In recent years, Berkeley Lab has focused on our stewardship responsibilities and articulated a set of core values, producing various materials to help us all think about how we can apply them to our work. In order to align with larger changes happening at the Lab, the Nuclear Science Division has decided to stand up a new committee focused on supporting a healthy workplace culture in line with the NSD Community Agreement. . The new Community Stewardship Committee (CSC) is providing regular updates at division staff meetings – so called Community Minutes – helping organize outreach to the community, and maintaining communication and coordination with other stewardship committees in the Physical Sciences Area and across the lab.
The Lab’s Stewardship Values are
Team Science: “We recognize that innovative solutions to complex problems arise from a diversity of thought, approaches, experiences, and roles.”
Service: “We are driven by a commitment to public service, excellence, and solutions to the real-world challenges faced by people, the planet, and the nation.“
Trust: “We strive to earn the trust of the public, the scientific community, our stakeholders, and each other by safeguarding our record of excellence, integrity, safety, openness, reliability, and accountability.”
Innovation: “We believe our success depends on the free exchange of ideas, the willingness to think differently, the freedom to take risks, the agility to respond to evolving needs, and the ambition to make an impact. We promote and protect these characteristics of our Lab and our people.”
Respect: “We depend on contributions from many people, disciplines, and roles to unlock the potential of individuals and teams. Each of us takes responsibility for the well-being, safety, and belonging of others in our communities.”
At recent staff meetings, the CSC has been discussing these values and reflecting on how they relate to our NSD Community Agreement and how they can apply to our work lives. Some actions we can all take include having discussions about our workplace culture and dynamics with respect to these values, using the Stewardship Values Conversion toolkit as a guide; understanding and complying with pertinent lab policies; identifying groups, workshops, and trainings to help us develop as team members; admitting our own mistakes and modeling transparency; being on the lookout for opportunities for service/outreach/mentorship; and striving to uphold a standard of excellence at the Lab.
