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Leading the way

Best practices: Daily communications key

Trenton, GA, Postmaster Kelly Dobbins
Trenton, GA, Postmaster Kelly Dobbins talks to employees daily.

Kelly Dobbins makes sure his employees know what’s expected of them.

The Trenton, GA, Postmaster talks to employees daily, ensuring each one understands how he or she contributes to the team.

“We’re in constant communication,” he says.

Managers like Dobbins are helping USPS improve its workplace culture, according to Employee Engagement Executive Director Kelvin Williams.

“Effective managers ensure their employees understand their jobs,” Williams says. “It’s more than knowing your job description. It’s a detailed understanding of how your duties contribute to the Postal Service’s overall mission.”

Dobbins offers two hints for fellow managers:

• Know your team. “I know all of the names of their spouses and children, and I ask frequently about them,” he says. “This lets employees know that I’m concerned both with their personal and professional lives.”

• Lead by example. “Even though you think your employees are not watching, they are,” he says. “If they see their leader is engaged, then they will follow the lead.”

Dobbins, who joined USPS in 1989, gives much credit to his employees.

“I’m nothing without my employees,” he says. “The spotlight is on being a team — and there’s no “I” in team.”

“Best practices,” a new series on employees who demonstrate on-the-job excellence, appears regularly in Link.

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