Tag Archives: management

IPMI Webinar: Considering an Alternative to Adaptive Reuse

Leave a comment
  • IPMI Member Rate: $35 per webinar, live or on-demand.
  • IPMI Member Bundle: $99 for five live webinars in 2020 (August through December 2020). 
  • IPMI members always buy three and receive the fourth free!
  • Contact professionaldevelopment@parking-mobility.org to purchase.
  • Non Member Rate: $85 per webinar.

Description:

This presentation will explore how we need to be adaptive in our mindset on how we manage and implement parking in our downtowns and on our campuses, looking at exterior factors like growth, changing transportation demographics, and evolving policies to support better densification and evolution of our downtowns. The presentation will focus on a concept called the surface parking exit strategy, that attempts to right-size parking and help communities grow with changing needs.

Presenters:

Brett Wood, P.E. CAPP has over 15 years of experience as a parking and mobility consultant, working throughout North America to help his clients find creative and implementable solutions. Brett’s passions include right-sized parking, data-driven solutions, and helping to shape a future for the industry that adapts well to the rapidly occurring disruptions around it. Brett serves as co-chair of the IPMI Research and Innovation Task Force, focusing on industry-leading projects around curb management, mobility, benchmarking, and more.

 

 

IPMI Blog, Resources

Working the Holidays

Leave a comment

Woman working by Christmas decorationsBy Jennifer Carroll, CAPP

How do you spend your holidays–the same way your team does?

The  holidays are usually very busy or very slow for many of us. In my part of the parking world, most locations are 24/7/365. Sure, we inform all perspective employees that we are open holidays, but when it comes right down to it, working on holidays is not that fun even if you are lucky enough to get paid time and a half.

It could be a big morale booster if they saw “the boss” working on those holidays, too. I am not saying go work a double on Christmas, but maybe do a quick drive-by to cover a lunch break on Christmas Eve, maybe have a team lunch delivered on a holiday, or even cover a shift on Thanksgiving. There were a few big holidays I spent directing traffic, collecting money, or driving shuttle buses in rainy weather in the muddy overflow lot when all other lots were full.

I assure you that all of these will make an impact on your team members, probably more than you can imagine, and it could cost nothing but a bit of your time. I know I would love it if my boss did it. How about you?

Jennifer Carroll, CAPP, is regional director with REEF Parking.

IPMI Blog, Resources

Are Systems More Important than Goals?

Leave a comment

checklist of habitsBy Matt Penney

I was recently reading James Clears’ Atomic Habits. It’s a follow-up book to one of my favorite reads, The Power of Habit, which declares that 40 percent of your decisions are not deliberately chosen but instead are habits. If almost half of all actions are not contemplated, what does that mean for our own personal growth and for the trajectory of our parking operation?

The paradigm-breaking concept in Atomic Habits is that systems are more important than goals. In a world so saturated in goal setting and goal achievement, this concept sounds almost naïve. Of particular interest was the book’s highlighting the negative aspects of the pursuit of goals:

  • The quick frustration with lack of progress or a missed goal (like New Year’s resolutions).
  • The fixation on measurable metrics that can’t incorporate a bigger more complex picture (as seen in public education mandated testing).
  • Cutting corners to achieve the goal but at an overall detriment to an organization (remember Enron).
  • The potential listlessness after a goal has been missed or even achieved (think gaining weight back after a period of weight loss).

It’s not so much that Clear advocates systems without goals, but more an emphasis on a system of habits rather than the goal. He suggests that if two or three habits are established/refined, the overall desired outcome could be achieved with success greater than set in a goal.

Baylor Parking Services followed this habit-first emphasis with surprising success. Baylor clears a little more than 2,200 parking spaces for football game day use. We wanted to physically tow as few cars as possible but didn’t set a goal to define a successful outcome. Instead, our department focused on communicating with each vehicle owner. This involved a system (habits) of emails and phone calls (two systemic steps). The end results have been far better than expected with only a handful of vehicles towed before game days. On one occasion, we did not have to tow a single vehicle.

