New England Region Regional Training Program

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New England Region Regional
Training Program

• Federally Employed Women (FEW)
• Focus Areas
• April 25, 2008

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FEWs Four Focus Areas - Training

• Welcome to the New England Regions Regional
  Training Program. Im glad youve chosen to
  attend. I will do all in my power to ensure you
  have a great learning experience.
• FEW offers training on the National, Regional,
  and Chapter levels.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Training (cont.)

• Nationally, the organization sponsors a training
  program in July, at locations around the country.
• FEWs training program has 3 major functions
• Increase members knowledge of the Federal
  System, rules, and regulations under which they
  work
• Help members acquire knowledge of career
  development and planning techniques and,
• Enhance members personal effectiveness and
  awareness of the broader issues that impact
  women.
• The 2008 NTP will be held in Anaheim, CA, from
  July 14-18.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Training (cont.)

• National Training Programs
• 2009 Orlando, FL, July 19-24
• 2010 New Orleans, LA, July 12-16
• 2011 Philadelphia, PA, July 18-22
• 2012 Detroit, MI, July 16-20

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Training (cont.)

• Visit the FEW NTP web site any time at
  http//www.fewntp.org.
• The New England Region held a successful Regional
  Training Program with the New York Region in
  September 2006 in New York City. By attending
  this RTP, you are helping to make this years RTP
  a success, too. THANK YOU!

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Training (cont.)

• The New England Regions Chapters offer monthly
  training through their meetings.
• Visit the New England Region web site at
  http//nerfew.org for information about Regional
  and Chapter training opportunities throughout the
  year.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Training (cont.)

• Information is also provided through the monthly
  issuance of the regional newsletter, Mountain
  News.
• FEWs Vice President for Training is Arlena
  Fitch-Gordon. Her contact information is
• E-mail Arlena.Fitchgordon_at_dss.mil
• Phone [phone]

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Compliance

• Most people want to know, What is compliance?
• Compliance is a disposition to yield to others
  and to be objective in dealing with Equal
  Employment Opportunity (EEO). Compliance is a
  function within the elements of EEO.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Compliance (cont.)

• Compliance assistance is for everyone in the
  federal sector and is a cornerstone to protecting
  wages, health, benefits, retirement security,
  employment rights, as well as the safety and
  health of the American workforce.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Compliance (cont.)

• FEW values Compliance and has an elected Vice
  President to serve its members and the National
  Board of Directors.
• If you believe you have a compliance issue,
  contact your Regional Manager, and the Compliance
  Vice President right away.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Compliance (cont.)

• Regional Manager Dawn Nester,
  Dawn.M.Nester_at_irs.gov,
• 603-433-0560
• Vice President for Compliance Bernice Waller,
  b.f.waller_at_att.net, [phone]

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Compliance (cont.)

• Your handout gives you information about
  definitions for various processes covered by EEO
  rules and regulations.
• It also includes information about the difference
  between an informal and a formal complaint, an
  investigation, decision for hearing, appeals, and
  resources for you.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Compliance (cont.)

• I encourage you to keep these pages handy and
  refer to them whenever you feel you may have
  basis for an EEO complaint.
• Also included in the information handout is
  information about support groups for dealing with
  stressful circumstances.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Compliance (cont.)

• There is also information for you on legal
  resources and legal referrals, including FEWs
  Legal and Education Fund (FEW-LEF).
• I think one of the most important piece of
  information I can share with you if you feel
  youve been discriminated against is that you are
  not alone. You have resources, contacts, and
  information on your side.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Compliance (cont.)

• Another piece of information that Id like to
  share is that no matter how you pursue your
  situation, understand that it will take patience,
  perseverance, and a strong will to see it through
  to resolution.
• Bernice Waller is the Vice President for
  Compliance. Her contact information is
• E-mail b.f.waller_at_att.net
• Phone [phone]

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Legislative

• Among your handouts is the FEW Legislative Agenda
  that was presented to the 110th Congress.
• This agenda represents the issues that FEWs
  National Board of Directors feel are top priority
  for women in the federal sector.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Legislative (cont.)

• FEWs lobbyist, Janet Kopenhaver with Eye on
  Washington, personally delivered copies of the
  Legislative Agenda to the House and Senate.
• FEWs agenda is split into three (3) tiers.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Legislative (cont.)

• Tier I covers issues that are considered of
  utmost importance to female federal works today.
• Tier II issues have impact on all federal
  employees, regardless of gender.
• Tier III issues affect women as a class, whether
  employed in the federal or private sector.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Legislative (cont.)

• Know where to find information about issues
  important to FEW and to you!
• Visit FEWs web site at http//www.few.org and
  click on the Legislative link.
• Click on the Capwiz.com/few link from your home
  computer only!

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Legislative (cont.)

