REC 375: Leadership and Management of Parks and

Recreation Services

Jim Herstine, Ph.D., CPRP, CPSIAssistant Professor

Parks and Recreation Management

UNC-Wilmington

Management and the Management Process

REC 375—Leadership and Management of Parks and Recreation Services

Why is it important to learn and understand leisure service management principles and

practices?1. To get the most out of our time and

performance2. To get the most out of our employees3. To have our organization run

effectively and efficiently4. To compensate for any reduction in

tax support, investments and consumer spending

Why is it important to learn and understand leisure service management principles and

practices?, continued5. To increase our ability to compete

for the remaining tax dollars, investment dollars and consumer dollars

6. To obtain our personal and organizational goals and objectives

What do we mean by a “Leisure Service Organization?”

Public Organization Private/Membership OrganizationPrivate/Non-Profit OrganizationCommercial/Entrepreneurial

Goals of Leisure Service Organizations will vary

accordingly to meet the needs, desires and expectations of the organization’s constituents and

customers

Types of Leisure Service Organizations

Service Organizations—Scouts, YMCA, YWCAEconomic Organizations—Spas, Resorts, Health Clubs, Bowling CentersReligious Organizations—Church Camps, Church RecreationGovernmental Organizations—Local, State and Federal ParksSocial Organizations—Country Clubs, Tennis Associations

Small Group Exercise

Define “Management”Define “Administration”What is the primary purpose/duty of a manager?What is it that successful managers do?What roles do managers play?

Defining Management

Working with and through individuals, groups, and other resources to accomplish organizational goals and objectives

Defining Management, continued

A process of planning, organizing, directing and controlling organizational behaviors to accomplish a mission through division of labor and utilization of resources

Successful Managers Are Able To:

1. Provide direction2. Make and implement decisions3. Identify trends4. Recognize problems5. Utilize opportunities6. Manage and Resolve conflict7. Audit poor performance8. Reward excellent performance9. Lead the organization to its goals

Managerial Functions

The essence of management and managerial work is to make decisions and see that they are carried out!!!!

DECISION-MAKINGINFLUENCING

Available Resources

Human ResourcesFinancial ResourcesPhysical Resources Informational Resources

Available Resources, continued

A manager must use human resources in the best interest of the organization, without creating dissatisfied employees and customers. The achievement of this dual goal is difficult to obtain—why?

Different skills and abilitiesDifferent physical characteristicsDifferent interests and aptitudesDifferent levels of aspiration and motivation

In accomplishing his/her duties, a manager performs four (4) basic tasks—makes 4 types of decisions

about the organizational resources

Types of Decisions

Planning DecisionsOrganizing DecisionsDirecting DecisionsControlling Decisions

Planning Defined

A systematic process of reaching a desired state by establishing goals and formulating strategies to achieve them

Operational PlanningStrategic Planning

Planning Decisions

Anticipates the future, sets goals and objectives and identifies the actions necessary for the organization to attain these goals and objectivesDetermining where you want to go and how and when you’re going to get thereIt involves specifying a target, a path or route to be followed and a time schedule for achieving that target

Planning Decisions, continued

SETTING GOALSDETERMINING PATHSSCHEDULINGEffective managers set clear-cut plans, realistic time schedules and allow for contingencies

Organizing Defined

The process of structuring and coordinating an organization’s resources to carry out the strategies formulated in the planning phase effectively and efficientlyStated simply, determining what needs to be done and who is to do it

Organizing Decisions

Develops a structure of interrelated tasks and allocates resources within this structure which leads to the achievement of the organization’s goals and objectives

Organizing Decisions, continued

Organizing decisions involve two types

Decisions made to set up the structure and design of the organization (Formal Organizational Chart)Decisions made to assign resources

Organizing Decisions, continued

Organizing decisions affecting structure and design include:

Determining the number and type of departmentsDetermining the number and type of management levelsThe issue of accountabilityThe issue of scope of responsibility

