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Best practices: Building teamwork

Smiling woman stands near window
Vadessa Hernandez, acting retail specialist for Triboro District, strives to foster camaraderie among her colleagues.

Vadessa Hernandez understands the value of teamwork.

The Brooklyn, NY, retail associate is on a detail assignment as an acting retail specialist for Northeast Area’s Triboro District. In this role, she helps oversee retail activities at more than 140 Post Offices.

“I’m only as successful as my team. We build each other up. We balance each other out. We help each other,” she says.

Hernandez regularly visits offices to observe retail associates and offer guidance. She also leads every-other-week webinars where she updates lead associates on operational matters, such as passport sales training and hazardous material mailing procedures.

She also spends time answering employees’ questions.

“If I don’t have an answer, I’ll try to get it to them as quickly as possible,” Hernandez says.

The Postal Service encourages this kind of approach. The organization wants managers and supervisors to engage, equip and empower workers, a core USPS business strategy.

Based on the feedback Hernandez receives, employees appreciate her efforts.

“I like it when I get positive responses from clerks like, ‘I know I can always come to you.’”

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

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