In this scenario, it appears Clear may be on to something. If habits really do make up 40 percent of our actions each day, this has a significant effect on us personally and on our organizations. Are our customers really choosing where/how they park? Or are they following an automatic/unthinking pathway created in their brain? What about our employees and the way they act/react?

Atomic Habits outlined basic rules for molding habits. If Clear is right, these habit/system strategies may be more productive than goal setting.

Matt Penney is director of parking and transportation services at Baylor University.

IPMI Blog, Resources

Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Leave a comment

Supervisor coaching employeesBy Jennifer I. Tougas, CAPP, PhD

In emergency management circles, it’s called a “hot wash.” In the Army, it’s called “lessons learned.” In manufacturing, it’s called “continuous improvement.” What is it? It’s a process for reflecting on a process or event; capturing the good, the bad and the ugly; and taking corrective action to improve the process and avoid similar mistakes in the future.

Creating a culture of continuous improvement is critical to the success of an organization.  If we merely maintain the status quo, we fall behind because the world is constantly changing around us. Assumptions that worked one year may fail the next. Personnel changes mean knowledge and skill levels of our team change. If we are not vigilant, we fall behind as well. Without effective corrective action, operations are destined to repeat the same mistake again and again. Service to customers falls short of expectations and leads to frustrations at best, or loss of customers at worst.

As a leader, it’s important to build trust within your team so you can have honest discussions to identify problems and determine root causes. Sometimes, these can be uncomfortable conversations, particularly if someone made a mistake. There’s a balance between discipline, accountability, and coaching that allows lessons to be learned from those mistakes –and those lessons keep the organization moving forward. Forward progress is needed to make improvements.

How does your organization deal with problems? Do you find ways to reflect upon lessons learned and make changes to improve “next time?” To avoid repeating costly mistakes, develop a culture of continuous improvement within your team!

Jennifer I. Tougas, CAPP, PhD., is director of parking and transportation services at Western Kentucky University.

 

IPMI Blog, Resources

Correction and Encouragement

Leave a comment

manager working with employeeBy Tiffany R. Smith

How do you reprimand a good employee? As leaders, we know good employees do bad things. The conundrum comes in how you correct bad behavior while still encouraging good.

We all make mistakes but some cause more detriment than others. And when this occurs, what do you do? One thing is for sure: We don’t do anyone any favors by sweeping the mistake under the rug under the pretense of, “well, everyone makes mistakes.” We must address the mistakes our “good” and “bad” employees make. We have to address these errors through coaching.

I believe the first time a mistake or accident occurs, it should be followed with a verbal coaching session. Take the opportunity to sit with the employee, address the concern, discuss how things should have occurred, and talk about corrective action. The hope is that they understand and avoid repeating the same mistake. That said, it is very possible that the same mistake or a similar one may reoccur. At this point, I recommend a written counseling/coaching session–same steps as before, but now with written documentation of the shortcoming. If it occurs again, progressive discipline is warranted.

It is important for leaders to help our followers by addressing their shortcomings and giving them realistic, reachable goals to improve upon going forward.

Tiffany R. Smith is director of PARC with the Parking Authority of River City, Ky.

Parksmart Advisor Training – October 13, 2020

Leave a comment

Parksmart Advisors lead clients through the certification process for sustainable parking structures. The Parksmart program is now offered under by the USGBC/GBCI alongside the suite of LEED and other sustainability rating systems. IPMI is the USGBC Education Partner providing the education required to earn this valuable certificate.

This is a four-day course. The class will take place on each of the four specified days from 11:00 a.m. EST until 12:30 p.m. EST:

  • October 13
  • October 15
  • October 20
  • October 22

You must attend all four sessions and pass the end of course assessment to become a Parksmart Advisor. All Parksmart Advisors are listed on USGBC’s website. Due to the online interactive nature of this course, this course is limited to 14 attendees.

Cost:

  • Member rate: $275
  • Non-member rate: $495
  • Bulk rate discount of 20% available for organizations that enroll seven or more individuals.  Please contact professionaldevelopment@parking-mobility.org to enroll your organization.

