THE FACILITATORS’ SEMINAR“

I saw myself in the mirror and wasn’t happy with the image; however, it wasn’t ‘til after I stopped trying to change the reflection that I started changing the person.”(NPS facilitator)

In September 1995 approximately 40 employees(5) convened a workshop at Albright Training Center, stepped back from that mirror, and began the leadership seminar journey. There were NPS instructors and support staff, NPS facilitators from parks, WASO, and SSOs, and one park policeman. They were assisted by a number of non-NPS trainers and consultants.

These dedicated, committed, talented, and energetic employees focused on assisting the agency in a time of change and found themselves grappling with difficult issues and uncertain circumstances as well as their own individual concerns. For some, that included testing basic values. Feelings of excitement, anticipation, and cooperation were often replaced with frustration, concern, anxiety, and, in some cases, anger. Facilitators’ reactions at the workshop were, in some cases, similar to those of the seminar participants. Some of the facilitators found the workshop onerous and unsettling, but there was also personal and professional growth. Experiential learning achieved tangible and intangible results, which was exactly what was hoped for.

On September 14, after a week and a half devoted to planning and program and facilitator development, 40-hour pilot seminars began at Flagstaff, Zion, Lake Mead, Glen Canyon, and Grand Canyon. The reviews were mixed. Participants reported a range of beliefs, from maintaining that the seminar was successful and included discussions of important and relevant concepts, to frustration and irritation about wasting employees’ valuable time. Each pilot seminar provided a singular and valuable experience as well as feedback that the facilitators used to affect personal and program changes. Each subsequent seminar was unique in some way.

Ultimately, seven teams of four facilitators were formed and assigned to field area coordinators(6) who were in charge of logistics, supplies and materials, coordination of the Benchmarks™ 360° feedback, and other duties.

The Benchmarks™Developmental Reference Points

There was an early decision to incorporate a 360° feedback mechanism into the leadership seminars. The Benchmarks™Developmental Reference Points method, produced by the Center for Creative Leadership, Inc., was selected. Through a cooperative agreement, the Graduate School, USDA (a nongovernmental institution), procured the materials, received the individual survey forms, prepared a feedback report for each seminar participant, and prepared special aggregate profile reports for the National Park Service. Anonymity of those completing the surveys and those profiled was guaranteed; no NPS employee other than the person rating and the person being rated saw individual reports or forms. The Graduate School handled all of the NPS feedback reports and provided service and support throughout the seminar program. Sixty percent of each individual’s $500 seminar tuition was expended on the Benchmarks™.

In January 1996 a two-day workshop was conducted at Mather Training Center by representatives from the Center for Creative Leadership and the Graduate School, USDA. At least one member from each team was taught feedback consulting techniques so that assistance could be provided with interpretation of individual reports. Feedback from seminar participants throughout the two-year program indicated that the reports and one-on-one consulting sessions with facilitators were extremely valuable.

New Facilitators

From the outset facilitators dropped out of the program because of appointments to new positions or other unforeseen events. The supply of trained alternate or substitute facilitators was soon exhausted. In April 1996 the facilitation teams were authorized to recruit from among the participants in previous seminars for apprentice facilitators.

In October 1996 a three-day workshop was convened at the FEMA Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The purpose was to bring as many original facilitators as possible back together to meet with the new facilitators recruited by teams and with others selected through a subsequent training announcement.6 It was also recognized that there should be more park police involved, both as participants and as facilitators. The workshop was attended by 24 of the original facilitators and 16 new facilitators, nine of whom were park police officers.

The facilitation teams were restructured to balance team numbers, incorporate new facilitators, and ensure adequate geographical coverage for scheduled seminars. The renewed energy of the teams became evident in the seminar evaluations as the approval ratings for the seminars continued to rise during the second year of the program.