Page 3 - The Leadership Line: March 2021

HR Highlight

Tabitha Hopple

Tabitha joined MIL one and a half years ago and works in the LP Corporate Office as an
Administrative Assistant III supporting Human Resources. She has 30 years of customer
service experience and 16 years business management experience including hiring, training,
promoting, and developing teams of up to 12 employees. She has found her passion in HR and
loves working with MIL’s employees and managers.
Tabitha handles all the new hire orientations and onboarding for Southern Maryland, as well
as assisting employees and managers with HR related questions and forms, and off-boarding.
She is highly organized, detail oriented, and committed to MIL’s employees and ensuring they
have the best experience with every interaction.
Tabitha is currently working on her Business Degree with the concentration being in Human
Resources Management

I recognize and celebrate our diverse community and I know that MIL empathizes with all people - empathy
will work to broaden my knowledge of the cultures that is the root of kindness, compassion, understanding, and
represent the MIL family. respect.

Understanding the cultural differences among all em- Empathy is your capacity to understand others by
ployees; when assigning tasks or simply communicating being able to imagine yourself in their situation. It
with them is always beneficial to you personally and enables you to share their joy or sorrow and to sincerely
to the success of the organization. As a leader, if you celebrate their successes with them. Team members
truly understand another person’s cultural background may react differently to social, political, and economic
and their beliefs, you are showing them respect as both events. Some may need to share their feelings for a few
an individual and employee. Try to understand the minutes during your one-on-one meetings. Let them.
cultural gaps across your team. For example, in some Be available as a “safe space” for them to be their true
parts of the world it isn’t advisable to shake hands with self. You don’t need to agree or disagree, you just need
members of the opposite sex. In certain regions, it isn’t to be present and acknowledge their feelings.
advisable to eat or drink in public during certain times
of the year.

Expand conversations beyond work talk: Although
some people perceive small talk and off-topic conversa- You build respectful relationships by investing your
tion in the workplace as wasteful, this communication time into each team member. Each person has a story
creates understanding and interest in your peers’ lives and brings unique value to our MIL family. Make a
that contributes to inclusion and, ultimately, strength- commitment today to recognize and respect that value.
ens results when discussions center on the task at hand.