William J. M. Wald, CPRP IPRA Chief Executive Officer Ironically, one of the best ways to keep good people is to help them acquire skills that will make them more marketable and employable.

January's IAPD/IPRA conference was a study in contrasts. Sage park and recreation professionals hit the workshops, shared old times, and enjoyed watching the huge increase in attendees that pushed the conference to a record-setting 4,000-person event. When each action-packed day ended, conference veterans enjoyed downtime with friends before turning in for the night.

Meanwhile, young people were just beginning to get a second wind. Mindful of early workshop and meeting calls for the following morning, the "kids" mixed, mingled and made a serious dent in the Hyatt's food and beverage supply. You could almost feel the difference in the air. And, of course, that's the way it's always been. One generation on its way out. One generation on its way in.

The field of parks and recreation relies mightily on its bright, young stars to pick up the industry gauntlet. Their collective energy, enthusiasm, willingness to take risks and fresh perspectives are helping guide us through the first turbulent days of the new century.

That said, there's also a stylistic difference in the way "Gen Xers" (those born between 1961 and 1981) have been raised and trained. And, if you re looking to harness this vast reserve of talent and drive, you may need some tips to help you manage this new breed of park and recreation professional.

Gen Xers in scenes from the 2002 IAPD/IPRA Annual Conference.

According to the American Management Association (AMA), more than 40 million American workers are in their twenties or early thirties. While it is dangerous to stereotype these young men and women, understanding what motivates them is a critical piece of your job as a manager. The AMA suggests the following four strategies for keeping your best and brightest motivated, content and feeling a critical sense of belonging.

First, help your Gen Xers train for a new job. This may sound like a suicide mission, but think about it. We're not talking "moving on." We're talking promotions within your agency and within the system. The good old tangible (or understood) work contract now exists only in the minds of those who once worked under one. Many of todays post-college staffers have no intention of staying with one company for their entire career, so its your job to make them realize that they can get all the excitement, change and challenges they need within one industry: parks and rec.

Ironically, one of the best ways to keep good people is to help them acquire skills that will make them more marketable and employable. Its been proven that the more people learn, the more they stick around. It has everything to do with feeling that they are competent enough to be trusted with projects and responsibilities.

"I love the chance to try new things," says Heather Weishaar, sponsorship and special

8 Illinois Parks and Recreation

programs manager for the Illinois Park and Recreation Association and, at age 25, the association's youngest staffer.

"I want to see how my actions and decisions affect the outcome of a project. Learning something new— something I've never done before—really motivates me. Doing something just because that's the way it's always been done in the past is a real turnoff."

As Weishaar notes, being given complete responsibility for a project is empowering and makes one feel valuable. That's why the AMA's second tip is to do what many managers can barely stand to think about: hand over that project and make your employee completely accountable for running with it.

In case you haven't noticed, todays young men and women are much more independent than their parents were, and don't always follow rules as they have been set down to accomplish a goal. Hard as it may be for you to consider, you may want to view their new procedures and ways of getting from point A to point B as an asset. Giving a young employee the freedom to achieve a mission in their own way is heady stuff and helps you compete with the bigger salaries, larger offices and perks that tease young people away from choosing their first job in the public sector.

Next, consider the hallowed halls of performance reviews. They've always been around and they've always been deemed necessary. But are they? Young workers are somewhat unfamiliar with the concept of waiting around for kudos. They've been bottle-fed on instant feedback (the good, the bad and the ugly) and many take a dim view of formal, sporadic reviews. This is not to say you should eliminate them—indeed, many firms mandate them—but understand that todays young worker expects plenty of ongoing feedback. Giving it when it's most needed wins you loyalty points.

The last tidbit I'll share from the AMA is the issue of information sharing. Growing up in the computer age literally has rewired the ways Gen Xers think. Most have become habituated to getting the information they need instantaneously. Hoarding information out of habit or because "that's the way it's always been done" is going to come back to haunt even the best of managers. So, get into the habit of sharing as much information as you can.

I recently met with Illinois State University students, and I can assure you that leadership and credibility are both driving our best and brightest students. How we treat them in the future will seriously impact the way our industry will stand up to future power and money dangled by the private sector.

We already know that youngsters in our profession most often leave to make more money or because they feel they're working too many hours. But if we empower them and help them become invaluable members of our profession, they'll stay. •

Karop Bavougian retires on June 20 (his 61st birthday) after 16 years as executive director of the Wheeling Park District. After returning to school, "before adult re-entry was fashionable," he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Recreation and Park Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He started his park district career in Glen Ellyn in 1970. Bavougian says, in retirement, he will continue to try to figure out what he wants to be when he's "done growing up!" The Last Word The fifth in a series of reflections from retiring park and recreation professionals I've been asked to be reflective and forward-thinking about this crazy profession called parks and recreation. Those of you who know me know I can have difficulty doing more than one thing at a time so this could be interesting. Maybe it's best reflected in the following quote: To love what you do and feel that it matters—how could anything be more fun! — Katherine Graham I know I have, and still do, love what I have been doing and truly believe it matters. Pretty neat feeling isn't it? I hope you're able to say the same. As much as this business—yes, I said business—has changed, nothing changes. Okay, not quite true. None of us probably imagined the type of multimillion-dollar operations we run today: 100,000-square-foot recreation centers, athletic complexes, professional sport stadiums, aquatic centers, fitness centers, golf courses, banquet halls, food and beverage operations, airports, and the list goes on and on. We talk about and promote programs for "at-risk youth" as a new concept, quality-of-life issues, values and family. Sure sounds cutting edge to me. Better stop, though, and ask if Jane Addams and the Hull House were ahead of their time, or if it just took us longer to catch up. Or, maybe it's just a part of a continuum. Probably because of my background I tend to operate out of a social work model. Although we have all the technological magic, operate in a business fashion, are accountable for our actions and finances, have become fund-raisers, develop cutting edge facilities, offer more programs, deal with tax caps, create public/private partnerships and every other conceivable thing the public asks of us—we need to continue to ask ourselves, What is the one constant throughout these things? They are vehicles for change. Ask yourself what do they do to change or affect peoples lives? That's what we try to do! Sometimes I hear colleagues complain that the "younger generation" doesn't have the same dedication we did (usually because they're not willing to work 60 to 80 hours a week). Horse patoot! They're not as stupid as we were. They are brighter, smarter and every bit as effective as we think we are. They, hopefully, have an understanding of this thing called balance. You know, the thing we preach to everyone else but ourselves. No, I'm not worried about the next wave of professionals. You'll do just fine. Sometimes it seems to get overwhelming. When it does, remember one thing: Non Illegitimii Carborundum! The benefits really are endless. — Karop Bavougian

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