Learning Objectives:

  • Illustrate and detail the specific management, programmatic, technological, and structural elements of certification
  • Evaluate a parking facility, including the tools, process, and procedures for submitting facilities for certification
  • Evaluate case examples against the Standard and determine acceptability or changes.
  • Illustrate acceptable versus non-acceptable evidence for certification application.
  • Review the Parksmart scorecard.

Course Materials:

All participants are required to purchase the Parksmart Standard in addition to the cost of the course.  To purchase the Standard, click here – https://www.usgbc.org/resources/parksmart-certification-standard

Course Credits: 9 CAPP Points/9 GBCI Credits

register

 

 

For more information, contact professionaldevelopment@parking-mobility.org.

IPMI Blog, Resources

I Like Fun

Leave a comment

By Helen Sullivan, APR, Fellow PRSA

I recently got proposals from a few suppliers for a communications project. In the email the company representative sent me with the proposal was this line: “You will get the best results, the best client service, and have the most fun with us.” Well, I wasn’t  looking for fun, but that certainly stopped me in my tracks. I like fun. I like working with suppliers that 

are fun to work with (and talented and cost-effective, of course). I really appreciated this touch of unexpected humanity. Ultimately, and for many reasons, this is the firm I will choose to work with–now they better deliver on the fun part!

Seriously, it is a reminder of how important it is to be human–and perhaps, not always so serious.  What a good reminder to sprinkle some extra fun into our work product, our work relationships, and our work life. Here’s some inspiration on making your workplace fun from the UK-based HR company,  CIPHR. There’s a not very fun but fascinating treatise on fun in the workplace in the March 2019 issue 

of Human Resource Management Review. A key point  is this: “A theme that has been 

echoed through the qualitative investigations is that fun in the workplace may not always be fun and 

that whether fun in the workplace is ‘fun’ is context dependent. We contend that fun in the workplace  is largely in the eye of the beholder.” True, that!

I think the takeaway is that orchestrated fun can be ineffective (possibly torturous for personnel with social phobias or those who prefer quiet) and can  reduce work time, which can detract from fun and add to stress. I also think that companies must be 

careful about scheduling “fun” activities that are conducted outside of regular business hours. That, too,

 can be a burden to employees.

Okay, stop reading. As Urban Dictionary defines fun: “Clearly 

something that you aren’t having if you’re searching it on here.” Pretty funny, right?

Helen Sullivan, APR, Fellow PRSA, is IPMI’s communications counsel.

IPMI Blog, Resources

Five Times Your Leadership is Guaranteed to Fail

Leave a comment

By Jay Manno

Done right, leadership is difficult. It brings great rewards but at great risk. You have to put yourself on the line—so when you do, you want the best possible odds of success.

In some situations, though, failure is all but guaranteed. Here are five of the most common. Get to know them so you can steer far clear.

  1. When there is no trust. Leadership is about credibility and reliability; to be an effective leader, your followers must have trust in you. That’s why it’s critical to always take responsibility for your actions. Make sure your people feel guided and supported in their work and show they can trust your leadership.
  2. When there is no character. Leaders build excellence—helping their team become all they can. To reach that level of excellence requires leadership that is grounded in character. Excellence starts with leaders of strong character who model doing what is right, not what is easy.
  3. When there is no communication. No one ever became a great leader without first becoming a great communicator. Successful leaders connect with people on an emotional level every time they speak. Their words build relationships, teach, and inspire others. Great communication also means listening well and treating your team with candor and honesty.
  4. When there is no respect. You can’t lead anyone who doesn’t respect you and it’s hard to lead those you don’t also respect. Respect must be first given before its earned. That means thinking about every small thing you do as a leader and how it is perceived. Leaders who know how to give the utmost respect will receive respect in the form of loyalty and performance.
  5. When there is no ability. To be successful requires tactical and technical proficiency. In any organization it is the leader’s capabilities and performance that set the tone for the team’s engagement. Leadership is empty without an understanding of the work at hand, and the best leaders work constantly to improve their expertise.

How is your own leadership looking? Are you doing what it takes to propel it forward?

Lead from within: Decide what kind of leader you going to be—the kind who is content to think of themselves as the best, or the one of the few greats whose leadership achieves the highest levels.

