Pieces of a puzzle
Deb Bovard spent three decades as an art and elementary school teacher.
When she decided it was time to call it a career, she left the classroom behind but never lost even a smidgen of her love of arts and crafts.
Her daughter, Indiana Department of Health Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program director Laura Chavez, has many of the same sparks of creativity, and when the two combine artistic forces, there’s a near-100 percent chance of … gnomes.
Oh, and plenty of smiles, too, because that’s just how the team rolls. While they work to help families put nutritious meals on the table, the WIC team continually keeps workdays fresh with creative ideas that are anything but garden variety.
Gnome is where the heart is
If you happen to venture to the WIC office on the fifth floor of 2 N. Meridian in Indianapolis, you’re likely to stumble upon an array of tiny, bearded fellows in funny hats, jigsaw puzzles in various states of completion, colorful hand-painted clay pots, and even collections of Valentine’s Day cards that wouldn’t look a bit out of place in an elementary school classroom. On certain days, you may find recipes brought to celebrate holidays from around the world, or even homecooked meals made from the exact same items WIC recipients can purchase.
In some ways the office is a gnome – er, uh, home – away from home for those who work there with constant, tangible reminders that work-life balance is as vital as the services they provide for Hoosiers, and that when they come to work each day, the WIC team members will know they’re valued and appreciated as much for who they are as for what they bring to the team.
And Chavez believes each person brings an awful lot.
It starts from Day 1, with an orientation program that greets each new team member with a “field trip” and an introduction to what WIC does and the people they serve. Indiana WIC currently serves approximately 145,000 families and has 140 clinics throughout the state, so there is much to do and learn.
The second day delves into the team’s workplace culture and acquaints the new employee with how the team strives to live out its mission and values. It’s all very person-first, and Chavez said the goal is to “support and give grace to the whole person.”
“We want everyone to be on the same page, helping each other, supporting each other,” she said.
Photo caption: Deb Bovard is a retired elementary and art teacher. She’s pictured here with the festive gnomes she made for the WIC team last winter. Bovard is the mother of WIC Director Laura Chavez.
Like pieces of a puzzle
The pieces of a jigsaw puzzle are intended to fit together to form a whole and complete picture. It’s much the same with any group of people working toward a shared goal, so it’s perhaps no coincidence that one of the WIC team’s signature symbols is an in-progress puzzle. Set up near the fifth-floor kitchen area, the puzzle can be worked on by anyone who happens to stop by. Chavez sees this as a way to take a few moments away from one’s regular work and to refocus.
The idea is to let team members put some of the pieces together and go back to work on their current task with a refreshed point of view.
“We wanted to create a space where you could do something productive with your hands to kind of pull you away from your actual work, but still be in the workspace,” Chavez explained. “What we’ve found is that people use it to work through what they’re working on. Our team uses it a great deal. It’s probably increased productivity.”
Many different puzzles have been put together through this process, and some were preserved and turned into framed wall hangings at employees’ homes. The pieces and parts may change, but the goal is always the same.
“It helps just to have a ‘brain break,’” Chavez said.
Men with (pointy) hats
But the puzzle is only a small piece of how the WIC team seeks to promote a strong work-life balance while fostering a sense of community with one another.
The boundless creativity of Chavez’ art teacher mother is often on literal display. Bovard took the time to stitch together a gnome made from socks and bags for each program member during the holidays, and she followed that up with a leprechaun-like rendition of the same just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Lifting the hat off another, larger gnome reveals a treasure trove of candy that is often shared among the employees.
The art lessons continued with a program where the team painted small clay pots. They also celebrated “Palentine’s Day” by sharing handmade cards of kindness with one another, just like so many of us did on Valentine’s Day in elementary school.
Bovard's affection for the team matches her creative contributions.
“She knows how much I love my team, and she loves doing things like that,” said Chavez. She said her mom sees herself as a sort “honorary grandmother” to the WIC team.
Photo caption: IDOH’s WIC team is a close-knit group who celebrates holidays, successes, and each other on a regular basis.
Fun by committee
Quarterly meetings are usually accompanied by pitch-ins, and the program’s eight-member “Fun Committee” is always look for new ways to bring smiles to the workday.
They plan to add some fun activities for National Public Health Week (April 3-9) and are always in the market for ways to celebrate each team member for who they are. That’s especially important to Chavez who is part of the Fun Committee but is quick to give all the credit to her colleagues. Making sure everyone is supported and recognized for their contributions is as important to Chavez as any mythological person with eccentric tastes in headwear is to a lawn and garden.
“It’s about being together and celebrating each other and making sure we’re making our workspace safe – emotionally safe, and supportive -- so that our team members know that when they walk in the door, we see the whole person and we care about the whole person,” Chavez said. “We know they give their all here, and this work is part of the wonderfulness that they are. We’re all about finding fun ways to honor that and to give them some space for fun.”
Story by Brent Brown, Indiana Department of Health