Becky Talks Parks: Parks & Recreation Podcast For Passionate Professionals

Marissa sat down with Corrine Daut, Recreation Coordinator at Raymore Parks and Recreation to discuss the challenges and advantages of hiring entry level staff...and sometimes their parents too.    This episode came about when Marissa was reading through a thread on the Women in Parks and Recreation Facebook page. The discussion was about interviewing and hiring seasonal staff after their parents had involved themselves in the application process. Even as younger professionals ourselves, we can sometimes have biases against other generations and what comes with them when they apply as our support staff. Not all interactions with parents of our staff has to be negative. It can be to the benefit of the staff member as well as the district for parents to get involved in the hiring process.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

It's in our DNA to want more influence. Especially as Parks & Recreation professionals, we want our voice to be heard.  We want our share our ideas, relay insights from our patrons, and be respected as a leader in our agencies.   Too often, we wait for a promotion or status to decide that we have *enough* power to influence.  But as Chris Dropinski points out in this week's episode, real power is something that is earned, not given. "Effective influencing is a skill and a very valuable one; power is not a skill, it is a result."   This means that TODAY we each have an opportunity to influence others.  In fact, we influence all the time.  Everything we do can cause a chain reaction - just imagine the impact you've already made. Knowing that you already have influence, the key now is to use it for good.  This week's episode is an in-depth conversation around how to influence without alienating others. Enjoy!   Meet Chris Dropinski: Her current role as co-owner and Sen

When you work in local government, you are bound to run into complaints and less-than-positive feedback. That's just part of the territory as a Parks and Recreation professional. But if you're someone who truly cares, It can be hard not to personalize their comments. In this episode, I go over 6 tips around how to overcome public complaints so that you can use them as motivation and learning experiences. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

In this episode, Marissa and Becky discuss how we have found success in moving ideas forward in the field of Parks and Rec.  We talk about the barriers of red tape, the surprising pros and cons of it, and how to move past it.  We hope this episode is useful if you've been wanting to make progress on an idea or program, but haven't made traction.  Sometimes just changing your mindset can give you new energy and perspectives to keep going.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

It seems I've been getting more questions about being a consultant in the field, so in this episode I talk about why you might consider moving into a consultant role.  As a project consultant for GreenPlay LLC for the last five years, I feel very fortunate to work for a company that provides a great and supportive workplace culture. Although every role is different, I wanted to share my own personal experience so you can see if it might be a good fit for you.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

Today I want to talk about something that I think is really important, but I couldn't really find anyone talking about this at all. Its the idea that sometimes it's ok to be disengaged at work. As a supervisor, you never want your employees to disengage. But if you are a high achiever, intentionally disengaging can be a good thing. It can prevent you from burning out. It can prevent you from making irrational decisions.It can prevent you from resenting your job.  Engagement has to do with how motivated you are at work. Apparently only 13% of employees are engaged.  When you are engaged, you are excited to come to work. You are full of ideas, of energy, of enthusiasm. You are moving your organization forward. You are making valuable contributions. You are aware of the big picture, and you are motivated every day to help get your organization to a better place.   That means 87% of employees are disengaged. Many of our listeners are highly engaged employees. After all, they are listening to a podc

In this episode, Marissa and Becky talk about fresh ideas for recruiting seasonal employees.  Check out all of the ideas that we talked about on our blog: https://letstalkparks.com/fresh-ideas-to-recruit-seasonal-employees/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

How many times over the last year have you gotten an urgent phone call or email that needed your attention right away?  Probably way more than you ever imagined.  We hope that as work relaxes into summer (or at least as things get a little more predictable), you have the chance to move out of the urgency that has been 2020.  Instead, in this episode, we talk about what it would look like to focus on what’s important rather than urgent. Although *urgent* and *important* sound very similar, they reflect the difference between being reactive and being proactive.  Living in a constant state of reactivity causes more stress and can prevent you from reaching your important career and organizational goals.  Instead, by being proactive, you get to be more in control of your days. We hope that this episode is a reset for those of you (AND US) that have been in a reactive mode the last year or so. Personally, I’m looking forward to returning to a state of clarity, where I can prioritize plannin

In this episode, Katie Garrett and Becky sit down to talk about the important of mindfulness in Parks & Recreation. If you've been struggling with burnout, overwhelm, or exhaustion then this episode is for you!  So often, professionals that are deemed "essential" become overworked when budgets, timelines, or resources get tight.  Parks and Recreation Professionals have been asked to step up in new ways - many of them more demanding than ever.  How do you keep your cool and stay calm when everything constantly seems urgent?  How do you practice mindfulness on a daily basis when everything around you seems demanding and too difficult to manage?  In this episode, I sit down with Katie Garrett, CPRP, from McHenry County Conservation District to talk about how we can practice mindfulness in our day-to-day work.  We could all use this reminder, so I hope you'll take a few minutes to listen to this episode when you get a chance! If you’re new here, welcome, and if you’re a long-time listener, welcome back!  Let’

