Park Leaders Show

Phil Gaines returns to discuss what it means to be "ranger first".

During the past 25 years, the role of a park ranger has changed dramatically. While much of this has centered on energy conservation and public education, one of the most significant swings in function has involved law enforcement. According to Gaines, the expectations of park rangers have evolved in part by increased connection to enforcement officials. Unfortunately, this has resulted in overstepped boundaries in certain situations.

As Gaines goes on to explain, whether partnering with law enforcement or cleaning a bathroom, thinking 'ranger first' can simplify tough situations by keeping public service at the core of the action.

Phil Gaines returns to recap the 2019 National Association of State Park Directors Conference.

Having attended with Jody, Phil takes inventory of several topics ranging from networking and frontline employees to law enforcement and debate etiquette. As he goes on to explain, there are many ways to absorb insight in large scale gatherings; however, by pursuing relationships and knowledge together, one can better link current trends to future progress.

Phil Gaines returns to discuss the challenge of national parks staying relevant.

While there are many ways for parks to remain meaningful, according to Gaines, embracing technology to make connections with the next generation is paramount. If parks want to stay relevant, they must convince young people to not only care about their resources, but invest leisure time. To do this, parks must employ quality customer service and technological innovation to create memorable recreation moments.

Even if new technology proves disruptive, if parks can customize its involvement through their services, the stage will be set for visitors to see the return value.

In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, Phil Gaines returns to discuss some of the environmental challenges national parks are facing.

While climate change is a significant factor, for most park rangers and directors, the greatest impacts occur at the local level. For instance, there's not much a park ranger can do to affect the weather apart from conservation efforts; however, a park ranger can take measures to monitor beach replenishment, safety of endangered species, and visitor use patterns.

According to Gaines, while local level matters can be complex, by leading through the small things, park officials can better expand their influence. After all, leadership isn't so much about the big things; it's about recognizing the little things over time that become the big things.

Phil Gaines returns to break down the role of a leader.

While the challenges of leadership are many, arguably none are more taxing than motivation. From offering direction to removing obstacles, when leading by example, a leader must often be the example before he can model it; however, this pursuit can't drive results by itself. If a leader wants to tie guidance to goals, then he must value and facilitate team community.

As Gaines explains, the key to team community, as well as leadership at large, is servanthood. To be a quality leader, one must not only apply humility into upward mobility, but also prioritize team effort over individual performance. By targeting these strengths, a leader can be empowered to make difficult decisions and persevere under pressure.

Phil Gaines returns to the show to talk about the role of influence in leadership.

As leaders, it's important to be mindful of voice and presence. In a day and age when what you say is magnified through technology and social media, knowing the impacts of reputation is key. For instance, if people naturally flock to you for vision and direction, chances are you're building a healthy reputation among those you serve. Contrarily, if what you say lacks consistency and/or morale, your voice will suffer and hinder your influence.

In this edition of the Park Leaders Show, Topher Downham. Outreach Coordinator at City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, discusses his background and work with parks.

After a college swimming pool accident left him paralyzed, Downham notes how navigating trails in a wheelchair inspired him to pursue a career in parks. Forced to learn trails as a quadriplegic, Downham now uses his outdoor expertise to lead hand cycle ride nature hikes for people with disabilities.

With decades of experience consulting parks to better their disability accessibility, Downham recently channeled his knowledge into a trail guidebook, The Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Accessible Trails and Sites. The guide, specifically aimed for the disabled, takes the reader on a tour through 30 trails in Boulder with pointers for handling hard spots and accommodations. The handbook also includes special features ranging from how to find the best shady spots to helping those with memory loss re-engage with nature.

Phil Gaines returns to discuss how leaders can stay connected to their frontline customers and employees.

When it comes to a successful enterprise, no question, this can't happen without frontline employees. By dealing directly with customers, frontline workers not only have high drive and insight but represent a company's values through their service. However, before a leader can develop a frontline staff, he must first be willing to model these values to frontline customers.

As Gaines notes, for park directors, this means being intentional with respect to availability, managing volume, and empowering people. For instance, if a ranger wants to inspire his customers on a park visit, the best thing to do is view the experience through their perspective and gauge feedback directly. Once this type of connection is established, the ranger can then analyze the feedback as a manager and apply the appropriate changes if necessary. Ultimately, if a leader wants to be more effective, it starts with knowing, interacting, and empowering your frontline customers.

In this edition of the Park Leaders Show, Phil Gaines returns to discuss the importance of staying relevant on the job.

For many employers, relevant can seem like a relative term. What's relevant for one job description isn't necessarily relevant for another; however, when we consider the value in staying relevant, we find the attitude involved is necessary to relating to broader audiences, employees, and clients.

According to Gaines, staying relevant means we engage cultural changes and trends into our learning pursuits. With many functions shared among multiple generations, it's essential today's managers and leaders distinguish timeless versus temporary within their references. By using current tools to analyze and communicate information, supervisors will ultimately be able to better relate to their workforce.

In this edition of the Park Leaders Show, JP Boneyard, Creative Director of The Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series and producer of the National Poster Retrospecticus, discusses how he got into curating, hosting events, and what the screen printing process is like.

Stirred by national history and preservation, Boneyard started the Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series, in part, to tour his collection of over 400 hand-printed posters across the globe. A master of handcrafted posters, Boneyard's aim is to draw attention to the beauty of national parks and hopes future generations will continue to find new ways to capture scenic glory.