By Robert Fries, CAPP

One of Virginia Beach’s core parking goals is continuous training and ongoing education. We believe shared knowledge is one of the necessary traits to establish a high performing organizational culture that values people and the talent they bring every day. As part of Virginia Beach’s commitment to these values, we decided to conduct leadership training among the management team.

The training was provided by the mpr group, headed up by The Parking Professional columnist Julius Rhodes, and focused on coaching leadership.

The coaching leadership training was very dynamic and engaging. Our team learned key roles in developing effective leadership styles and contributing to the culture of the organization. We as parking professionals spend a lot of effort making our respective parking programs transparent and accountable to the public we serve. However, taking the time to develop talent within the frontline staff and creating a strong culture of employee support often takes a back seat to responding to the crisis of the day. The coaching leadership training helped us understand that it is mission critical to make a sincere effort to develop staff and provide every opportunity to allow them to be successful.

The effect of the leadership training was immediate. At the next staff meeting, the management team began building goals for the upcoming year; these included initiatives on workforce development, employee wellness, team building exercises, and efforts to boost employee morale. It is refreshing to see their goals focusing on the human element and to boldly proclaim that we are more than just people who do a job.

To find out about Parking Association of the Virginias (PAV)’s and other state and regional parking association training events that can drive your team’s success, click here.

Robert Fries, CAPP, is parking manager with the City of Virginia Beach.