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 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 Kardys is NRPA’s Chair of the Board of Directors.