Tom O'Rourke discusses the importance of establishing a positive organizational culture within community recreation and park agencies. He emphasizes that effective culture change requires understanding the organization's mission, values, and community needs while actively engaging stakeholders. Additionally, O'Rourke encourages leveraging branding and public relations to effectively communicate and promote the agency's culture and offerings.

1. TOM
O’ROURKE
PRESENTS
Changing
the
World
One
Community
at
a
Time
WWW.TOMOROURKE.COM
TOMOROURKEMAIL@GMAIL.COM
Virginia Recreation and Park Society
November, 2015
Tom
O’Rourke,
CPRCP

2. Changing
the
World?
Do
you
really
think
this
is
our
job?

3. One
Community
at
a
Time…
YOUR
Community!

4. Relevance

5. Culture

6. Culture
• What
you
believe
• How
you
act
• What
is
important
• How
your
community
sees
all
of
this

7. Every Organization has a
CULTURE…
is yours the one that you want?

8. VRPS?
Your Agency?

9. Company with Best Culture?
Glassdoor
2
Google
4.4
5
Facebook
4.3
6
Southwest
4.3
7
Chick
fil
a
4.2
15
Apple
4.1
16
Nike
4.1
18
Disney
4.0
25
Net
App
3.9

10. "Team
mee]ngs
on
the
roof
are
the
best,
great
teamwork
and
a
lot
of
smart
people.
I
love
how
the
10
core
values
drive
the
company
to
always
be
be_er."
–
Twi_er
Soaware
Engineer
(San
Francisco,
CA)
#1
Company
with
the
Best
Culture
The
companies
that
fared
the
best
in
this
evalua]on
are
those
with
a
clear
mission
statement
and
stated
values
that
are
congruent
internally
and
externally.
4.4

11. Success can breed Failure.
So can complacency!

12. Success can bread Failure
• Xerox
• Blockbuster
• Kodak
Companies that never paid attention to
“Culture.”

13. Maybe this is your
KODAK or XEROX,
or BLOCKBUSTER

14. Can
a
series
of
images
define
your
agency?

25. What
do
your
images
say?

26. Family
–
Daddy-­‐Daughter
–
Love!
Fishing?
or…

27. …Embracing
Ethnic
Differences
–
For
Real!
Swimming?
or…

28. …connec]ons?
Dog
Park?
or…

29. …promo]on
of
Good
Health
and
Wellness
Triathlon
–
5K
Race?
Or…

30. • Team
• Commitment
• Sportsmanship
• Respect
for
all
• Anger
Control
• Confidence
• Tolerance
• Hard
Work
• Physical
Fitness
…and
so
much
more
Youth
Football?
or…

31. …fearless!
Playground?
or…

32. …crea]ng
memories
Dance
–
Special
Event?
or…

33. • Friends
• Rela]onships
• Smiles
Kayaking?
or…

34. Courage
-­‐
Teambuilding
Challenge
Course
Class?
or…

35. Cross
Cultural
Diversity
La]n
American
Fes]val
?
or…

36. Know
WHO
your
are
!
Know
what
you
stand
For!
Then
SELL
it!

37. Changing an organizational culture in
a Recreation Environment will be the
toughest task you’ve ever faced. It
takes time, and there is no finish
line.
Tom O’Rourke
CHANGE

38. If you want to change your culture…
STEP ONE
You must win the hearts and minds
of the people you work with.
This is step 2,3,4, and 5 too!

39. Culture Change
1. The people that you want to
change or establish your culture
have to know WHY?
4 Things are needed
to change Culture.

40. Culture Change
2. The people that you want to
change your culture will need to
be motivated to do it?

41. Culture Change
3. You will probably need to
shift your Resources.

42. Calculate what the Citizens get for their
tax dollars.
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
Passive
Parks
Youth
Programs
Adult
Programs
Youth
Athletics
Adult
Athletics
Senior
Programs
Special
Events
Arts
Programs
Aquatic
Programs
Camps
Breakdown of the $1,000,000 Budget
This chart will tell you what is important to your agency

43. Calculate the fees you collect
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
Passive
Parks
Youth
Programs
Adult
Programs
Youth
Athletics
Adult
Athletics
Senior
Programs
Special
Events Arts
Programs Aquatic
Programs
Camps
Front Row = Budgeted Amount
Back Row = Fees Collected

44. Analyze The Data
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
Passive
Parks
Youth
Programs
Adult
Programs
Youth
Athletics
Adult
Athletics
Senior
Programs
Special
Events Arts
Programs Aquatic
Programs
Camps
Front Row = Budgeted Amount - $1,000,000
Back Row = Fees Collected - $ 246,300
What is the foundation of your department?
Are any programs
making money?

