A poetic tribute to UNMC administrative professionals

Janet Tschudin, left, demonstrates one of the “languages of love” on Sherry Sivey during a seminar at the annual administrative professionals recognition ceremony on Tuesday.

From left, Jo Watkins of human resources and Deb Justesen and Deanna Hansen of the Specialty Care Center listen to the presentation by Tschudin and Sivey during the Tuesday morning ceremony for UNMC’s administrative professionals.

Who would have guessed UNMC’s administrative professionals would bring out the poets in high-ranking folks like Vice Chancellor for External Affairs Bob Bartee and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources John Russell?

But there they were, spouting poetry Tuesday at special ceremonies to recognize the medical center’s administrative professionals.

In relation to a portion of the ceremonies titled, “Improving Communication at Home and at Work: Speaking the Languages of Love and Apology,” Bartee read from a love poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

“Too often, we check our emotional intelligence and intuition at the workplace door,” Bartee said. “We ignore the ‘poetry of life’ in the workplace at our peril.”

Russell said he was so moved by Bartee’s recitation that he wrote his own poem, which was dedicated to the 300-plus administrative professionals who attended either the morning or afternoon ceremony.

“Roses are red. Violets are blue. UNMC is successful, because of you,” Russell said, drawing warm laughter from the afternoon crowd.

The presentation that tripped Bartee’s poetic trigger was presented by Sherry Sivey and Janet Tschudin and was designed to help people identify ways in which they and their co-workers most like to be appreciated in the workplace.

Identifying how you and your coworkers prefer to be appreciated can go a long way toward creating a more enjoyable and productive work place, Sivey said.

“Roses are red. Violets are blue. UNMC is successful, because of you.” John Russell to UNMC’s administrative professionals

Listening is the key to identifying how a co-worker would like to be appreciated, she said.

“Listen to what they complain about or request most often,” she said. “That will tell you a lot about what they want.”

The ceremonies, which were organized by Margaret Boyce, an employee relations technician in human resources, and Charlene Tate, an office associate in business and finance, are meant to show UNMC’s administrative professionals that their work is noticed and appreciated, Russell said.

“Joking and poetry aside, our success as an organization is dependent on strong administrative work and we certainly have that here at UNMC,” Russell said.