Chief Records Manager Inguna Grebstele is RSU Administrative Employee of the Year 2022

At the end of the summer, staff and students at Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) nominated candidates for the RSU Annual Award in nine categories. 42 candidates were nominated for the Administrative Employee of the Year award and after a university-wide vote, RSU management picked a winner from the three leading choices: Inguna Grebstele (pictured), Chief Records Manager at the Department of Document Management and Archives. Grebstele has worked at RSU since 2010.

Grebstele’s job is to support RSU staff with document management. She registers documents on a daily basis and ensures that electronic documents are circulated as well as improving the efficiency of the RSU document management system. ‘I administer the functions of the document management system and advise employees on the system and its functionality,’ explains Grebstele.

‘She is always understanding, professional, and responsive and never refuses to offer help or advice on issues that are unclear or need clarification, despite the high volume of work. In emergency situations, she does not refuse assistance even after office hours. She is working in the right place!' writes one of Grebstele’s colleagues who nominated her for the award.

What keeps you working at RSU?

The modern environment, the university’s aspiration to develop and grow, and the opportunity to learn.

I am very happy about the events organised at RSU, and I especially appreciated the opportunity to attend the inauguration of this year’s Honorary Doctors and to hear our former President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga speak. What keeps me at RSU are my great colleagues. They create a positive working environment and I gain a lot of valuable experience from them.

IT technologies continue to develop rapidly at RSU. Which technologies are particularly helpful in your work?

The RSU document management system makes my daily work easier – it saves time and improves the flow of information. It makes it easier to search for information as all documents are in one place. The use of secure electronic signatures is also important.

For the second year now, Microsoft Teams has been a great for communicating remotely with my colleagues. It’s a convenient platform to share content, conduct training on the document management system, and deal with other issues.

The RSU Annual Awards were presented in nine categories at the Academic Ball on 10 September 2022 at the Riga Latvian Society House. The award for Administrative Employee of the Year was presented to Inguna Grebstele (foreground) by the Vice-Rector for Administration and Development Toms Baumanis

How often do you have to learn new things?

Digital literacy is a key skill in my job, so I regularly attend seminars and courses to develop this competency and so that I am able to offer the best solutions in the field of document management.

What are the character traits that help you as a records manager?

Patience and composure, as well as the ability to adapt to different situations quickly.

Is there anything that can affect your composure?

I have to be able to keep calm regardless of the difficulties that arise in my daily work. I try to be the kind of colleague that employees are not afraid to approach, who always finds a solution, helps out, and is supportive.

How have these extraordinary time with COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and the energy crisis affected you? What helps you to keep your emotional balance, faith, and joy?

This time has, of course, had a great emotional impact on me. And still does! There have been times when it has been difficult to focus on my work, but I maintain my emotional balance with the support of my husband, my lovely daughters, and by seeing my family and friends.

‘I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all my colleagues who nominated me for the award and voted for me! This is high praise for my work. I am very proud to work at RSU!’ says Inguna Grebstele, RSU Administrative Employee of the Year 2022

Even though we spend most of our lives at work, everything has to be in balance. How do you unwind?

I really enjoy walking the nature trails of Latvia. I feel happy and satisfied after a walk in nature. I also enjoy cinema, concerts, and reading books.

What do you think happiness is?

Happiness, to quote Imants Ziedonis, lies in the small pleasures of everyday life, in small joys. For example, one of the nicest everyday joys for me is to meet my colleagues from the Department of Document Management and Archives, have lunch together, and talk.