Parks and Recreation working together

1. MAKE AND TAKE
LEADING TOGETHER: PARKS &
RECREATION—NO US & THEM
1. Please sign in with your Agency Name and the
number of people attending the webinar from your
agency today.
2. Type the names of those wanting CEUs for this
webinar with CEU after their name. (Jodi Rudick,
CEU)
3. Have you downloaded and printed a copy of your
handouts?
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2. CUSTOMER SERVICE
Quality is what the citizen/user wants
and understands!
They don’t care or understand how you
got there!
They see everyone working in your
parks, facilities and agencies as “staff.”
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3. MEET OUR REGENTS
WHAT’S A REGENT? A REGENT IS A CPRS MEMBER
WHO TEACHES THEIR PEERS EACH YEAR AT MAINTENANCE
MANAGEMENT SCHOOL
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Tara Gee Bryan Peck

4. PLEASE RECORD IN YOUR POLLING AREA

 We’re Just Curious!
 How many of you have less than five years full or
part time experience working for a public park and
recreation agency (either city, county, special
district)
 A. All of us
 B. Half of us
 C. Two thirds or more
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5. LET’S REVIEW - PRE-WEBINAR ASSIGNMENT
1. Can you please share an example document that demonstrates how
you communicate with other departments or divisions? How about a
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that explains procedures?
Please send to training@cprs.org.
2. Go to http://www.mindtools.com/page8.html to review ways to
communicate in person and in writing.
In your chat box – please share your
thoughts regarding the Mind Tool
resource…
• Were you familiar with them?
• Did you find them helpful?
• Have you used them in the past?
• Do you use other resources when
training staff around
communication matters?
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6. WHY THIS WEBINAR:
Explain skill sets needed to create colleague relationships.
Discuss communication strategies that reduce conflict in
most relationships, creating an increase in teamwork for an
organization.
Participate in a "we ask the experts" discussion on the
relationship management process in a public parks and
recreation organization.
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7. IN YOUR CHAT BOX PLEASE LIST…
What standing meetings or trainings do
you currently conduct to be sure all
divisions are communicating?
For instance:
Maintenance and Child Care Program Staff?
Tree Division and Sport Camp Programmers?
Class Coordinators and Painters?
Others?
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8. PLEASE DISCUSS AND SHARE IN YOUR CHAT BOX
 How often do these example situations occur
at your agency?
 Which one do you hear the most?
 "Can’t you bend the rules just this once?!”
 Severely Angry Customers that stay angry
 Complaints about transferring a Customer to the “right”
department
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9. PLEASE DISCUSS AND SHARE…
So why is it so hard
to communicate with
other staff?
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10. TWO PART FEEDBACK
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1. In the feedback box – Choose which of the
following are HARDEST to negotiate with:
 A. Field Rental Groups
 B. Recreation Staff
 C. Parks Maintenance Staff
 D. Something else (type in chat box)
2. In your chat box list reasons why these
are hard to negotiate with.
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11. WHAT WOULD YOU DO SCENARIO – SPORTS FIELD CLOSURE
Park Maintenance is looking for time (2 to 3 months) to close
multiple sports fields for renovation and rest! during the
growing season (April through August)
Renter demand, user groups, and in-house
recreation programming want to utilize as
much field space as possible—what do we
do?
Discuss and share in your chat box…
What are some solutions? 11

12. SORRY, WE’RE CLOSED – CASE STUDY ACTIVITY
WHAT WOULD YOU DO SCENARIO – SPORTS FIELD CLOSURE
Park Maintenance is looking for time (2 to 3 months) to close
multiple sports fields for renovation and rest! during the
growing season. (April through August)
Service level changes?
Do user groups get priority
because you are told you have to!
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13. How it really was
handled and if
the strategy was
effective!
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15. PLEASE DISCUSS AND SHARE
IN YOUR CHAT BOX…
What are some of the
“signs” or indicators that
are a warning for
misunderstanding or lack of
communication at all?
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16. TREES GLORIOUS TREES - CASE STUDY ACTIVITY
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? SCENARIO
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 The Facts:
A national gas and electric company informs your agency that they are going to replace
a major gas line that is 75 years old.
The gas line comes from the County property from the south and winds north/south
through your City and connects up with County property on the north.
The new line is bigger and impacts city-maintained streetscapes, wetland Preserves
and a municipal golf course in addition to some roadways.
The gas line standards requires no trees, existing or new, can be within 10’ of the new
line.
 Implications:
This means that mature 30 year old trees in the streetscapes and 100 year old Oaks in
the Preserves and in the golf course will have to be removed.
The oaks in the golf course are signature to the golf course and the Oaks in the
Preserve are backdrops to high end homes where people have paid a premium to live
next to the natural area.
Discuss and Share in your Chat Box…
As a PUBLIC Agency what are your
Concerns?

