Strengths and Weaknesses

The department I work with is small. There is only three of us (Ryan, Alicia, and myself) so I feel like there isn't much weakness in our department because the three of us communicate so well and get along.

 Ryan and Alicia are in charge of other employees too. We have a decent sized coaching staff on hand that help run the programs and classes that are put on in our facility. I believe that our biggest strength in our department is the pyramid of authority that we have. There is definite structure, and everyone has someone to look up to in a time of need.

 The coaching staff does the bulk of the grunt work. We coach, teach, handle the equipment and make sure everything is tidy after a session. If something goes wrong or we need assistance we look to Ryan, who handles both facility and office duties. He creates the work schedule and makes sure that everything is covered. If something goes wrong during a class, he would be the one to call. If Ryan needs help with creating a class, ordering new equipment, or scheduling with a large event, he would go to Alicia. Alicia is in charge of everything under the sun on Tempe Town Lake and when she needs help, she usually asks for everyone's input (coaching staff & Ryan) and ideas before she asks her boss. There is a strong line of open communication, and I think that makes our department strong. Everyone is happy working there because they know that if there is an issue they can tell someone about it and be heard - not over looked.

If I were to be in charge of my own department I would try very hard to carry that line of communication over with me. I feel like having an effective line of communication leads to employees feeling safe, understood, and heard. Being a good leader or boss is making sure you give each employee a division of your time so that they feel important. Alicia and Ryan do that, and I would like to do that too. We're not so much coworkers as we are friends. We go to each others parties, celebrate birthdays, hang out and get drinks together- we're all very familiar with one another and it makes the working environment easy, relaxed and friendly.

If I had to start doing something new if I was in charge of a department, I might try to have just a little bit larger of a coaching staff. Maybe hire on people for the specific purpose of having them to do our not-so-consistent programs and one-day classes. I feel like sometimes small one-day classes are planned and then forgotten about until the last moment because they're so small and out of the ordinary that staff is left to the last minute and usually falls on me or one of the other key staff members...It's never anything hard, and only usually takes two hours to do, but the spontaneous act of having to work kind of throws off a day.