Management Coursework: Administrative Process in Recreation and Parks

As the director of Therapeutic Recreation Department, I try to weave my management style similar to that of Fredrick Law Olmsted who managed to get maximum loyalty out of his employees by delegating some of the duties to the younger talented employees, in this case, is his son. Olmsted did his management by having fairness in his dealings. In management, I always make a point of coming out as impartial. It is a thin line trying to balance between selecting the most talented subordinates and being fair on my selections.

I do have ambitions of helping the Skilled Nursing Home achieve its goals by growing the Therapeutic Recreation Department. Being part of the company growth and be recognized as a key figure. I think this is similar to Fredricks ambition. It is this ambition that acts as the motivation to present myself and my points without creating much doubt in my subordinates minds. Discourage second-guessing among my subordinates in order to formulate a linear channel of authority.

I am in the recreational management field because I possess the necessary traits needed to be a good manager. My theoretical belief system belongs in the Trait Theory system. Since childhood blended the human, conceptual and technical skills that set me apart from the rest and gave me the convincing power. My diversity comes from my wide understanding of different populations all around the world. My eagerness to acquire new skills among my biggest strengths.

Self-Report

I have had enough experience in this field to understand the effort required for constant growth. My greatest strength comes from the fact that I find value in people. People who are not just customers but the employees. These are the people I struggle to ensure their needs are met, and as long as they are feeling satisfied, then our customers will get the same. This is one attribute that is at the forefront of my management style. One that revolves around creating corporation among the employees and the customers. These are what I consider human skills.

Being in the recreational and leisure business means that I also possess the technical and conceptual skills. My years in management meant that I had to rise through the ranks which allowed me to acquire enough technical skills. In order to understand what the employees are doing, I have to possess similar or better skills as my subordinates. My conceptual skills enable me to view the business as a whole. Instead of just focusing on one department or section and concentrating on it, I am able to impact all areas of the facility. My ambition has enabled me to be goal oriented. I am able to focus on one particular objective and work with my team towards it.

The Demings managerial method is the most suitable for recreation and Parks management because of it emphasizes on quality (Wren, 1994). From personal experience, I believe cooperation is the best way to get the best out of people and in order to encourage creativity among my subordinates. By encouraging cooperation, its easier to gauge the commitment among my subordinates. I achieve this by first creating a vision that everybody can work towards. Then follow it up by creating the environment which will give the recreational facility an identity. The last step is giving our customers the quality service they deserve.

References

Wren, D. A., & Bedeian, A. G. (1994). The evolution of management thought.