17. TREES GLORIOUS TREES CASE STUDY ACTIVITY
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? SCENARIO
AS THE PUBLIC AGENCY YOU WANT TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW LINE FOR ULTIMATE
PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO PROTECT THE AMENITIES THAT AFFECT
YOUR REVENUE (GOLF), THE QUALITY OF LIFE YOU OFFER YOUR RESIDENTS (MATURE
TREES), AND ENSURE YOU AREN’T ON THE HOOK TO FUND THE
REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT OF ASSETS YOU ARE CHARGED TO TAKE CARE OF.
Discuss and Share in Your Chat Box…
What are some solutions?
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18. TREES GLORIOUS TREES CASE STUDY ACTIVITY
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? SCENARIO
AS THE PUBLIC AGENCY, YOU WANT TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW LINE FOR ULTIMATE
PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO PROTECT THE AMENITIES THAT AFFECT YOUR
REVENUE (GOLF), THE QUALITY OF LIFE YOU OFFER YOUR RESIDENTS (MATURE
TREES), AND ENSURE YOU AREN’T ON THE HOOK TO FUND THE
REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT OF ASSETS YOU ARE CHARGED TO TAKE CARE OF.
Discuss and Share in Your Chat Box…
What are the
Compromises Made?
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19. How it really was
handled and if
the strategy was
effective!
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20. SITUATION SCENARIO –
RE-ASSIGNING WORK AREA RESPONSIBILITIES
THE ISSUE:
TRANSITIONING THE AGENCY-OPERATED COMMUNITY
CENTERS AND SPECIAL EVENTS FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO
ANOTHER.
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An agency policy change results in the need for
specialty funded community center operations
and recreation programs to transfer from one
department (Economic Development to another
-- Parks and Recreation) within a very short
amount of time (3 months).

21. SITUATION SCENARIO –
RE-ASSIGNING WORK AREA RESPONSIBILITIES
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 The Goals and Requirements:
Service delivery must not be interrupted
Programming levels must remain in tact to meet
community needs.
The centers currently operate with
1) Contracted service providers,
2) Contracted employees, and
3) Agency staff.
All service and programming contracts must be re-assigned
or renegotiated (50+)
Staff must be transitioned (from county department
to special district).

22. SITUATION SCENARIO –
RE-ASSIGNING WORK AREA RESPONSIBILITIES
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 As the new department responsible for operations
and maintenance of the centers, as well as the
recreation programming, your goal is to assume
responsibility in a seamless manner.
 In addition to meeting customer needs, you must
meet elected-official expectations and negotiate
with a department who feels this transition is a
“loss” (they have pride of ownership).
 You must also ensure the lights stay on, the grass
is mowed and the “promises” are kept.

23. SITUATION SCENARIO –
RE-ASSIGNING WORK AREA RESPONSIBILITIES
TRANSITIONING THE AGENCY-OPERATED COMMUNITY CENTERS AND
SPECIAL EVENTS FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER.
Please discuss and
share in your chat box….
What are some solutions?
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24. What if you lose
staff during this
process!
Any service level
changes?
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25. How it really was
handled and if
the strategy was
effective!
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26. YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG TO THINK
DIFFERENTLY!
Don’t teach people
what to think but
how to think.
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27. PLEASE DISCUSS AND SHARE IN YOUR CHAT BOX
Please list some
things you could add
to your staff training
that might develop
co-worker
relationships?
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28. PLEASE DISCUSS AND SHARE IN YOUR CHAT BOX
What keeps you
from doing
these?
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29. HOW ABOUT A DEPARTMENT-WIDE
STAFF RETREAT?
Yes, it’s a lot of planning work--start with the “end in
mind” and work backwards
Who will champion this work?
Do you play games ( and why) and work in groups
pairing up people who don’t normally work together?
Resource: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/
structure/training-and-technical-assistance/
retreats/main 29

30. PLEASE DISCUSS AND SHARE IN YOUR CHAT BOX
What are really good topic areas to
include in a retreat? Be specific please!
Communication?
Problem-Solving?
 Re-defining Goals & Objectives?
 Mending Fences After Conflict?
Others?
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31. FINAL THOUGHTS--DISCUSS AND SHARE IN YOUR
CHAT BOX:
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Who should have input into
your decisions? (now that you
have participated in this webinar)
What new ideas will help you
develop more effective co-worker
relationships?

32. NEXT MONTH’S WEBINAR…
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Event Facilitation
They Can’t, You Can, Win-Win
with André Pichly, Recreation Superintendent, City of
West Sacramento
 Wednesday, Nov 19** at 12:15pm
**Holiday adjustment
 Thursday, Nov 20 at 10:30am
Don’t forget to do our survey now please!