Tag Archives: management

Saying Yes–More Than You Usually Would

October 6, 2020 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

By Gary Means, CAPP

OK, I know in the parking and transportation business we often have to say “no”. No parking at a fire hydrant! No motorcycles in the gated garage! No walking around in the bus when its in motion! No dance parties on the garage roof!

Many of our rules are for our customers’ safety, but we have to admit there are some rules that are still in place because we’ve always done it that way or it’s too much administrative work to do it differently. Some questionable rules might be “no reserved parking,” or “no sharing of permits.” We have an ordinance in Lexington, Ky., that says we can write a citation on a vehicle parked with its keys left in the ignition. Honestly, we ignore that one.

My point is that maybe there are some rules or policies that don’t make sense today or are one-sided, and by that I mean rules that are good for our organization but maybe not so good for the customer.

About a year ago, the Lexington Parking Authority was asked if a Lamborghini car club could park their vehicles in one of our garages for a few days. Lot’s of reasons for a “No!” popped into my head, the least of which was: Do I really want to have more than $7 million worth of Lamborghinis parking in our garage? What if some concrete falls? What if one of them gets keyed? After conversing with my team, we decided to allow this group to park with us–they definitely had the money to pay for the additional reserved rate and hire their own security. We went on to coordinate a wash station for them in the back of the garage and helped find safe places for those arriving by transport to unload safely, and it was a pretty cool experience. Most importantly one of our downtown hotels gained a piece of business that brought in over $20,000 in three days.

The group had a great time in Lexington and I’m sure some of them or their friends will return to our friendly town someday and spend more money.

During this time of uncertainty and change, hopefully this little story might get you thinking about ways your organization might change to create opportunities in your community. BONUS: If you are really into sports cars or just like bright colors, click here to see some of the pics we took while they stayed with us.

Gary Means, CAPP, is executive director of the Lexington & Fayette County, Ky., Parking Authority and chair-elect of IPMI’s Board of Directors.

IPMI Blog, Resources

A New Kind of Crisis Management

October 1, 2020 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

By Casey Jones, CAPP

Rahm Emanuel famously said, “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” In spite of the tragedy and difficulty we currently face during this once-in-a-century health crisis, my optimistic nature sees hope (and not political cynicism) in what Emanuel was getting at, and I see it play out in organizations within our industry.

In weekly state and regional association virtual meetings, countless stories are told of how changes are being made to improve safety, reduce costs, and adjust policies and procedures to accommodate new customer needs in spite of–and to a large extent because of–the current health crisis. We have moved past any initial paralysis brought on by COVID-19 restrictions and we’re trying new things and succeeding. I was on a state association call recently and the discussion turned to a strategy one university was using to accommodate their permit holders. Previously the school had only offered annual permits but has expanded to shorter-term permits to allow more flexibility.

There are other examples as well, from moving to touchless and online payment systems to flexible permitting and renewal options, all of which consultants like me have been suggesting for years. So what’s different? COVID-19, of course. But understanding that changes are possible because of the pandemic won’t be enough to sustain them beyond the COVID-induced “pilot” phase. Many of the changes we’re making now we’ll want to keep in place in the future when we return to normalcy, and we should use this time to fully grasp why we’re able to make difficult but necessary changes to our programs. We need to dissect each decision to determine exactly what specific factors resulted in approval. Knowing this will help us sustain the positive improvements we’re making now and provide a roadmap for future program improvements.

Casey Jones, CAPP, is senior parking and mobility planner with DESMAN.

IPMI Blog, Resources

Leading with Authentic Concern

September 30, 2020 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

By Brian Wolff

Leading in good times is challenging enough, and with all that has happened this year, the degree of difficulty has escalated by a factor of at least two. Today’s leader must be able to connect with their people on a different level to be effective.

As a leader, my teammates want to know I am leveling with them all the time. It doesn’t really matter if this is their first job or if they’ve been on the job for 20 years–people respond better when you speak the truth, even if that truth is bad news.

We call that being authentic or operating with authentic concern, which simply means demonstrating that you value the other person enough to provide positive and negative feedback with empathy, without patronizing them with false praise or treating them as a tool to get a job done.

There are many facets to authentic concern, but it starts with doing what you said you were going to do. A phrase I borrow from my old boss is “thought, word, deed.” In the end, leaders must do all they can to create an environment where people feel safe to express their true feelings, knowing the recipient will listen and consider another perspective. We don’t always have to agree, but we do owe our colleagues a commitment to being open to ideas and their point of view.

Of course, authentic concern can’t just be a cute phrase on the wall; it must deliver business value. In fact, my experience is that when leaders operate with authentic concern, their people follow the lead and deliver authentic concern to their customers. Customers feel that authenticity and return the favor with their dollars and loyalty, creating a virtuous cycle of fulfilled employees and repeat customers.

Brian Wolff is president and CEO of Parker Technology. He will present on this topic during IPMI’s 2020 Leadership Summit, online, Oct. 6-8. For details and to register, click here.

IPMI Blog, Resources

Hold On–Let Me Overthink This

September 25, 2020 Kim Fernandez Leave a comment

By Rita Pagan

Feeling like every decision you make lately is questionable? I feel especially doubtful of my decision-making abilities when it comes to the health and education of my children during this pandemic. And just like my mug, I’m OK with just being “okayest” right now to help with my overall sanity.