Women in Leisure Services (WILS) was started in 1935 as Chi Kappa Rho, a sorority for women in the field of parks and recreation by Helen I. Pontius.  She believed that women engaged professionally in the various fields of recreation could come together to promote unity of purpose, high standards of achievement, and a better understanding and appreciation of related endeavors for the attainment of professional goals. Such a group could also provide an opportunity to foster friendship and sociability, stimulate mutual helpfulness and loyalty, and provide professional services. In this episode; Marissa sits down with three distinguished WILS members: Sonya Young-Jimenez from The City of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation, Ashley Wysocki from the City of Huntington Beach, and Dorothy Meyer who is a lifetime WILS member.  This episode is a  reminder of how far women have come in the field of recreation over the last 86 years. These powerful female leaders give us the history of the organization and why it was so im

This week I am bringing back one of my FAVORITE episodes ever on the podcast.  This is an episode that EVERY professional in the field should listen to, especially before summer.  Whether you are a supervisor or an emerging professional, all I can say is that you will benefit from the wisdom that Angela Summers shares on this one. During this episode we talk about: How do you set high expectations for your staff while treating them as humans first? What do you say to young professionals who are trying to work their way up the career ladder and running against challenges? What do you say to managers who say the customer is always right? You guys, I ACTUALLY got chills when I re-listened to this story. Read Angela's article for more: Customer Complaints Aren't Always What They Seem. - Becky PS - Have you checked out our weekly newsletter?  Don't miss an episode! https://www.letstalkparks.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

What happens when you don't get the promotion you've been planning and hoping for? With anything that happens that doesn't go as planned, you may find it difficult to see the lessons learned. Sometimes in retrospect you may realize that you've been striving for the new role, new title, new responsibilities... but what you are ACTUALLY missing is enjoying where you are RIGHT now. RIGHT here. Today you have the power to choose to use your current situation, title, and role to help others and yourself in a positive way. You don't have to be at the top to lead, and you also don't have to be the leader *all* of the time to have a rewarding, meaningful career. It's a beautiful balance to learn when to push forward towards your goals and when to lean into having more fun and enjoyment in your day to day. Thanks for listening and enjoy this episode from Marissa Moravec as she talks about recent lessons learned in this week's episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

True story, this podcast episode was created for my younger self.  I was constantly told as a young professional that I needed to be more assertive - but without any clear direction.  It was a struggle to find the balance as a new supervisor to be both assertive, kind, and tactful.  To be honest, I'm definitely still learning the art of assertiveness. Sometimes, I'm sure I come across as "too much" or "too aggressive" or "too passionate" while other times I'm "too quiet" or my facial expressions say it all

There are many misconceptions about therapeutic recreation and the individuals that these recreation professionals serve. Chelsea Crockford, CTRS from Connect Through Leisure sits down with Marissa to discuss barriers that individuals with disabilities face in public as well as when the seek to participate in recreation activities. We hope that our listeners walk away with a different view of barriers and how to better advocate for individuals with disabilities to break down those barriers.  To join our newsletter, subscribe at letstalkparks.com To connect with Chelsea, check out these resources: https://www.facebook.com/connectthroughleisure/ @connectthroughleisure (IG) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

Raise your hand if you've ever completed a facility or park inspection, noticed a safety hazard, or budgeted for improvements in your facility. If you're in the field of parks and recreation; likely you've been involved in the maintenance of your parks or facilities in one way or another. Marissa sits down with Jeff Reinhard, retired Director of Parks and Planning from the Gurnee Park District to talk about the importance of maintaining our spaces. Learn about how far our maintenance departments have come over the last 40 years and the technology they use to maintain our spaces. Get to know about what our parks crews work on during different seasons. Explore how you can become more involved in parks and planning at your agency, despite your current role. To join our newsletter, subscribe at letstalkparks.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

In this episode, Becky jumps on the mic to talk about how we can learn to go to use an experimenter's mindset to take us through our career journey.  We have to be willing to take risks and come out the other side better - not focusing so much on RESULTS, but rather RELATIONSHIPS we can build along the way.  By having fun and thinking about each new idea/program/event as an experiment, we can better ourselves, our coworkers, and our communities without taking everything so personally.  To join our newsletter, join us at letstalkparks.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

We've been getting a lot of questions about finding work right now.  The job landscape looks so different, and the typical ways of volunteering and shadowing may not be available like they used to be.  While many of the tried-and-true advice around cover letters and interviews still stand, we feel that it's even more competitive than it's ever been... meaning it's time to step up your game, show up, and follow up!  Be sure to tune into this week's podcast episode to hear more on this topic, and sign up for our newsletter at https://letstalkparks.com.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

In this episode, Dr. Tiffany Johnson, Deputy Director for the Prince William County Department, sits down with Anthony Iracki to talk to us about the leadership qualities that are important in today’s organizations, and what we need to be aware of in the future with the rise of technology and innovation. She talks to us about her advice for her past self - and what she would tell other professionals who are in a role that they would like to advance from.  Join our weekly newsletter here: www.letstalkparks.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

Jason Ellisalde is BACK to talk about workplace culture with Marissa Moravec. In this episode, Jason explains the key difference between compliance and commitment based organizations. He also dives in how you can make your workplace a fulfilling place to live and work no matter your title. Join our weekly newsletter for more content like this.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message

You're the type of Parks and Recreation Professional who truly cares.  You're always going above and beyond, signing up for extra committees, volunteering to take an idea to the finish line. But what happens when too much gets put on your plate, and you end up underperforming?  What happens when you lose motivation to do the very thing you feel like you were born to do?  In this week's episode, Becky jumps on the mic to talk through this very subject with you. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at www.letstalkparks.com.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-parks/message