“Through our strength as a community, we can become stronger individuals,” said Andy Stephany, associate administrator at the Vascular Medicine Institute and president of the Staff Council, in his opening remarks at the Staff Council’s Spring Assembly.
“Better Pitt, Better You,” was the theme of the May 14 event and it explored the value of community in the face of hardship and tragedy. Keynote presentations encouraged inclusivity and self-care and featured professional development sessions.
“As we grow personally, through mental health, communication skills and professional development, we can make stronger connections, build networks and strengthen Pitt and our community,” said Stephany.
‘We are all in this together’
In the first of two keynote speeches, Pam Connelly, vice chancellor of diversity and inclusion in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, recalled a Monday morning following a fatal shooting when a colleague shared the impact she had felt from the shooting. “She responded with patience and kindness, spending time and emotional labor that day to educate me about what she was going through,” Connelly said.
“She taught me it wasn’t an isolated news story that went through one news cycle. It wasn’t something that happened across the country — it hit home. It deeply impacted her. How she felt about society and her safety in our society. It impacted how she felt in the workplace, and how she felt when she was faced with colleagues who failed to even acknowledge that anything had happened,” Connelly said.
Connelly explained that that specific event wasn’t an isolated trauma for her colleague or for others. “It added to the deep and vast history of past similar events.”
Read more about the event’s keynote addresses, including one presented by Jamie Kulzer, assistant professor in the clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling program at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, at University Times.
Additionally, employees are encouraged to access the resources Pitt makes available through Life Solutions.She spoke of the cumulative effect such events have on our health, behavior, work, learning and community.
“We are all in this together. We need to truly understand each other to make a positive change when we come to work every single day. We need to realize that some people are rightfully, justifiably and unavoidably impacted by events more than others.”
Connelly offered ways to cope with trauma and support each other when faced with it. “First take care of yourselves, but along with that think about taking care of others.”
Further, she urged action: “When you see something that looks like discrimination or harassment or targeting, slights or insults, learn to intervene and disrupt and take action. If each one of us committed to being more thoughtful and action-oriented in this way, these actions could turn into habits and create a better Pitt for you and for all of us.”
Communicating with managers and each other
Laura Ainsley, learning and development specialist in the Office of Human Resources, presented two breakout sessions that encouraged participants to consider how they communicate with colleagues and supervisors.
“Communication is one of the biggest challenges in workplace relationships,” said Ainsley. “But it is also one of our most critical skill sets. The ongoing process of learning more about how we and others communicate — and how we might do it more effectively — provides all kinds of opportunities for us to grow professionally and as well as personally.”
In her breakout session, “Understanding Our Communication Styles,” participants used a short survey to identify their communication style among four: driver, amiable, analytical and expressive. Most of participants in the session possessed characteristics of each style; many said they used various communication styles in different contexts and formats.
The idea that different styles are used in different contexts also came up in Ainsley’s “Managing Up” session, which explored how employees can better communicate with their supervisors. “Our supervisors and teams benefit when we have the courage to bring our unique experience and insights to the table,” she said.
For employees interested in learning more about communicating more effectively with their colleagues and supervisors, Ainsley recommended workshops offered through the Faculty and Staff Development Program. “Through these workshops, I want to remind people that they are empowered to bring their fullest and best selves to whatever role they have. From this, we all benefit.”
