Ensuring we feel valued

Today, Cardiff and the Valleys delivery line manager, Samar Small, tells us how a key part of her role is ensuring her teams not only feel valued, but celebrated at work.

‘I joined Royal Mail in 2017 and was impressed from day one with the clear desire of the business to be inclusive,’ said Samar.

‘One of the things which originally attracted me to the job was the fact that Royal Mail wanted people from a variety of different backgrounds. This immediately made me feel that here was a company, which would appreciate the skills I’ve gained throughout my career.

‘I currently work as a line manager in Delivery and I’m also supporting the Women and BAME steering groups, as well as the employee experience team. I enjoy reaching out to different parts of the business, and working with all kinds of people.

‘I currently manage in a number of different offices, and as you can imagine, the workforce comprises colleagues of all ages, nationalities, religions, cultures and lifestyles. One of my jobs as a manager is to connect with every one of these people and ensure they feel not only valued, but celebrated at work.

‘If someone’s children have just had their exam results, I make a fuss of them! If one of our colleagues has just gotten married or started a family, I make sure everyone offers their congratulations. Similarly, when a member of the team is facing a bereavement or other difficult circumstances, it’s equally important that everyone rallies round to make them feel supported.

‘During the holy month of Ramadan, I sent out a quick note to the colleagues I regularly work with, explaining what Ramadan is, why we fast and the potential impact on the energy levels of those fasting. This note was shared widely and prompted many conversations from colleagues who were genuinely interested to know more.

‘Being myself at work is absolutely vital, as genuine relationships with my team form the basis of a successful operation. I expect the same from my colleagues and so I lead by example. I always say, you will always find that you have something in common with everyone – whether it’s a hobby, a favourite football team, or similar tastes in music.

‘My favourite part of my job is the relationships I form with my team. Knowing your people makes you more receptive to any changes in a colleague’s wellbeing, and enables you to pre-empt problems, foresee when someone needs a quiet chat, and crucially, helps you to identify when someone may need some support with their mental health – a topic which unfortunately, is still hard for so many to talk about openly.

‘My advice to colleagues would be: celebrate your differences – don’t hide them! Sharing things about yourself could inspire others to do the same.’