In the last “Eye on the Profession” I mentioned that one of the signs of being a professional is not making a decision because it’s popular or easy but because it’s right. I should have also mentioned the fact that many decisions are made because “it’s always been done that way.”

Status quo, the norm, because “that’s the way we do it” are outdated phrases that don’t belong in the vocabulary of today’s park and recreation professionals. We must be innovative, creative thinkers in order to keep pace with our rapidly changing technological society. New approaches, ideas and information should be embraced.

You and, just as importantly, your staff must be willing, able and armed with the authority to take the initiative, think outside the box, act as a creative leader, and make decisions that will affect the agency. Mistakes will be made. What’s important is that you learn from these mistakes to make your organization better.

The Benefits Are Endless
One opportunity to embrace a new idea is to consider adopting a Benefits-Based Management and Programming Strategy at your organization. Several articles have appeared in this magazine and elsewhere regarding the Benefits campaign. Why not find out for yourself what it’s all about by attending a Benefits training class?

The Benefits campaign is not a public awareness campaign such as Take Time for Fun! It’s a philosophical movement. It’s a different way to look at the programs and services we offer and the way we manage our organizations. Educate yourself and draw your own conclusion as to whether the Benefits philosophy is right for your agency.

Riding the Wave
Are you riding the technology wave? The introduction of technological advancements in the past 5 to 10 years has been mind-boggling. When the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) first received voice mail capabilities a few years ago, we cheered our first step into the technological age. Now, only a short time later, we have a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), e-mail, and staff intranet/Internet capabilities. A new look to the IPRA Web site will be unveiled soon.We depend on all of these modes of communications to provide accurate and up-to-date information to our members.

Our 2000 Strategic Plan outlines objectives to keep IPRA on the cutting edge of technology.

Do you have objectives in place for your agency? Do you attend and do you encourage your staff to attend seminars and workshops to sharpen your computer skills and keep current regarding the software and hardware products now on the market? E-commerce, Web advertising, and meetings held on-line are just the tip of the technological iceberg.

Is your agency positioned to take advantage of these opportunities? Think creatively.

Teamwork
While we’re “thinking outside the box” let’s think about our staff. The movement toward family-friendly work environments is rapidly sweeping the nation. Flextime and job-sharing are established alternatives to accommodate your employee’s needs. Happy employees are productive employees.

There is also a movement toward using teams to improve productivity by tapping into the talent, knowledge and experience of our employees; basically utilizing our human resources more effectively. Managers are accepting the fact that staff members support what they help create and that making decisions at the level where they will be carried out seems to be the best practice.

According to The Mihalik Group, a consulting firm that specializes in quality issues for the health care service industry, individuals who participate in productive teams have a high sense of accomplishment and personal satisfaction. A team environment improves staff morale as well

8 | Illinois Parks and Recreation | May / June 2000

Many agencies are finding ways to involve employees in the vital planning and decision making that drive our business of providing quality park and recreation services to the residents of our communities. Safety teams, employee selection teams, long-range planning teams and teams to complete the requirements for the Gold Medal Award and the Distinguished Agency Award are becoming common practice in park and recreation agencies.

Are you tapping into the potential of your staff members? Will work teams improve productivity at your agency? Are you sharpening your team leadership and group-facilitation skills?

Exceeding Customer Expectations
Finally, are you meeting the expectations of your customers or, even better, are you striving to exceed your customer’s expectations? Step out of your job for a minute. If you were a park user, a fitness club member, a summer day camper, or a parent/tot program participant at your agency, what would you expect from your park and recreation experience?

Thorough knowledge of customer needs and expectations are necessary to retain customers and attract new customers. In order to gain this knowledge, you must listen, learn, build relationships, and anticipate customer needs. Program evaluation forms are helpful but not all-encompassing. Focus groups, customer panels, customer interviews and effective complaint management are all valuable ways to glean customer information to allow you to meet and hopefully exceed customer satisfaction.

Does your agency have a systematic approach to program evaluations? When was the last time you implemented a focus group for a certain service or program area? Are you regularly fine-tuning your employees’ customer service skills? Service that meets or exceeds expectations is essential in building customer loyalty. Is there room for improvement at your agency?

Take the Challenge
All of these are viable issues accompanied by tough questions. Take a closer look at what your agency provides and how it’s provided? Is status quo acceptable to you or is it time to make some changes, implement some new ideas, take a pulse of your community?

Tomorrow is a new day. Will it be just another day or are you willing to take this creative challenge? It’s up to you. I hope you embrace the day. 

9 | Illinois Parks and Recreation | May / June 2000