EYE ON THE PROFESSION
A CLOSER LOOK AT TRENDS AND ISSUES IN THE PARK AND RECREATION PROFESSION

William J. M. Wald IPRA Chief Executive Officer

Building the winning team requires more than just hiring a bunch of talented people. It means hiring people who will work well together. It means developing a shared vision and commitment. It means physically bringing people together in formal group meetings for open discussions of broad-based issues. It means encouraging positive, informal interactions between group members. It means instilling a winning attitude throughout the organization. It means watching for, and quickly trying to reverse, team-building problems that inevitably enter into every workplace.

Get 'Em to Buy In

To build the winning team, you not only need to show people the direction in which the organization is headed, you need to get them to buy into this direction. You can't expect people to support a group if they don't agree with where it is headed or, worse, don't even know where it is headed.

Specifically, you need to show people:
• Your vision for the future
• Your strategy for getting there
• Why this is the best strategy
• Every achievement that indicates this team is winning

This is not a one-time discussion or announcement. You need to remind people constantly what the organization stands for and that it does indeed hold a bright future for them.

Meetings Build Teams

Part of building the winning team is having some group meetings. Meetings, or even parties or celebrations, with as many people as possible from the entire organization help build feelings of solidarity.

But everyone also needs to participate in smaller group meetings where some work is done or decisions are made. This makes people feel that they aren't just part of some big group, they are an active, important part of a team. For key managers, or people in your work group, you should have an interactive meeting once per week — not a meeting where you just make announcements and summarize the work that's been done and needs to be done, but a meeting where everyone has an opportunity to give feedback on substantive issues.

Getting People To Work Together

Perhaps the most difficult part of building a winning team is encouraging positive, informal interaction between team members when you are not present.

Virtually all people want to succeed at work. They want to offer their best and get along well with their managers, supervisors and coworkers.

Here are some thoughts on this:
• Have team members take part in the hiring process of new team members
• Assign specific projects for two team members to work on together
• Try to arrange for close proximity of offices
• Create an incentive-pay plan based on common goals
• Have a specific part of the salary review dependent upon "interaction with others"
• Take your team off-site for formal meetings as well as casual get-togethers to build a sense of bonding

Watch Out For Team Destroyers!

Here are some of the problems that can rip the team-building process apart:

Jealousy: Be on guard for jealousy whenever a new member is hired into the group. Go out of your way to tell other team members how much their work is appreciated.

Cynicism: Some people are negative by nature. Others might feel your agency can't possibly prosper or they just don't like small organizations, big organizations, or whatever. Be sure you are emphasizing the agency's positive achievements to the group as a whole. And don't hesitate to confront any openly cynical individuals and demand their behavior change at once.

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Lack of confidence: Some people lack self-confidence and view attacks on their opinions as attacks on themselves, responding with statements like: "Are you telling me my fifteen years of experience don't matter?" Stop any discussion like this immediately and, in a private one-on-one meeting, patiently point out the defensive behavior.

Handling a Team Destroyer

Employees who are difficult to manage can make your work life absolutely miserable. They can be every bit as disruptive to the forward progress of your agency as employees who lack the skills or initiative to do their jobs well.

The first thing you should do with a difficult employee is to bite your tongue and try to woo him or her. Go out to lunch and try to develop a positive rapport with the person. Often there is some issue that is causing the negative behavior he or she exhibits. Many times employees will be very reluctant to discuss these issues, whether they are professional or personal in nature. A casual, relaxed setting may put them at ease. They may open up and tell you what is really bugging them.

Often the underlying causes of employees' negative behavior patterns are quite simple. They may have the perception that they are not appreciated. They may feel they have not been complimented adequately for work well done. They may feel they deserve more attention. Remember, you should always be liberal with compliments. Key employees especially need attention from you. But this is advice that is easier to give than to heed.

On the other hand, sometimes a difficult-to-manage employee's behavior is the result of personal problems—an ailing parent, a divorce or financial difficulties. In this case, you want to show that you understand the predicament. If at all possible, offer the employee time off or an adjustment in work hours so that he or she can focus on resolving the personal dilemma.

However, if the problem is of an ongoing nature and is having a serious negative impact on your workplace, you need to let the person know that some sort of resolution is imperative.

If the problem persists, have a formal, closed-door meeting with the employee and address the most obvious examples of his or her inappropriate behavior in a forthright manner.

If an employee remains difficult despite all attempts at building rapport or providing help, you need to make a careful assessment. Be honest with yourself. Do you simply dislike the employee in question? Are the difficulties you are experiencing perhaps minor in character? If this is the case, drop the matter. But if the employee is truly exhibiting behavior problems that seriously disrupt the workplace, you need to take further action. Consider issuing a written warning that details the specific problems as clearly as possible.

If, after issuing such a warning, the employee's bad behavior persists, you may feel that the only solution is termination. Consult with an attorney before dismissing the employee. You need to know whether or not you have a strong enough case to withstand a potential lawsuit for wrongful dismissal. An employee who has been fired for issues relating to difficult behavior is much more likely to sue you than an employee fired due to poor work performance. And remember, by law personnel issues must be kept private. Don't grow suspicious and try to seek out information on terminated employees.

Recovering, Refocusing and Moving Forward

Virtually all people want to succeed at work. They want to offer their best and get along well with their managers, supervisors and coworkers. When shortcomings or problems arise, they can usually be overcome with some additional instruction or coaching, or with a positive, but frank, discussion of the issues at hand. As much as possible, you want to leave people feeling that you are helping and supporting them, not reprimanding them. And, if you have anything at all negative to say to an employee, it needs to be done in private. Don't embarrass employees in front of other workers.

If a problem becomes too much to handle and termination is the only answer, your next step needs to be to console your staff. Perhaps there were long-standing relationships severed and you must reassure them that they are indeed on a winning team. And review your plan for building that winning team:

• Go out and hire a new person with great chemistry that will mesh well with your existing staff
• Remind staff of your vision for the future and their roles as the organization moves forward
• Communicate through meetings to build solidarity among all team members
• Encourage staff to interact with each other to build a winning team atmosphere

Sooner or later every employee, including the boss, is going to have some significant difficulties in the workplace. If you take the "big stick" approach to every problem that arises, you will find yourself toiling away in a very lonely office. Be patient. Be compassionate. Remember, your employees are your most valuable assets.

www.ilparks.org March/April 2005 9