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ARENAS | |
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Generation Next By Darius Dunn I do not claim to be a “Trekkie,” but there is one line in the famed Star Trek television series Captain Picard would say that I always liked: “Number One, you have the com.” I would be reminded of this line whenever I sat next to the general manager of a NHL or NBA facility during an IAAM conference or meeting watching his or her home team play. Holding back the inevitable question of “What are YOU doing here?” I would simply just chat up the game. The truth of the matter is I was always very impressed about the statement that GM was making indirectly by his/her attendance. Lesson: when in charge, surround yourself with good, capable people. With regard to the development of the next generation of facility managers, here are a few questions I would like for you to ponder. Is it true that the cream always rises to the top? Are leaders born or are they made? Is leadership more a function of character or opportunity? You will have to pardon me with these rhetorical questions, I have just returned from my second year of Cornell’s Senior Executive Symposium. Now I am starting to feel like the Carrie Bradshaw character in the TV sitcom Sex and the City, so let me just move on. As I reflect on my own career, three central themes come to the forefront when I consider the impact of my, what I term “facility fathers:” opportunity, exposure and experience. These themes played important roles in my development and should be attributes young event coordinators and middle managers look for in a director when selecting organizations for employment. In 1989 Ronald A. Bond, then stadium manager of Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium, believed wholeheartedly in opportunity when he opened the door to the world of venue management and professional sports to an undergraduate Temple University student. Opportunity often represents the first step in the development of young talent, so I ask, how many of your facilities offer internships for students interested in the business? Richard H. Fritz, director of Lehigh University’s Stabler Arena, took exposure to heart when he enrolled an event coordinator as a member of IAAM and began sharing his 25 years of industry knowledge and contacts with me at my first annual conference in Minneapolis. Kudos to those managers that continue even in these tough economic times to expose their key staff members to the wide variety of professional development endeavors sponsored by the IAAM Foundation. Lionel J. Dubay, director of the Stephen C. O’Connell Center at the University of Florida, allowed yours truly to “take the com” and steer the “ship,” gaining invaluable experience as he culminated the last two years of his IAAM presidential commitment. It is said that only the most courageous leaders prepare their subordinates to take their place. I am a daily witness to what this kind of passion can produce as I observe the development of our facility’s student workers over the course of two to three years. These examples are not atypical; they are duplicated many times over across the country, giving birth to lifelong professional and personal relationships. I believe the secret of this industry is evident in the number of mentor relationships nationwide. Year after year as I walk the trade show floors, read industry articles and attend specialty meetings, I get a good sense of the special bonds our association fosters between its seasoned veterans and ready replacements. Great are those teachers that have an eye for talent, identifying and encouraging those who show promise in a given class or field. So too are the managers, companies and venues that consistently commit to the professional development of the next generation of facility directors. Young managers need to appreciate and take full advantage of venues that commit to the Public Assembly Facility Management School at Oglebay, Cornell’s Senior Executive Symposium (funded in part by Global Spectrum), and the newly established Leadership Institute. District meetings and specialty conferences all offer grand opportunities to network, learn and grow – all by-products of opportunity, exposure and experience. You need to be aware of and express interest in these learning opportunities. If your venue is financially challenged, trade cost- saving ideas for a ticket to any one of the functions listed above; it will be well worth the effort. If you find yourself a part of an environment that stimulates, cultivates and encourages growth, feel fortunate. If you have yet to attend Oglebay, set the goal, plan ahead and lobby assertively for consideration. Remind your supervisor about the opportunities, exposure and experience that will result from your attendance. And if all else fails, tell your director you may write about him or her someday. Darius Dunn is associate director of the Stephen C. O’Connell Center at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
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2003
International Association of Assembly Managers |