45. Culture Change
4. You are going to need to
establish, real, Institutional
Buy-In

46. What Institutions need to buy in?
• The Public
• The Elected/Appointed body
• The Staff
• You

47. WHO
are
you!
• Determine
Who
you
are.
Mission
Vision
Values

48.
Vision
Mission
Values
Objec]ves
Audience
Posi]oning
Personality
Who are you, what are
you about, and what do
you stand for?

49.
Vision
The
Big
Idea!

50.
Mission
Actual
Work
undertaken

51. Values
Beliefs
of
the
Organiza]on

52. Community
Enrichment
Enriching
lives
through
educa]on
and
programs
Fun
Delivering
fun
to
customers
Leadership
Providing
professional
staff
development
ExcepFonal
Customer
Service
Always
focusing
on
you
Quality
Striving
for
quality
throughout
the
park
system
Safety
Ensuring
safe
and
secure
environments
•
Health
and
Wellness
Providing
and
promo]ng
healthy
lifestyle
opportuni]es
Accessibility
Providing
accessibility
through
affordable
op]ons
and
a
variety
of
offerings
Diversity
Fostering
diverse
popula]ons
of
vendors,
employees,
and
customers
Stewardship
Preserving
and
conserving
cultural,
natural,
and
historical
resources
Building
a
Legacy
Maintaining
a
vision
for
the
future
while
sustaining
a
healthy
park

53. Objec0ves
A
specific
result

54.
Starts
with
Planning
Your
objec]ves
will
come
from
your
PLANS
• Land
Use
Management
Plan
• Cultural
Resource
Management
Plan
• Parks
Recrea]on
and
Open
Space
Master
Plan
• Marke]ng
Plan
• Capital
Budget
• Opera]onal
Budget

55. Audience
Who
are
we
targe]ng

56. Audiences
Individuals
and
groups
that
the
organizaFon
needs
to
target
EVERYONE
!
• Tax
paying
ci]zens
–
All,
seriously
-­‐
ALL
• Neighboring
Jurisdic]ons
• Vaca]oners
and
Visitors

57. Posi0oning
How
are
we
different
from
others?

58. Posi]oning
Idea’s
that
differen]ates
the
organiza]on
in
the
minds
of
others
• Youth
Athle]cs
can
look
EXACTLY
the
same
but
be
very
different.
• Cultural
Historic
programming
can
unite
a
community.
• What
is
good
for
a
community.

59. Personality
What
should
people
experience
when
they
interact
with
us
and
our
programs?

60. Personality
A_ributes
that
reflect
the
way
others
experience
the
organiza]on
• Community
oriented
• Serving
the
underserved
• Encourages
health
and
wellness
• Ac]vely
engaged
in
the
outdoors

61. Public
Rela]ons
and
Branding

62. Public
Rela]ons?
„ Managing
the
communication
between
an
organization
and
its
public.
(Control)
„ Strategic
initiatives
to
ensure
the
Agency
has
a
positive
image.
„ Creating
and
maintaining
goodwill
for
your
Agency
by
organizing
various
forms
of
communication
and
publicity.
Usually
FREE!
„ SELLING
YOUR
CULTURE!

63. What
Public
Rela]ons
is
not
„ Marketing
–
product,
place,
price,
promotion
„ Sponsorship
„ Advertising
–
sale
of
products
using
paid
media
messages

64. PR Goals and Objectives
• Raise image and awareness
• Influence product, market and recreation
agency positioning
• Position your agency staff as industry
experts
• Pursue articles/placements to create
customers and advocates

65. PR Vehicles
• Press releases.
• Editor briefings
• Tradeshows
• Case histories
• Speaking engagements
• Authored articles
• Social Media

66. What is a brand?
• The personality that identifies a product,
service or company (name, term, sign,
symbol, or design, or combination of them)
and how it relates to key constituencies:
customers, staff, partners, investors etc.

67. Branding
• A brand associated with a product or
service has certain qualities or
characteristics that make it special or
unique.
• A brand is therefore one of the most
valuable elements in an advertising theme,
as it demonstrates what the brand owner is
able to offer in the marketplace

68. The Targeted CCPRC Brand Image
• Committed to enhancing the quality of life for the
community
• Ensures customer satisfaction is at the top of priorities
• Provides great gathering places for family, friends, pets
and acquaintances
• Offers high quality and a wide range of passive and
active recreational, educational and leisurely activities
and programs throughout the year

69. CCPRC Brand Image, Cont.
• Honors and preserves our natural and historical
resources in the Lowcountry
• Maintains clean, safe and well managed county
parks, beach parks, piers, boat landings and rental
facilities
• Secures successful partnerships with government
and private sectors to enhance and expand the park
system offering
• Serves as a model for other park systems to
emulate

