Tony Aldridge is always looking to improve.
Aldridge, a mail handler at the Detroit Processing and Distribution Center, recently participated in USPS yellow belt training after noticing room for improvement in the way mail moves through the workroom floor.
Detroit District offers this training to all employees, part of the Postal Service’s broader effort to promote Lean Six Sigma, a data-driven method to reduce waste and improve efficiency.
“As soon as I heard about the yellow belt training, I wanted to be part of the team and help fix the problems,” Aldridge says.
USPS encourages employees to take this kind of approach. The organization, which has made workforce development an area of focus, offers several professional development initiatives:
• Career conferences. Districts across the nation hold these gatherings, which allow employees to learn about other jobs in the Postal Service.
• Detail assignments. Some employees can explore new jobs through temporary assignments into those positions.
• Training. Like Aldridge, employees can seek training opportunities, including courses available through the new HERO learning portal.
Aldridge is glad he took advantage of yellow belt training, which allowed him to work with a team that improved mail flow at his facility.
“Now we are working to maintain the process,” he says.
“Best practices,” a series on employees who demonstrate on-the-job excellence, appears regularly in Link.