The pandemic that is upon us has also forced businesses and leaders to make some very tough decisions. Across the industry, leaders are deciding whether to lay off or furlough workers or initiate pay cuts, all while continuing to deliver projects and programs on time and within budget with limited resources. But how do you know if you’ve made the right decision? How much thought should you give to crisis-time decision making?

Ask questions and gather information. Facts are important. And it will feel reassuring to ask them ALL.
Remain flexible. I think we’ve seen just how quickly things can escalate. You need to be flexible and agile.
Know that you are not alone! Not to be cheesy but we’re all in this together. Make sure you are connected to your professional community and lean on them when needed.

While decision-making has become harder because of the pandemic, it has helped leaders with new ways of thinking and new solutions. Crises put not only your ability to make decisions to the test, but also your ability to adapt.

Rita Pagan is IPMI’s events and exhibits manager.

IPMI Blog, Resources

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

June 26, 2020 Rachel Yoka Leave a comment

By Michelle W. Jones, CAE, CMP

For that matter, any uncomfortable conversation can be hard. Whether you are ending a relationship, asking an aging parent about end-of-life decisions, or inquiring about the possibility of a pay raise, many conversations we have in business or in daily life are stressful. It is natural to want to avoid them.

Mel Robbins is a renowned motivational and keynote speaker, talk show host, creator of The 5 Second Rule, and a best-selling author. (And I have met her!) She says that 67 percent of managers are uncomfortable talking to the people they manage.

Robbins says the most important thing to do is to separate emotion from the matter that needs to be discussed. There are four techniques she uses to stay focused on what she needs to talk about:

Acknowledge responsibility. Acknowledging your responsibility in the matter diffuses the other person’s emotion. It actually honors them and puts them more at ease, and more able to listen.
Define outcome. The conversation you’ve been avoiding might become a rollercoaster of emotion. Knowing your intended outcome will stabilize your thoughts.
Listen and validate. Hear where the other person is coming from and validate their feelings. Rather than argue, acknowledge their perspective and they will be less defensive.
Restate the outcome. Keep coming back to the outcome you want to cause.

She adds that as a bonus, you can rehearse with an uninvolved friend.

I once worked for a CEO who said, “Bad news does not get better with age.” So even when it feels uncomfortable, sometimes it’s better to just rip the Band-Aid off, and have that difficult conversation.

Michelle W. Jones, CAE, CMP, is IPMI’s director of meetings and membership.

Parksmart Advisor Training – October 22, 2020

Parksmart Advisor Training – October 20, 2020

Parksmart Advisor Training – October 15, 2020

Communication in a Virtual Training World

June 16, 2020 Rachel Yoka Leave a comment

By Kim E. Jackson, CAPP

I have the distinct honor of being a trainer for IPMI. I have been training for the past 23 years and one of the major highlights has always been the face-to-face interactions with trainees. During COVID-19, I decided to participate in Frontline Training Live Class Series in addition to teaching a session during the IPMI Virtual Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo. What an incredible experience! I was challenged in ways I did not think possible and realize this experience will make me a better manager.

In the world of Zoom and virtual meeting space, the interactive feedback I was used to during in-person trainings was often a black square, sometimes an initial and last name, making it impossible to see trainees’ reactions to the information I was sharing. Now there were those brave souls who turned their cameras on; they have no idea how helpful that was to this trainer.

Then there are the chat functions—a great feature when you have a co-facilitator, but very nerve wracking when training or teaching solo. It is nearly impossible to keep up with the flood of messages being shared to your questions or comments from others in attendance.

So you may be asking: How can this help me become a better manager? I have learned to be patient with the silence. I have learned eye contact, something I highly value, is not always necessary for comprehension or understanding. It is OK to take a risk and trust your own skills and abilities to communicate in any situation!

Kim E. Jackson, CAPP, is director of parking and transportation at Princeton University and an IPMI trainer.

IPMI Blog, Resources, Safety & Security, Transportation & Mobility

Sharing Our COVID-19 Knowledge

June 11, 2020 Rachel Yoka Leave a comment

By Nicole Chinea, CAPP

I recently went out to dinner post-COVID. I have to admit, it was a bit scary. Despite what is going on in our world at the moment, I am grateful to say that this is the first time I have felt fear from going to dinner with friends.

The area we ate was busy and outdoors. When we arrived, we were unable to find a parking space. Different day, same problems. Parking was free in this area. As we circled looking for a parking space, I felt like a fish looking at the world from a bowl.

I took mental notes of each step I made. Door handles. Elevator buttons. People. Yes, we had to take an elevator to get to the restaurant. Four months ago I wouldn’t have thought twice about this and would have probably only observed if the elevator was clean, air conditioned, etc.

While my evening was wonderful, it brought to light so many things that never really mattered before. My mind immediately started listing solutions that we now will use in parking and could have made my experience different: A lot attendant to point out the shortest and safest route to the restaurant. Signage to encourage visitors to use the stairs versus the elevator. Hand sanitizer in the elevator lobby.

Parking professionals are great at sharing solutions and ideas among our network. However, our knowledge can be helpful if extended further given our new normal.

Nicole Chinea, CAPP, is senior project manager with WGI.