70. Promoting the Brand
• Consistent quality offerings
• Consistent high service level
• Consistent message
• Consistent look and feel
• Consistent approach to promoting
CONSISTANT

71. Advertising Strategy
• Adver]se
across
wide
range
of
mediums
– Increase
• Internet
(social
media,
web
ads,
blogs)
• Events
(trade
shows,
exhibits)
• Partnerships/Sponsorships
• Permanent
facili]es
(Billboards,
malls,
kiosks)
• Public
Rela]ons
• Promo]onal
Items
– Decrease
• Print
(Newspaper,
magazine,
brochures,
coupons)
• T.V.
(regular)
• Radio
(AM/FM)

72. Your Look
• Offer a consistent look that is distinct,
recognizable and familiar to others
• Embody and promote your image
• Repeated use of look in print, radio,
television, email, and Internet strengthens our
brand
• Creates efficiencies and maximizes marketing
resources

73. The Message
• “Everything Under the Sun”
– Encompasses all that we do in the broadest
way
– Allows us to sustain the message over long
periods of time as the park system grows
– Complements the logo

75. Sponsored by:
No outside food, beverages, or coolers permi ed.
Presented by:
HARVEST
FESTIVAL
2014
ROGERBELLOWANDTHE
DRIFTINGTROUBADOURS
FLATTCITY
BLUEPLANTATION
YEEHAWJUNCTION
BLUESTONERAMBLERS
LIVEBLUEGRASSBY:
BACKBY
POPULARDEMAND!
BBQCOOKOFF!
BBQ
COOK-OFF!
BACKBYPOPULARDEMAND: SUNDAY.NOVEMBER1.NOON-6pm
$8/ADULTS.FREE/KIDS12&UNDER,GOLDPASSMEMBERS
MulletHallEquestrianCenter,JohnsIslandCountyPark
charlestoncountyparks.com | 843.795.4386
Everythingunderthesun.
Sponsored by:
DOGDAY
AFTERNOON
2014
SUNDAY.SEPTEMBER7.NOON-5pm
$10/DOG. $8/CCR(CharlestonCountyResidentDiscount)
Whirlin’ WatersAdventureWaterpark,NorthCharletson
charlestoncountyparks.com | 843.795.4386
Celebratethedogdaysof
summerwith
MAN’SBESTFRIEND!
Advance purchase is recommended.
All tickets will be $10 per dog on site if available.
Concessions will be available for purchase on site.
Dogs must have all current vaccinations to be allowed entry.
No outside food, beverages, or coolers permi ed.
Everythingunderthesun.
Sponsored by:
PET ARE NOT PERMITTED
No outside food, beverages, or coolers permi ed.
Presented by:
SHELLYWATERS
“SWAMPPOPPRINCESS”
UNKNOWNTONGUES
SIDEWALKZYDECO
LIVE
ZYDECOMUSICBY:
LOWCOUNTRY
CAJUN
FESTIVAL
2014
Everythingunderthesun.
SUNDAY.APRIL6.NOON-6pm
$10/ADULTS.FREE/KIDS12&UNDER,GOLDPASSMEMBERS
JamesIslandCountyPark
charlestoncountyparks.com | 843.795.4386

79. Social
Media

80. News
Feed
Algorithm
Facebook
Result:
more
difficult
for
marketers
to
have
their
content
seen
• Facebook
priori]zes
content
from
the
people
that
users
engage
with
the
most.
• On
any
given
day,
when
a
Facebook
user
visits
the
news
feed,
there
are
an
average
1,500
possible
stories
it
can
show,
depending
on
how
frequent
a
liker
you
are.

81. • Fans
are
customers
looking
for
deals,
news,
and
community.
• Use
Insights
to
find
out
who
your
audience
is
and
what
they
want
to
see.

84. h_ps://analy]cs.twi_er.com/user/YourUserName/tweets

85. “80% of the content you publish or share should
pertain to things that really matter to your audience.
The other 20% can be about your products and
services.”
80-20 rule of social media
Why?
• No
one
wants
to
hear
a
sales
pitch
from
you
every
day.
• We’re
condi]oned
to
ignore
a
lot
of
blatant
sales
content.

86. A
picture
is
worth
a
thousand
words

91. Let the Public See the people
behind the agency and your
Agencies “Culture”

94. Say Thank You

95. • Be
flirty

96. Summary
• Evaluate
your
exis]ng
culture
–
Then
change
it.
•
Know
who
you
are
and
why
you
exist.
•
Once
you’ve
established
your
culture,
Sell
it!

97. TOM
O’ROURKE
PRESENTS
The
End
TOMOROURKEMAIL@GMAIL.COM
Tom
O’Rourke,
CPRCP