Jay Manno is vice president, new market development, with Southland Printing.

 

IPMI Blog, Resources

Sticking Points

Leave a comment

By Mike Weiler

Recently my team read “Sticking Points,” by Haydn Shaw because we noticed our workforce contained members from all four generations:

  • Born before 1945 – Traditionalists.
  • Born 1946-1964 – Baby Boomers.
  • Born 1965-1980 – Gen Xers.
  • Born 1981-2001 – Millennials.

The book helped our team understand the 12 different sticking points that can pull the generations apart or together:

  1. Communication – What is the best way to interact with my coworkers?
  2. Decision making – How do we decide what to do?
  3. Dress code – How casually can I dress?
  4. Feedback – How often and in what ways do I want input?
  5. Fun at work – How much fun at work is allowed?
  6. Knowledge transfer – How do we pass on critical knowledge to new employees?
  7. Loyalty – When is it okay to move on?
  8. Meetings – What should happen in our meetings?
  9. Policies – Are policies rules or guidelines?
  10. Respect – How do I get others to respect me?
  11. Training – How do I learn best?
  12. Work ethic – How many hours are required, and when must I work them?

Many people try to think of ways to solve the challenges of these sticking points. The key discussed in the book is not to look at them as problems that need to be solved, but as areas of strength to be leveraged for the benefit of the team. We can only truly lead people when we stop trying to change who they are and start to appreciate them for who they are, and we can’t do that until we understand them.

Sticking Points does a great job giving the reader background on the events that created each generation. Even though 1945 wasn’t that long ago, learning the history of the events of the time and how they shaped the work environment is eye-opening for readers of all generations.  Remember, we are reading to understand each other and to do that, we need to understand the events that surrounded our upbringing–the book calls these “ghost stories.” Here is an example of the ghost stories that shaped the Traditionalists:

  1. The Great Depression–The Great Depression made the Traditionalists more economically conservative, and that conservatism spread to other areas of their life.
  2. World War II–Traditionalist learned  to sacrifice their individuality for a cause and learned to listen to authority and take orders.
  3. Moving from the farm to the city–The farm life gave the Traditionalists the strongest work ethic of any of the generations; if they didn’t do the work, the job didn’t get done.
  4. Mass marketing and confidence in experts–The golden age of radio (1920-1940) was also the start of mass marketing. Thanks to the elements mentioned above, the Traditionalists connected and trusted the guidance of experts.  They didn’t question doctors or lawyers, and many still don’t today.

It is important that each generation understands the other generations’ ghost stories and how they shaped that generation. At that moment, the generations can see how they connect to each other and start to leverage each other’s strengths.

Of course, there is still tons that can be written in this article about this topic, but I would encourage you to purchase this book and have your team read it with you.  It is a really great experience if you are able to get a few different generations in one room and discuss the ghost stories and learn how to come together.  Each generation brings value to the team, and the quicker your organization is able to capitalize on it, the better for you, your team, and the organization.

Check out Sticking Points and start getting unstuck.

Mike Weiler is director of sales for Rydin.

IPMI Blog, Resources

Correction vs. Encouragement

Leave a comment

By Jay Manno

Correction does much, but encouragement does more. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Everyone has their own unique personality and style. Without education, correction, and leadership from others, we would all be disasters. While these things are imperative, I’ve found that I correct my ways out of humility and respect toward others and my advisors.

I know we can all relate: At some point in our careers, we have worked around people who are surrounded by negativity and are unable to be uplifting. Let’s not get into the debate about generations being too soft, how we were raised, how kids should be punished, or whether managers should be tough. From my own experience, I know an encouraging note, email, call, or conversation inspires me to do better every single time. A note of pure correction won’t have the same effect.

Have two conversations with your team. First, correct them sternly after a mistake and walk away. The second time, encourage them to improve from their mistakes and tell them they have all the skills and abilities to be successful. I’m curious which one will produce better results–in my experience, it’s the latter. Let’s lift each other up. Be inspiring to those who need inspiration and accept inspiration from those who offer, but always lift each other up.

Jay Manno is vice president, new market development, with Southland Printing.