15 Ways You Can Help Your Staff Achieve
Volume 4 Issue 4 (2001)
Thomas Weller, M.Ed., AFOI, CPSI

Achieve – to carry out successfully; to be successful in something; to bring about an intended result.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. This old saying still rings true in today’s aquatic environment, especially for staff development. In a time where staff shortages and shrinking budgets are commonplace, aquatic leaders need to do more with less. Increased regulations and more stringent standards of care necessitate that aquatic leaders ensure that their staff members know their duties. Aquatic leaders should develop methods that effectively train their lifeguards to do their best.

As an Instructor of the NRPA’s Aquatic Facility Operators (AFO) course, I have had the unique opportunity of discussing with aquatic professionals throughout the country the “tricks of the trade.” Each and every one of those classes has been a learning experience for me. One of the most enlightening aspects of these courses has been sharing techniques aquatic leaders use to prepare their lifeguards for the rigors of their duties. Over the years, I have compiled the very best of these techniques. This article highlights a few of those techniques. They are listed in no particular order.

1. Mentorship. More than any other method discussed in this article, mentorship is the technique that aquatic professionals mentioned and praised the most. A mentoring program pairs experienced staff members with new staff members. Reasons cited for its success in preparing staff to do their jobs include building confidence, reassuring to new staff, and team building.

2. Staff Manuals. A well-written, concise staff manual that outlines the role staff plays in the operation of the aquatic facility is critical to staff development. Not only is it necessary to have a staff manual, but also ensuring staff is familiar with its contents is important as well. Every employee should have his or her own copy of the manual. Review the manual as a group and testing, prior to the season, on the manual’s content are frequently used methods to ensure staff has knowledge of and understands their role.

3. Establish Routines. Knowing their job expectations and when it should be accomplished allow staff to properly maintain the aquatic facility.

4. Give Responsibilities. Allow experienced staff members the opportunity to take on tasks without direct supervision. This will give them a sense of confidence and pride in the job that they do.

5. Display Accomplishments. The old adage “commend in public and admonish in private” still holds true. Recognize achievements, whether it is in a lifeguard competition, a satisfactory facility evaluation, or any positive achievement. If a lifeguard has excelled, acknowledge his or her success.

6. Discuss Current Events. Regular staff meetings to discuss the state of affairs are vital for staff to be aware of what is going on and to remain focused on the staff’s goals.

7. Lead by Example. Whenever possible, leaders should train right along side their staff. If you expect staff to do the dirty tasks (i.e., clean bathrooms) you should occasionally participant in those tasks as well. This demonstrates to the staff the importance of the training or task and shows them that no one is too important to not participate in even the least desirable of tasks.

8. Get to Know Your Staff. Take time throughout the season to talk with each and every staff member. Some organizations may be too large for the lead person to do this, but someone in upper management should take the time to talk with each and every staff member. Chatting with staff on a one-on-one basis gives them an opportunity to discuss topics that they may be reluctant to approach you about. This also shows that they are an integral part of the team.

9. Get to Know the Parents. Most aquatic leaders have a strong opinion one way or another on this issue. For many of your staff members, this is their first job. Proponents of including parents say that it goes a long way to reassuring parents that their child is working in a good organization that cares about their employees. Welcoming parents to view preseason orientations, tryouts, and trainings lets parents know that they can trust the organization to lookout for their child. Those who disagree with this method essentially say that they are hiring the individual and not their parents and it is time for the child to “cut the apron string.”

10. Learn by Doing. All trainings whether they are preseason or inservice should allow all staff members the opportunity to take an active role in the activity. Seeing and hearing are good, but the best way to learn is to actually participate.

11. Play Games that Reinforce Lifesaving Skills. Make training fun, and staff members will be more inclined to commit to the activity.

12. Teach Them About the Lifesaving Culture. Sharing with staff members the history, traditions, and customs of the organization and of lifesaving can provide staff members with a greater understanding of their significant role.

13. Teach Them How to Make Decisions. What is the thought process that goes into making a decision that might have life and death implications? Role-playing and practicing scenarios can help staff make the right choices.

14. Know Their Strength and Weaknesses. Aquatic leaders must know what their staff members strengths and weaknesses are so they can develop their staff to be the very best they can be.

15. Provide Structure. This one goes along with others methods all ready stated. For your staff to succeed they need to know the who, what, where, when, and how of their jobs. Provide them with the information necessary to accomplish their tasks. In addition, staff members need to know what is and is not appropriate behavior while working.

Clearly there are other methods that will help your staff members achieve in their roles as aquatic professionals. The ones stated in this article are just a few that aquatic professional throughout the country have offered as effective means of developing their lifeguards.

The real credit for this article goes to the hard working aquatic professionals who are constantly challenging themselves and their staffs to excel. If you recognized one of the techniques above, thank you for sharing.

We all grow as professionals through an exchange of ideas. If you have any effective staff development techniques, and you would like to share, send them to the TPPC newsletter at info@tppc.org.