2012 Administrative Retreat

2012 Above & Beyond Retreat For Ethics Administrative and Support Staff
Theme: “Motivate, Communicate, and Facilitate”

Wednesday, August 29, 2012 -- 8:30 am – 2:30 pm

The second Above and Beyond Retreat for Ethics Administrative and Support Staff was held on August 29, 2012, with the theme Motivate, Communicate, and Facilitate. The Welcome and Introductions was provided by Holli Beckerman Jaffe, Director of the NIH Ethics Office, and Ms. Maria Hessman, Ethics Assistant in the NIH Clinical Center Ethics Office.

Following the opening activities, Commander Antoinette Jones, Deputy Chief of the Office of Workforce Management and Development at the NIH Clinical Center, provided the keynote address. She emphasized the importance of administrative and support staff roles in an ethics office and led exercises designed to help attendees identify their personal sources of motivation, i.e., internal or external. She discussed the importance of being a “courageous follower” and how there are no leaders if there are no followers. She finished by emphasizing that people need to be aware of their own needs, and must find in themselves their own motivational factors.

The workshop entitled Do You Own Your Piece of the Pie? was led by Dr. Fran Plyler, consultant to the NIH Ethics Office, Emphasis was on each attendee understanding what constitutes their “piece of the pie” in their office and what it means to take ownership. Discussion centered on attendees’ suggestions regarding how responsibilities of their positions defined their own piece of the office pie and, just like the activities associated with ownership of a car, they must take care of what they own, and nurture it. Their car needs gas and routine maintenance; their piece of the pie needs routinely upgrading their knowledge feeding it more education to expand skills and abilities. Attendees developed their own personal list of responsibilities and skills needed in their current position, and what they need to move to a desired position. The session ended with a discussion of learning and communication styles using the concept of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI©) to understand their preferences and how that leaves room to understand their less preferred activities also. Attendees were encouraged to find information about the MBTI on the internet, answer the questions to identify their own type, and to read about the types, especially their own.

During lunch, attendees enjoyed a round-table discussion with Holli Beckerman Jaffe, Director of the NIH Ethics Office, who provided answers to the questions submitted ahead of time and during the discussion. Following the discussion, the awards ceremony was held. The 2012 Above and Beyond Award was presented to Ms. Marie Hessman, Ethics Assistant in the NIH Clinical Center. Ms. Hessman’s supervisor presented her with a bouquet of flowers and congratulations on a well-deserved honor.

Final remarks were provided by Genia Bohrer, Deputy Director of the NIH Ethics Office, with closing activities and evaluation led by Felecia Taylor, Program Specialist in the NIH Ethics Office.