Parks and recreation agencies have different and unique strategic priorities. These distinct strategic priorities call for the application of advanced leadership skills to achieve different outcomes. The Leadership Forum directs resources toward the accomplishment of high priority organizational goals, such as the formation of critical partnerships and coalitions.
The Leadership Forum is directed collaboratively by Peopleassets staff and by the executive leadership team of the individual park and recreation agency. Program participants evaluate their personal leadership skills against a new benchmark of “high performing” park and recreation leaders in California and focus efforts to build new skills in support of urgent agency priorities.
The Leadership Forum program includes the following components:
q an overview of strategic priorities by agency executives
q an assessment of individual participant leadership strengths and development “needs”
q a confidential consultation with expert psychologists to discuss the assessment
q research of opportunities to build alliances and collaborative partnerships that serve to promote the agency’s goals
q the definition of a structured action plan to achieve high priority organizational objectives.
There is significant flexibility in the emphasis and sequence of these components. The Leadership Forum extends over a several month period. To promote active participation, fees are set at $500. per participant with no requirement for travel expense.
The following components of the Leadership Forum are designed to apply advanced leadership skills towards the achievement of specific, high priority organizational goals:
1. Overview of Strategic Priorities
The agency’s Executive Director will lead a discussion of strategic priorities for the purpose of answering the question “leadership for what …?” …
The agency director will describe the prominent environmental forces shaping the agency’s priorities.
q community expectations
q political realities
q relationships with community groups and stakeholders
Articulate the role the agency currently plays relative to similar service providers and other government entities.
q identify priority coalition prospects
q identify primary influence targets
What are the high level financial objectives / constraints?
q generate more revenue; cost savings?
q expand capacity?
q innovative programming?
v Outcome: Forum participants will be able to describe the highest strategic priorities of the organization and discuss important environmental forces influencing it’s mission.
2. Leadership
Style:
Assessment of Current Strengths and Developmental Needs
Individual staff complete the CPRS / Peopleassets Leadership Profile.
Staff participant’s leadership skills and competencies are compared and
contrasted to a new CPRS / Peopleassets benchmark established from profiles of
high performing park and recreation leaders.
q Peopleassets psychologist conducts confidential review of results; interpretation of findings.
q Discussion of implications within context of strategic leadership goals
q Validate conclusions via consultation with supervisor
v Outcome: Forum participants will be able to describe their personal leadership strengths and articulate three development goals that focus on the improvement of their leadership skills which can leveraged in the service of supporting agency’s strategic priorities.
3. Partnership and Coalition Research
Guided by identified strategic priorities, forum participants will define end
users, “internal customers,” potential coalition partners, potential advocacy
partners, etc. and collect systematic input from one group re: their strategic
goals and their experience of their interface with the park & recreation
organization.
Focus points include:
q What is the potential partner’s mission?
q How does that mission support, compliment, overlap or compete with the parks and recreation organization’s mission?
q What is the traditional form of interface between the potential partner and the parks and recreation organization?
q In the next few years, how can synergy be created between the constituent and parks and recreation organization?
q What form of communication is necessary in order to make that happen?
q Who should be responsible for sustaining that form of communication?
q Do you have the capacity to manage the partnership to your benefit?
Participant reports results to mentor and Peopleassets staff
v Outcome: Forum participants will be able to provide value-added “intelligence” regarding the mission and strategic priorities of a prospective alliance partners.
4. Personal Leadership Project
Define a project to be completed in 3 – 4 months that takes into consideration strategic organizational goals and the participant’s personal leadership objectives.
q Articulate benefit of project relative to the organization’s strategic priorities
q Specify observable outcomes of project that reinforce the strategic goals of the agency.
q Identify personal leadership objectives in response to the question: “Leadership for what?”
q Describe project in one to two page document
q Review with on-site project leader / Peopleassets
v Outcome: Forum participants will be initiate a personal leadership action plan to advance specific strategic priorities of the park and recreation agency. Progress toward the achievement of this plan will be documented and available on-line to agency executives.
q Agency leaders and Peopleassets staff will facilitate individual and group discussions to review progress, discuss challenges and integrate individual initiatives into organizational priorities. This facilitation can occur in person or telephonically.
q Optional individual consultations enhance the leadership development process.
q Optional on-site consultations are available to support individual growth and organizational progress.
v Outcome: Forum
participants will contribute to the success of sponsor agency through the
following:
q building leadership talent to support the long term mission of the park and recreation agency
q identifying potential partners and alliances in the community whose collaborative interests will help promote the strategic priorities of the agency
q taking specific action to promote communication, planning and collaborative interests with coalition and advocacy partners.