Change isn’t easy, even for someone like me – an eternal optimist who believes to her core that change is necessary for progress and growth. Change can be scary and stressful. But it can also present a unique opportunity to gain perspective.
At the end of May, I received my return to office notice with a USDA office building to report to. I’ll admit to having a lot of mixed emotions. I wasn’t going to be in an FSIS office. I wasn’t going to share space with colleagues in my own work unit, and all of the “what ifs” filled my thoughts as I drove in that first morning.
When I arrived at my new office building, however, I was met with smiles and warm handshakes. As they introduced themselves, my unease about sharing space with folks from across USDA started to melt away. My new office mates wanted to know where I was from.
“What agency do you work for?”
“What do you do there?”
“What do you need to get set up?”
They listened intently as I talked about the things I love – our food safety mission, how I lead a team that communicates that mission through our website, correspondence and hosting different events with consumers and industry. I also got to talk about our employee town halls, and how I help support our folks across the country.
“Oh, I love your agency,” one of my new colleagues from Rural Development said. “Your agency is what people think of when they think of USDA. They think of food safety, and everyone instantly knows how important your work is.” The others nodded in agreement.
In that moment, I felt seen. I know that I believe in the mission, and I usually feel that same commitment from employees and colleagues across FSIS as we work together each day. But in that moment, these folks from across USDA gave me a deeper understanding of just how much our mission is valued and how much our work resonates with everyone.
As I’ve gotten to know the different folks who share my new workspace, I’ve also learned about their missions – single-family housing, IT planning, and loans for repairs and upkeep on family farms. I see the passion I have for our work reflected in their faces and voices as they talk about their own work. I hear how much they care as they serve customers who walk into the building, like I did, not knowing what to expect.
At USDA, our work matters, and – even with all the changes – I am so happy to still be here among colleagues who care. And I am so proud to be a part of Team FSIS.
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