HPR 413

ORGANIZATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATION OF

RECREATION I

History of ManagementFive eras that influenced the way managers

operate•Pre-scientific era from 1800-1880 First time management was studied and thought of as a skill. •Classical era from 1880-1930 Management generated basic theories of administration and scientific management .•Behavioral era from 1930-1960 Recognized that human factors were important to success in managing operations.•Modern era from 1960-1990 Human factors of management were included in management theories about human nature and its effect on the workplace.•Emerging era from 1990-2001 Ended with attack on World Trade Center. Characterized by recognition of the complexity of managing numerous forms of organizational structures

Types of Park and Recreation Services

• Public – Run by State and Federal programs or by non-profit

agencies• Private/Commercial – Run by for profit businesses and organizations

• Corporate – Are put on for the benefit of the employee and can exist in

conjunction with commercial or public recreation• Therapeutic– Can occur in both public and private sectors, services to

special populations but is not limited to that.

Demands of Managers in Public Park and Recreation programs:

•Do more with less•Higher quality and more diverse services•Increase revenue generation (to pay for cost) without competing unfairly with private Park and Recreation service providers.•Meet demand for more open space for urban areas (funding for maintenance is difficult)

• Support those who are economically and socially disadvantaged through programs that met childcare, social, recreational and nutritional needs.

• Measure intended outcomes as evidence of successful management

Managers Fill 3 Roles

• Interpersonal roles-Figureheads – performing ceremonial duties-Leaders – motivating and encouraging

employees-Liaisons – making contacts outside the

organization

• Informational roles-Monitors – scanning the environment for

information- Disseminators – passing privileged

information to subordinates- Spokesperson – to those inside and outside

the organization

• Decisional roles-Entrepreneurs – improving the unit and

adapting to changing conditions-Disturbance handlers – respond to changes

beyond a managers control-Resource allocators – decides who will get what-Negotiators – committing organizational

resources

Management Roles

• Manager as communicator- Personal, presentations, newsletters, emails. Managers must have a clear understanding of their role as leader in the recreation organization.

• Manager as coach – Act as teacher helping others reach their goals. Challenge individuals to perform at their highest levels. Motivate, instruct, etc. Create a more competent staff.

• Manager as mentor – Taking time with employees to facilitate their eventual success outside of their major job function.

• Manager as a Change Agent – Change should be seen as an opportunity. Change is ever present, especially if you want to keep up with current and cutting edge trends.

• Manager as a Power Broker – Managers must also be aware of political systems and adapt to the expectations of those in power. Since often conflict exists between politics, budgetary boards, employees and the “customer”, focus on the betterment of the organization.

National Park Service Managerial Competencies

• Leading ChangeVision External Awareness CreativityStrategic Thinking Continual LearningResilience Flexibility Service Motivation

• Leading PeopleConflict Management Cultural AwarenessTeam Building Integrity / Honesty

• Results DrivenAccountability Problem Solving

DecisivenessCustomer Service Entrepreneurship

• Building Coalitions / CommunicatingOral CommunicationsWritten CommunicationsNegotiating / Influencing PartneringPolitical Savvy Interpersonal Skills

• Business SkillsFinancial ManagementHuman Resource ManagementTechnology Management

Types of Leaders

• Autocratic LeadershipAlso known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style

characterized by individual control over all decisions and little input from group members. Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their own ideas and judgments and rarely accept advice from followers.

Some people tend to think of this style as a vehicle for yelling, using demeaning language, and leading by threats and abusing their power. This is not the authoritarian style, rather it is an abusive, unprofessional style called “bossing people around.” It has no place in a leader's repertoire.

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• Participative styleInvolves the leader including one or more employees in the

decision making process (determining what to do and how to do it). However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Using this style is not a sign of weakness; rather it is a sign of strength that your employees will respect. This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your employees have other parts. Note that a leader is not expected to know everything — this is why you employ knowledgeable and skillful employees. Using this style is of mutual benefit — it allows them to become part of the team and allows you to make better decisions.

• Delegative styleThe leader allows the employees to make the decisions. However,

the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it. You cannot do everything! You must set priorities and delegate certain tasks.

• This is not a style to use so that you can blame others when things go wrong, rather this is a style to be used when you fully trust and confidence in the people below you. Do not be afraid to use it, however, use it wisely!

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• There are two theories of leadership:Process Leadership – applies the person’s knowledge and skills.Trait Leadership – Leaders are born, not made

While leadership is mostly learned, the skills and knowledge processed by the leader can be influenced by his or hers attributes or traits, such as beliefs, values, ethics, and character. Knowledge and skills contribute directly to the process of leadership, while the other attributes give the leader certain characteristics that make him or her unique.

