Work with Next Generation to create an online store for staff to order branded apparel, accessories, etc. Departments currently do this individually, and some departments not at all. A district wide approach and opportunity to everyone would be beneficial. Not mandatory or "uniforms" but an opportunity for staff to purchase Oswegoland logo-ed apparel.

As I am beginning to program and enter Summer 2021 classes into Active, I was thinking it might be nice to have an all supervisor "clean up" of anything we no longer need. There's a ton of instructors in the drop down list and I know some no longer teach here anymore, or there's a lot of GL's to choose from when entering fees that can probably be taken out. Maybe we do a check in/clean up every 6 months or once a year. That way, everyone is actively going in and checking for things they no longer need. 

There are many reasons to be proud working for a park district. Let’s face it, life would be joyless without recreation. When we talk about what we do, what do we mention before recreation? We use the word “parks”. I feel the importance of parks in our lives could never be understated. We preserve land and nature in all its beauty while preventing something as trivial as a gas station or condominiums built in its place.

With that said, I feel a park district should lead the way in the green initiative, and save our trees! “Climate change” was one of the top concerns going into the 2020 election as it should be, and I feel we should do everything we can to fight climate change. Unfortunately, I believe we are excessively reliant on paper and printing in our district. With technology the way it is, I believe there is little need for a printer in 2020. Ask yourself this question, “when is the last time your received a paper bill or invoice for anything”? I know I never do. They are emailed to me, or I check them on a monthly basis on a vendor’s website.

Eliminating our need for printers and printing could never happen overnight. I propose we form a committee that can slowly investigate common uses of our printers, and find ways to convert those uses to digital. I know it is possible; we just need to work to find a way to replace our paper needs.

By slowly eliminating our reliance on printers, we save money on equipment, electricity, ink, and paper while helping our environment. I say that’s a cause each and every one of us can get behind!

Have Management Team develop mission statements and goals for each leadership team program before teams are selected. List the mission and goals on the Leadership Team selection invites so we can have clear understanding of the expectations from the start. 

I was listening to a podcast the other day that featured Chris Voss, an American businessman, author, and professor. Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator, the CEO of The Black Swan Group Ltd, and co-author of the book, Never Split the Difference.

It was really interesting to hear him talk about the art of negotiating. Especially, when he discussed The Power of No.

https://blog.blackswanltd.com/the-edge/3-ways-to-make-no-work-for-you

I invite you to do a quick Google search on Chris Voss and see all the insightful articles that are out there on improving your negotiating skills. No matter what our job is, we are always selling...something.

Could a temporary light be added under the vestibule at Boulder Point.  It is quite dark at 5am in the morning when a CSR arrives to open the building for fitness classes and is equally as dark at night when patrons and staff are leaving.   Maybe it could be solar or use rechargeable batteries.   

For our internal email you can add your picture to your profile. This would be nice for those staff you never see to put a name to a face. 

I recently saw a post on the Women in Parks & Rec Facebook page about a "feature Friday" or a getting to know our staff post on facebook for the public. I thought we could do something similar so the public can know who we are and exactly what we do. This would also be a great idea for our staff bites newsletter as well. Sometimes part time staff doesn't know a lot of the admin staff and this can be a good way to feature certain people or departments. 

I was just showing Kristen that you can check your "on hold" messages by clicking the mimecast button in your email. Afterwards her and I agreed that it would be cool if IT sent an email each month with different tips and tricks with our phones, computers, email, etc. :) 

Many Supervisors use Google Drive/Documents to share information with their staff. I'd love for one of these supervisors to present a quick "how-to" for those interested. It would also be nice for us to share how we are currently using Google Drive and brainstorm ways we can eliminate some of our paper forms with the use of Google docs.

Hire a brand ambassador to attend large scale programs, events, and community nights. This person would be tasked with marketing the current programs and services offered by the Oswegoland Park District in an in-person interaction.

This person could ideally attend:

Internal

• Youth Sports on Saturday
• Aquatics (select dates)
• Dance Recitals
• Gymnastics
• Events
• Etc.

External

• SD308 Elementary School Fun Fairs
• PantherFest / Silver/Blue Fest
• Community Nights at Local Schools
• Fundraiser nights at local restaurants

I know Chad sent something out in the past, but I thought I'd make a quick post about Amazon Smile. 

When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice

We all make plenty of personal and work purchases on Amazon and we should should definitely be more aware of the small kickback we can get. 

Since marketing and IT have switched over to ticket requests, why don't we switch operations from emails as well? We could  track what buildings/areas are needing help more often and there could be options for how quickly you need it done. Operations could also put questions that would help them know exactly what needs to be done/what equipment needs to be brought. 

Install public bike repair stations along bike trails to allow for a more bicycle friendly community.

Feeling unproductive? Need to move around? Join us in the gym on select days during your lunch break and flip around!