Management Q&A Arena
professionals share their management practices.
BILL DOBBS
General Manager Ice and Sports Operations
South Suburban Parks and Recreation
Centennial, Colo.
MELISSA FITZGERALD General Manager
Oakland Ice Center Operated by Sharks Ice Oakland, Calif.
KELSIE GRATE
Recreation Superintendent City of St. Peters Rec-Plex St. Peters, Mo.
JULIETTE HARTON General Manager Toyota Sports
Performance Center El Segundo, Calif.
RYAN SHAFFER Recreation Director
White Township Public Parks S&T Bank Arena Indiana, Pa.
MARK VAUGHAN
Arena and Aquatics Manager Civic Arena Eagan, Minn.
PETE CARLSON
Senior Director of Operations and Programming
National Sports Center — Super Rink
Blaine, Minn.
SEAN FLYNN General Manager Centennial Ice Rinks Wilmette, Ill.
WENDY DONLEY Facility Manager Herbert Wells Ice Rink College Park, Md.
HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOUR STAFF?
Dobbs: “I like to motivate my staff by
leading by example. I jump right in and do their jobs right beside them. Tey are a little nervous at first, but talking with them while working makes them happy. Once I build a bond with that person, I try to get to know that person. During future interactions, I ask them about their interests that they have shared with me. Tis makes the individual know that I care about them enough to remember our conversation and ask them about it.”
Fitzgerald: “Motivation and recognition/
reward go hand-in-hand. (See answer to first question on page 10.) Allowing staff members to own responsibility for a given position or process, rather than just using task management, helps them to take pride and credit for work well done. We use the opportunity to cross- train in other positions as motivation and reward for great work. Whenever
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possible, we try to identify staff for promo- tion from within.”
Grate: “I think the biggest way to motivate your staff is for them to understand why they are so important to the overall success of your facility. Education is key! You cannot simply say, ‘Do this because I said so.’ If you explain why and how their actions affect the overall picture, it gives them a greater sense of purpose in the structure of making your business successful and a team effort. I also think you have to listen and be open to new ideas. If your staff knows you will listen and they are invested in also improving, then having 10-plus minds working to make improvements is always better than one. Not only listen but also implement some of their ideas, and if you can’t, be sure to explain why and brainstorm different ways to possibly make some of their ideas a reality. Your staff is the face of your facility; they know your customers better than anyone else and can be your greatest resource.”
Harton: “I include directors and managers in both the program and financial processes so they understand that connection. Each department has a budget and target goals. We also emphasize being a team, and the various departments help support each other in ways that make sense for them to do so. Tis buy-in and team approach then trickles down to the other hourly staff. Te mindset that if the facility does well, we all do well, is key.”
Shaffer: “In my opinion, the best way to motivate staff is to give them a reason to take pride in their work. I run a small crew in comparison to most ice rinks, but I cross-train every employee to perform multiple tasks. Te negative is a long learning curve for new hires, but we rarely turn over staff because of the constant diversity of responsibilities.”
Vaughan: “I have found that the best motivation is to let staff do their jobs. Answer their questions, but empower them to be make decisions. We also
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