• Opening Capwiz.com/few will give you access to
  information about your elected officials,
  including how to contact them via mail and
  e-mail.
• Craft a message to your elected official using a
  FEW template or your own words.
• View FEWs position on issues.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Legislative (cont.)

• Click on the interactive map to find out
  information about your state.
• Contact Dawn Nester, Regional Manager, if you are
  interested in having a legislative briefing as a
  training program.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Legislative (cont.)

• Cecelia Davis is the Vice President for
  Congressional Relations.
• She works with the National Board of Directors
  and Janet Kopenhaver to present a consistent
  message to the Administration and elected
  officials on Capitol Hill on our behalf.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Legislative (cont.)

• Cecelia Davis contact information is
• E-mail Cecelia Davis_at_gsa.gov
• Phone [phone]
• Janet Kopenhavers contact information is
• E-mail janetk_at_eyeonwashington.com

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity

• Diversity is the many types of differences we
  recognize in ourselves and others.
• Societal differences
• Age
• Gender
• Culture
• Education

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• Sexual orientation
• Physical and Mental Abilities and Challenges
• Values
• Marital Status
• Religion

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• Workplace Differences
• Management vs. Non-Management
• Headquarters vs. Field employees
• Techies vs. Non-Techies
• Are there benefits to diversity? Yes!
• Different perspectives, along with higher
  creativity, enhances performance.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• Diversity provides opportunities to learn from
  and about others.
• Diversity strengthens our ability to compete in
  the increasingly global market.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• How many times have you heard, But, weve never
  done it that way before Diversity increases
  innovation and adds new and creative ideas to the
  process.
• Diversity provides different approaches of
  accomplishing tasks.
• Lets invite non-managers to sit on the panel
  with the managers to give a more balanced
  perspective to the presentation.
• Hey, thats a good idea!

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• How do you learn to value diversity?
• Increase your personal awareness of people and
  situations around you.
• Avoid stereotyping.
• Recognize the worth and dignity of others. Others
  will recognize the worth and dignity of you.
• Treat people with respect.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• Culture plays a role in Diversity.
• Culture is defined as a way of life of a given
  society, passed down from one generation to the
  next through learning experiences.
• Culture may translate into you hearing someone
  say, Its the way we do things here!
• Since 9/11, our differences have never been more
  in the public consciousness. This means that
  now, more than ever, we need to identify our
  common interests and goals and work together in
  order to create a better society.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• How do we stereotype others?
• By implying that everyone in a category is the
  same
• Those people always or They never
• By implying undesirable or insulting
  characteristics
• You know those people are all alike!

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• By ignoring individual experience and
  expectations
• How can she lead anybody anywhere? Shes never
  been a manager!
• By making assumptions about individuals and their
  experiences without any direct knowledge of the
  person
• Oh, he wont want to join us for lunch. He
  never does.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• By rarely trying to see a perspective from
  someone elses point of view, thus, missing the
  potential to gather important information.
• Why ask them? They havent been here long
  enough to know what its like here.
• What can you do about your personal biases?

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• Take an honest evaluation of your attitudes and
  biases.
• This may be an uncomfortable accounting but it is
  well worth doing.
• Be open to change.
• This can be difficult to accept at first, too.
  Humans are basically creatures of habit. Its
  hard to make ourselves change. Again, it is well
  worth doing.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• Learn to treat each person with respect and
  equality.
• Remember, if you want to be heard, it pays
  dividends to listen first.
• Learn to integrate people and put aside
  differences.
• Everyone brings something of value to the team,
  the project, the meeting. Be receptive to each
  persons unique contribution to strengthen the
  whole.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• Recognize and acknowledge the needs as well as
  the contributions of all people.
• If someone is soft-spoken and/or quiet, find
  respectful ways to draw them into the group.
• If someone is outspoken and dominating the group,
  find respectful ways to thank them for their
  point of view and encourage group discussion.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• If someone puts down anothers opinion, reiterate
  and reinforce that there are no valueless
  opinions and that everyones input is appreciated
  and valued.
• Work together toward common goals
• Whether it is a work project or a FEW project,
  the same concepts apply.
• Together, Each Achieves More.
• Were all on the same TEAM!

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Diversity (cont.)

• FEWs Vice President for Diversity is Cathy
  Fletcher.
• Cathys contact information is
• E-mail Cathy.Fletcher_at_dcaa.mil
• Phone [phone]

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FEWs Four Focus Areas - Conclusion

• Teamwork is what we are all about here learning
  together, networking together, sometimes working
  together on the job or on a FEW committee.
• The shared experience enriches our learning.

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FEWs Four Focus Areas Conclusion (cont.)

• Thank you for your attention and participation in
  this presentation of FEWs Four Focus Areas!
• Enjoy the rest of your training experience during
  this RTP!