Four Factors of Leadership

• LeaderYou must have an honest understanding of who you

are, what you know, and what you can do. Also, note that it is the followers, not the leader or someone else who determines if the leader is successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then they will be uninspired. To be successful you have to convince your followers, not yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed.

• FollowersDifferent people require different styles of leadership.

For example, a new hire requires more supervision than an experienced employee. A person who lacks motivation requires a different approach than one with a high degree of motivation. You must know your people! The fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of human nature, such as needs, emotions, and motivation. You must come to know your employees' be, now, and do attributes.

• CommunicationYou lead through two-way communication.

Much of it is nonverbal. For instance, when you “set the example,” that communicates to your people that you would not ask them to perform anything that you would not be willing to do. What and how you communicate either builds or harms the relationship between you and your employees.

• SituationAll situations are different. What you do in one

situation will not always work in another. You must use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for each situation. For example, you may need to confront an employee for inappropriate behavior, but if the confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove ineffective.

• Various forces will affect these four factors. Examples of forces are your relationship with your seniors, the skill of your followers, the informal leaders within your organization, and how your organization is organized.

Boss or Leader?

• Although your position as a manager, supervisor, lead, etc. gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization (called Assigned Leadership), this power does not make you a leader, it simply makes you the boss (Rowe, 2007). Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals (called Emergent Leadership), rather than simply bossing people around (Rowe, 2007). Thus you get Assigned Leadership by your position and you display Emergent Leadership by influencing people to do great things.

The Two Most Important Keys to Effective Leadership

• According to a study by the Hay Group, a global management consultancy, there are 75 key components of employee satisfaction (Lamb, McKee, 2004). They found that:

• Trust and confidence in top leadership was the single most reliable predictor of employee satisfaction in an organization.

• Effective communication by leadership in three critical areas was the key to winning organizational trust and confidence:– Helping employees understand the company's overall business

strategy.– Helping employees understand how they contribute to achieving key

business objectives.– Sharing information with employees on both how the company is

doing and how an employee's own division is doing — relative to strategic business objectives.. .

Principles of Leadership

• To help you be, know, and do, follow these eleven principles of leadership (U.S. Army, 1983). The later chapters in this Leadership guide expand on these principles and provide tools for implementing them:

• Know yourself and seek self-improvement - In order to know yourself, you have to understand your be, know and do, attributes. Seeking self-improvement means continually strengthening your attributes. This can be accomplished through self-study, formal classes, reflection, and interacting with others.

• Be technically proficient - As a leader, you must know your job and have a solid familiarity with your employees' tasks.

• Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions - Search for ways to guide your organization to new heights. And when things go wrong, they always do sooner or later — do not blame others. Analyze the situation, take corrective action, and move on to the next challenge.

• Make sound and timely decisions - Use good problem solving, decision making, and planning tools.

• Set the example - Be a good role model for your employees. They must not only hear what they are expected to do, but also see. We must become the change we want to see - Mahatma Gandhi

• Know your people and look out for their well-being - Know human nature and the importance of sincerely caring for your workers.

• Keep your workers informed - Know how to communicate with not only them, but also seniors and other key people.

• Develop a sense of responsibility in your workers - Help to develop good character traits that will help them carry out their professional responsibilities.

• Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished - Communication is the key to this responsibility.

• Train as a team - Although many so called leaders call their organization, department, section, etc. a team; they are not really teams...they are just a group of people doing their jobs.

• Use the full capabilities of your organization - By developing a team spirit, you will be able to employ your organization, department, section, etc. to its fullest capabilities

BE – KNOW - DO

• BE a professional. Examples: Be loyal to the organization, perform selfless service, take personal responsibility.

• BE a professional who possess good character traits. Examples: Honesty, competence, candor, commitment, integrity, courage, straightforwardness, imagination.

• KNOW the four factors of leadership — follower, leader, communication, situation.

• KNOW yourself. Examples: strengths and weakness of your character, knowledge, and skills.

• KNOW human nature. Examples: Human needs, emotions, and how people respond to stress.

• KNOW your job. Examples: be proficient and be able to train others in their tasks.

• KNOW your organization. Examples: where to go for help, its climate and culture, who the unofficial leaders are.

• DO provide direction. Examples: goal setting, problem solving, decision making, planning.

• DO implement. Examples: communicating, coordinating, supervising, evaluating.

• DO motivate. Examples: develop morale and esprit de corps in the organization, train, coach, counsel.

• References: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/

leadstl.html