Morale at work is mission critical for mental health and warfighter support

As Mental Health Awareness Month puts a spotlight on individual well-being, employees in DLA Troop Support’s Medical supply chain are elevating a complementary message: workplace morale is a mission enabler, not an afterthought.

In a supply chain where precision and responsiveness underpin support to the warfighter, a cross-functional group of employees has been building morale through connection-focused initiatives. Program analyst Faylice Jones, contracting officer Clarence Singleton, project integrator Alyssa Greco and contract specialist Kimberly Heebner are among those driving the effort across the Employee Morale Team (EMT) and Culture Improvement Team (CIT).

“I think workplace morale is so important to me, since I see how much I need it for myself,” said Jones. “I realized that if I need it for myself, there must be so many other employees who need to feel engaged, need to feel involved and need to feel like they matter. We’re coming in and we’re doing this job ultimately for our servicemen and women, but we have to take care of ourselves too.”

Jones and Singleton, who co-chair the EMT, have emphasized simple human connection as the cornerstone of a healthier workplace. They’ve turned to fundraising to offset event costs and remove price as a barrier to participation. “From my personal experience, one of the strongest indicators of a mentally healthy workplace is simple positive human interaction,” Singleton said. “That is my North Star. I want people to attend events, get to know one another and build relationships that have a lasting impact. Cost should not be a barrier to connection.”

The approach is already shifting daily dynamics, Singleton added. “When I see employees from different teams sitting together or interacting after an event, I know the work is making a difference,” Singleton continued.

Targeting obstacles that keep colleagues siloed has been another priority. “We want to take as many obstacles out of the equation as possible when it comes to bringing the workforce together,” Jones said. “Once you do that, unexpected connections form. People walk into meetings more comfortably because they recognize faces and have already built relationships. It’s those relationships that help people feel accepted and empowered to bring their best selves to work.”

As events and participation grew, the EMT and CIT formally aligned to better coordinate resources and planning. “The CIT and EMT groups have evolved alongside one another,” Jones said. “We were already supporting many of the same goals, including fundraising for workforce events. Combining efforts felt like the natural next step. Now, we’re working together for the betterment of the workforce.”

That collaboration has broadened what the teams can deliver, Heebner noted, particularly because the CIT cannot conduct fundraising on its own. “The CIT and EMT teams support each other however we can,” Heebner said. “Because CIT cannot fundraise, we rely on EMT’s support to help sponsor events open to the entire supply chain. Working together allows us to plan ahead and continue building opportunities that connect employees across the organization.”

A recent example is a Little Library that encourages employees to share books and interests beyond their day-to-day roles. The low-cost, high-touch idea has yielded quick returns, according to Greco. “The library is already having its intended effect,” Greco said. “I’ve seen people smiling more, collaborating more effectively and feeling more comfortable being themselves after morale-building events. Employees have expressed genuine appreciation for this effort.”

Heebner said the library’s value lies in the relationships it sparks. “Through CIT events and activities, like the Little Library, employees are building relationships beyond their day-to-day work circles,” Heebner said. “Those connections strengthen the organization as a whole.”

Employees involved in the initiatives say the link between morale and mission is direct, especially in an environment responsible for delivering critical medical material under tight timelines. “Our work requires constant attention to detail to ensure medical material reaches the warfighter when needed, so morale is essential,” Greco said. “That level of responsibility also requires moments where people can reconnect and simply be human.”