National Volunteer Month
National Volunteer Month in April celebrates the impact volunteers have on our lives and encourages active volunteerism in generations to come. Debuting in the United States in 1974, and celebrated ever since, it is during this month we salute volunteers for their unwavering services to businesses and communities and hold aloft their examples to inspire all of us towards volunteerism.
National Volunteer Month - April 2022
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April Fool's Day - April 1
The exact origins of the day are unknown, several speculations include when France switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1852, the ancient Roman festival of Hilaria, and the vernal equinox. The day has been embraced for several centuries and traditions include playing hoaxes and practical jokes. Famously in 1996, Taco Bell announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia's Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell.
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/april-fools-day
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FEMA Grassroots CX Community Monthly Meeting - April 7
Join us on every first Thursday at noon (Eastern Time) for the Grassroots CX Community Meeting as we lead a growing movement within FEMA to embrace customer experience management as a way of doing business. This month, we hear about CX best practices in Public Assistance, as well as DHS updates on CX initiatives.
To receive meeting invites or offer suggestions for future topics, please email: fema-cx-community@fema.dhs.gov
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National Tax Day - April 15
It wasn't until the Revenue Act of 1913 that the income tax was instituted. Originally March 1 was established as the deadline for filing individual returns. After the Revenue Act of 1918, the deadline was set to March 15 -- it remained this date until 1955. The Internal Revenue Code of 1954 established April 15 as the tax day we know today. The change in deadline was meant to give taxpayers additional time while also easing the burden on accountants, return preparers, and the IRS. The filing deadline is April 18, 2022 for most taxpayers.
http://www.taxhistory.org/thp/readings.nsf/ArtWeb/130DAA7F164C86018525827100645499?OpenDocument
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Passover - April 15 to April 23
Passover is the Jewish holiday commemorating the Hebrews' liberation from slavery in Egypt and the "passing over" of the firstborn Israelites on the eve of the Exodus. The festival of Passover commences with a seder -- a religious meal with foods of symbolic significance, prayers, and traditional recitations.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Passover
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Easter - April 17
Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The holiday concludes the "Passion of Christ," a series of events and holidays that begins with Lent, and ends with Holy Week. Although it is a holiday of high religious significance in the Christian faith, many traditions associated with Easter date back to pre-Christian, pagan times (i.e. Easter Eggs). Many non-Christians observe and celebrate the non-secular traditions of this holiday.
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter
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Earth Day - April 22
Earthy Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement started in 1970. Today, Earth Day is widely recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people every year as a day of action to change human behavior and create global, national and local policy changes.
https://www.earthday.org/history/
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Demystifying Veterans' Preference - April 29
The FEMA Veterans Advisory Council (VAC) will host a Veterans Preference information-sharing event on Thursday, April 29, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EST.
The VAC is pleased to welcome Mr. Paul M. Plasencia, U.S. Army (Retired), Veterans Employment Program Manager at DHS to offer expertise and outline the facts and misconceptions about Veterans Preference in the Federal Government. A Q&A period will follow Mr. Plasencia’s presentation.
For more information about this event and the Veterans Advisory Council, please contact: FEMA-VeteransCouncil@fema.dhs.gov
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FEMA is committed to maintaining a workforce that reflects our Nation’s rich diversity and capitalizes on the varied cultural, professional, and ethnic backgrounds of our workforce and those we serve. The commitment to diversity and inclusion requires creating sustainable programs and initiatives to ensure the retention of a diverse and inclusive workforce.
In addition to the programs sponsored by the Office of the Chief Component Human Capital Officer (OCCHCO), the Office of Equal Rights (OER), and the Inclusive Diversity Council (IDC), FEMA formalized the policies and procedures for FEMA Employee Resource Groups (FERGs).
FERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups that serve as a resource for FEMA employees to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with FEMA’s mission and values. FERGs will assist with recruitment and outreach events; organize networking and mentoring opportunities; and host commemorative, cultural, educational, and social events. FERGs offer a valuable mechanism to foster innovation, facilitate communication between employees and senior leaders, and provide employee development opportunities.
The successful implementation of FERGs require the active support of senior leaders. Each FERG must be sponsored by a Senior Executive Service member and two co-sponsors to manage FERG activities. All employees are encouraged to participate in a FERG to help FEMA achieve its diversity and inclusion goals.
For a list of all FERGS, visit:
https://usfema.sharepoint.com/teams/OCCHCOHCI/DIEE/IDC/FERG/Pages/default.aspx
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