Organizing Decisions, continued

Organizing decisions affecting the assignment of resources include:

Job DescriptionsBudgets

Organizing Decisions, continued

DETERMINING STRUCTURE AND DESIGNALLOCATING RESOURCES

Directing Defined

The process of directing and motivating all involved parties to help achieve the organization’s goals effectively and efficiently

Directing Decisions

Provide encouragement and guidance of employee’s efforts toward attaining the organizational goals and objectivesCan also be called “staffing decisions” or “motivating decisions” or “leading decisions”Involve personnel issues or human resource issues

Directing Decisions, continued

Directing/Staffing/Motivating/Leading decisions include:

RecruitingSelectingHiringWages and SalariesTraining and DevelopmentHealth and Retirement Benefits

Directing Decisions, continued

LEADERSHIP STYLESCOMMUNICATIONMOTIVATION AND INCENTIVESCOACHING AND COUNSELING

Controlling Defined

The process of monitoring activities to ensure they are being accomplished as planned and of correcting any significant deviations

Controlling Decisions

Evaluates the performance of an organization and its units to see whether the organization is progressing in the desired direction, and taking corrective action when and where necessaryMaking sure what you want to happen does indeed happen!

Controlling Decisions, continued

Effective managers control without being oppressiveEffective managers instill a spirit of self-control in subordinates so that the burden of preying managerial eyes does not rest heavily on the shoulders of the subordinates

Controlling Decisions, continued

THE QUALITY AND QUANITY OF CONTROLLING DECISIONS DEPENDS A GREAT DEAL ON THE QUALITY OF PREVIOUSLY MADE PLANNING, ORGANIZING AND DIRECTING DECISIONSThe better the planning, organizing and directing, the better will be controlling!

Controlling Decisions, continued

Ineffective managers obtain short-term compliance through control at the expense of long-term commitment, which can only be obtained by planning, organizing and directing!!!!!

Controlling Decisions, continued

MONITORING AND FEEDBACKEVALUATION AND ADJUSTMENTCORRECTIVE DISCIPLINEPERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

Managerial Skills Mix

Human SkillsConceptual SkillsTechnical SkillsIt is generally agreed that there are three primary areas of skills, knowledge and ability that a manager must process in order to successfully carry out the process of management

Human Skills

Ability and judgment in working with and through people, including an understanding of motivation and an application of effective leadership, in order to achieve the organizational goals and objectives

Conceptual Skills

Ability to understand the complexities of the overall organization and where one’s own operation fits into the organizationInvolves an understanding as to the manner in which each of the organization’s components fit together, in order to meet its goals and objectives

Conceptual Skills, continued

Permits the manager to act according to the objectives of the total organization rather than only on the basis of the goals and objectives of one’s own immediate groupFurther implies that the manager has an understanding of how his organization is affected by and relates to broader environmental factors

Technical Skills

Ability to use knowledge, methods, techniques and equipment necessary for the performance of specific tasks acquired from experience, education and training

Managerial Skills Mix, continued

According to a report by the American Management Association, the most important single skill of an executive is his or her ability to get along with people

Quote From John D. Rockefeller

“I will pay more for the ability to deal with people than any other ability under the sun”!!!!!

Managerial Skills Mix Matrix

Management Is:

FUNCTIONSDecision-MakingInfluence

SKILLSHumanConceptualTechnical

Management Is:, continued

RESOURCESHumanFinancialPhysicalInformational

DECISION-MAKINGPlanningOrganizingDirectingControlling

The Management Process

Inputs Throughputs OutputsResources Decision-making GoalsHuman Planning ProfitsFinancial Organizing EfficiencyPhysical Directing Satisfied

Clients

Informational Controlling Products/

Service

Managerial Skills Mix Exercise

Management Decision-Making Exercise

Management and the Management Process

Jim Herstine, Ph.D., CPRP, CPSIUNCW

herstinej@uncw.edu910.962.3283