Part of the Eppley Institute’s Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands Leadership series. Eppley’s online leadership courses for parks, recreation, and public lands managers are found on proValens Learning.
One of the benefits of working at Eppley is that we work with agencies across the nation and at all levels of public land management. We get a chance to collaborate and help inform how agencies and communities lead the way in parks, outdoor recreation, accessibility, and public lands management. While often our staff gets the chance to influence and recommend policies, practices, and actions, sometimes we cannot as leadership opportunities are not acted on or changes are not implemented. It is a unique position that we hold, and one that has filled our notes with case studies and best practice ideas.
One interesting observation Eppley consistently makes is that agencies focusing on strategic learning and staff development are better positioned to adapt to change, innovate, and build better parks, systems, and offer outstanding experiences. How is that possible?
“Team or agency learning is,” according to Steve Wolter, Eppley’s Director, “one of, if not the most powerful strategic tools for agency leaders.” While comprehensive system master planning, data informed decision making, facility analyses, and budget planning are park, recreation, and public land management focused change tools, team, or agency learning (which refers to the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and insights collectively within a team or agency, and translating that into action) is an often ignored and undervalued leadership tool. Sometimes called a learning ecosystem, system learning, or strategic learning plans, the approach that best enables leaders to foster a culture of continuous learning and drive organizational success is deliberate and design focused. In today’s rapidly changing and complex government environment where being able to anticipate changing conditions, and continually adapt and innovate is critical for success having a system learning approach is a valuable tool.
Peter Senge focused on what he called a Learning Organization, which is adaption of complex system thinking to creating organizations that are “adaptive, flexible, self-renewing, resilient, learning, and intelligent – all of which are features found only in living systems.” This quote from another expert in designing organizations that are more resilient and agile, Meg Wheatley, aligns with and promotes the idea that building a leadership system focused on people in the organization rather than over managing and bureaucratic systems is one of a leader’s primary commitments. Wheatley’s’ view is that most people are struggling to do good, meaningful work, but often cannot as they deal with anxiety, and working harder with limited success. Focusing on some team approach to learning and being agile is one approach to making people successful.
What does a learning organization look like and how does a leader commit to creating a process or program where there is adaptive, flexible, resilient, and effective organization delivery of services? Wolter suggests that an overall organization commitment to effective team learning, personal mastery, building a shared vision, and challenging the current approach to agency staff qualifications is needed. This may be in the form of a strategic learning platform or focused learning strategy designed for the agency where all the employees are expected to show common competencies based on intentional designed learning experiences tailored specifically to the agency. “It’s not an easy, prescribed and common thing for agency leaders to think strategically about learning and the people in the agency” says Wolter. “Often when we work with an agency, we find out of date position descriptions, values misaligned, reliance on conference or other training that does not fit the agency’s needs, and onboarding practices that are ineffective. Taking a deliberate, careful, and intentional look at what the agency needs and wants to be, must involve a review of the desired behaviors, abilities, skills, and knowledge of employees, and how the current employee aligns with this desired set of competencies. Organization leaders often assume that the necessary alignment exists. Yet, the most important asset of the park, recreation, and public lands management organization, its people, may not be prepared for the challenge of the future.”
Eppley is announcing a broader leadership development program for park, recreation, and public land managers later this Fall. The program, still in design, uses personal growth, sound understanding of leadership concepts and principles, application of leadership knowledge, mentorship, and opportunities to lead as its approach. It promotes the parallel paths of leadership development and personal growth facilitating a convergence over the training program. Look for the program announcement in upcoming Eppley newsletters.