February 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 12

P E RS P E C T I V E S A M E S S A G E F R O M N R PA' S L E A D E RS

Building an Effective and
Innovative Workforce
One of the distinguishing characteristics of a true park professional is
the intellectual curiosity and commitment to life-long learning. At the
intersection of strategic planning and
operational implementation, park and
recreation agencies and their professional staff are challenged to identify
the " next " innovative and best practice
that produce solutions to new problems and meet new challenges that
come from a rapidly changing world.
Demographic, social, technological
and economic changes force us to
adapt quickly and to embrace change
at a pace for which we are not always
well-prepared or funded to achieve.
The fact that " talent " and " the best
people " find themselves at the starting
point of all great park agencies is no coincidence. The right level of investment in human capital is the fundamental ingredient for all great organizations, and yet, it is our training and travel that are often
the first cuts in balancing our budgets! Ultimately, a
comprehensive and efficient approach to building effective and innovative human resource capacity requires
a commitment to succession planning and investing in
the recruitment, retention and professional development that enables a department to promote from within
and grow its future managers and executives.
Through our Innovation Labs (I-Labs), NRPA brings
together some of the sharpest minds in and outside
the field of parks and recreation to collaborate and
explore how innovative thinking can meet emerging
challenges, reduce costs and better serve the public.
The new paradigm for our profession uses parks and
public spaces as the framework for healthy, livable,
resilient and prosperous community building. Systems
of great parks, public spaces, natural and cultural
areas that are equitably accessible and connected by
greenways, waterways, trails and complete streets
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serving as linear parks have created a need for new
skill sets that include strategic planning, negotiations,
public/private finance, urban planning, transportation, philanthropy and, most importantly, communications and messaging. I-Lab thought leaders possess
and share their skills through intimate and up-close
learning sessions in park systems throughout the
country where great work is accomplished.
The success of our workforce members, including our
directors, depends on providing opportunities to learn.
Impactful organizational learning and agility in today's
ever-changing, globally competitive environment
demands continual organizational learning. Disruptive
events are occurring with greater frequency and are
triggered by innovative technologies and product introductions, economic upheaval and stress, major weather
events driven by climate change and societal demands.
NRPA's I-Labs emphasize experiential learning and
making transformational changes in an ever-shorter
time cycle. Knowledge and application are learned
through both personal and environmental experiences, where participants are actively engaged by using
analytical skills to conceptualize solutions required
to make simulated problem-solving decisions and are
then given time to reflect on the experience.
Congratulations to all the host cities that have worked
with NRPA to develop our I-Lab series. I-Labs have
covered everything from creating healthy and resilient
communities to providing solutions to homelessness and
nature-deficit disorder. However, the most important
contribution has been recognizing and emulating those
agencies whose commitment to continuous learning includes an investment in human capital through progressive NRPA education, certification and training.

JACK K ARDYS
NRPA's Chair of the Board of Directors

February 2019 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2019 - Parks & Recreation