Assistant postmaster gets CS monthly staff award

(CNS): In January, public service bosses turned to the post office to hand out the deputy governor’s monthly award. Assistant Postmaster General of Operations Lloyd McField was named government’s Employee of the Month and he also won the chief officers’ choice award. McField was the first postal service worker to be selected for these awards and the first in the planning ministry to get the staff gong. “Mr McField has the greatest team spirit and is truly a champion of change within the Cayman Islands Postal Service.  He epitomizes the more traditional values of being a civil servant in the Cayman Islands government,” said Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow.

“He consistently puts the needs of customers and the department above his own.  If a customer is looking for a letter which is not trackable, it is common for him to lead the search through hundreds of letters, at more than one postal facility, at the airport warehouses, contact airlines about mail dispatches or liaise with overseas postal administrations as part of his efforts,” Glasgow added.

Mcfield was presented with both prizes at the Airport Post Office on Wednesday by Deputy Governor Franz Manderson and the ministry's chief officer, Alan Jones.

He has had a career at the postal service spanning 28 years and has been recognized for his abilities to bridge the gap between senior managers and line staff, an essential element for the smooth running of his department.

Glasgow said that McField also “understands that mail processes must become more efficient and that improved customer service is critical to the future survival of the postal service. He understands that the Universal Postal Union (UPU) standards are increasingly influential in how mail processes change over time.” 

McField “routinely goes above and beyond his regular duties”, officials said, stepping in whenever there is need for an extra hand. He sorts mail if a section or particular postal facility is short staffed, or if mail volumes are simply heavy. If the driving team is short, he will drive a mail van to ensure the mail gets to its next stage in the delivery process. 

“His acceptance of added work enabled the Postmaster General to implement a restructuring plan that was based on natural attrition. He took on these added duties over a period that spanned 3 years, worked longer hours when necessary, took less vacation, and did so without ever asking for financial compensation, because he understood the department's and government's budgetary restrictions,” Glasgow added.

Meanwhile, Manderson also congratulated McField and thanked him for his service.

“This recognition symbolises and reinforces the values and standards that we expect all staff to exhibit. You serve as a role model for all Cayman Islands civil servants,” he said. “I was told that you ‘have eyes everywhere’, because you are particularly adept at spotting accidents in mail operations before they happen; and if they do, you usually address the situation without being asked. I know that you strive to provide your customers with quality customer service,” Manderson said as he handed out the award.