“Quick decisions are unsafe decisions”
~ Sophocles
Presented by: Butch DeFillippo
Managing Partner
PlaySafe,
LLC

“The most effective way to cope with change is to help create it.”
~ L.W. Lynett

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats ( SWOT )
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Be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of your organization when conducting SWOT analysis.
SWOT analysis should distinguish between where your organization is today, and where it could be in the future.
SWOT should always be specific. Avoid grey areas.
Always apply SWOT in relation to your competition i.e. better than or worse than your competition.
Keep your SWOT short and simple. Avoid complexity and over analysis.
SWOT is subjective.

Gathering information
What is relevant and what is not relevant to the decision? What do you need to know before you can make a decision, or that will help you make the right one?
Analyzing the situation
What alternative courses of action may be available to you? What different interpretations of the data may be possible?
Developing options
Generate several possible options. Be creative and positive. Read The Power of Positive
Thinking for our five questions that create possibilities.
Evaluating alternatives
What criteria should you use to evaluate? Evaluate for feasibility, acceptability and desirability. Which alternative will best achieve your objectives?
Selecting a preferred alternative
Explore the provisional preferred alternative for future possible adverse consequences.
What problems might it create? What are the risks of making this decision?
Acting on the decision
Put a plan in place to implement the decision. Have you allocated resources to implement?
Is the decision accepted and supported by colleagues? Are they committed to making the decision work?

An Ethical Decision-Making Model
(Source: Josephson Institute of Ethics. "Five Steps of Principled
Reasoning." 1999.)
Clarify
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Determine precisely what must be decided.
Formulate and devise the full range of alternatives.
Eliminate patently impractical, illegal and improper alternatives.
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Force yourself to develop at least three ethically justifiable options.
Examine each option to determine which ethical principles and values are involved.
Evaluate
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If any of the options requires the sacrifice of any ethical principle, evaluate the facts and assumptions carefully.
Distinguish solid facts from beliefs, desires, theories, suppositions, unsupported conclusions, opinions, and rationalizations.
Consider the credibility of sources, especially when they are self-interested, ideological or biased.
With regard to each alternative, carefully consider the benefits, burdens and risks to each stakeholder.

Decide
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Make a judgment about what is not true and what consequences are most likely to occur.
Evaluate the viable alternatives according to personal conscience.
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Prioritize the values so that you can choose which values to advance and which to subordinate.
Determine who will be helped the most and harmed the least.
Consider the worst case scenario.
Consider whether ethically questionable conduct can be avoided by changing goals or methods, or by getting consent.
 Apply three "ethics guides."
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Are you treating others as you would want to be treated?
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Would you be comfortable if your reasoning and decision were to be publicized?
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Would you be comfortable if your children were observing you?
Implement
 Develop a plan of how to implement the decision.
Maximize the benefits and minimize the costs and risks.
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· Monitor and modify.
Monitor the effects of decisions.
Be prepared and willing to revise a plan, or take a different course of action.
Adjust to new information

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The Optimizing Model
 Maximize a certain outcome
The Satisfying Model
 Reducing a problem until it is readily understood
The Implicit Favorite Model
 Reducing a problem until it is readily understood
– skipping evaluation of alternatives
The Intuitive Model
 Uses your intuition in conjunction with facts

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Must be detailed
Must be thoroughly researched
Help is out there
Enough Information is Enough
“The man who insists upon seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides.”
~Henri Frederic Amiel

 Look at all Alternatives 1 st – then limit
 Be open to change
 Think differently old solution don’t work or you would not have to make new decisions
“He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils.”
~Francis Bacon

 Think long term – Santa Fe New
Mexico Parks

 Think long term – California State
Parks
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278 parks
Growth – civilization closes in -8/22/10
 Lack of funding

 Arkansas Parks and Tourism wrangles with fee increase 8/10/10

We have gathered the information.
We have reviewed and had deep thoughts on our plans
Now Move!
“Keep moving, somewhere, anywhere, but keep moving"
~Ulysses S. Grant

 After a decision is completed the cycle begins again.

 An individual’s employment occupies a significant portion of the workers time and in many ways sets the tone for the other aspects of that person’s life. For some, work represents not only their economic vitality but social standing, sense of personal worth and physical and mental vibrancy.
 Studies of the American workforce conducted by the
National Opinion Research Center at the University of
Chicago ( www.gss.norc.org
) provide interesting and perhaps predictable results. Their research found that job satisfaction and general life happiness were positively related.

In the decision making grid there are two elements that the employee considers: goodness of one’s work, and happiness of one’s work. By goodness is meant those tasks that are performed at work that are helpful, valuable, necessary, important, essential and critical for the success of the institution. The assumption is that the worker is committed to those tasks that are important to their employer and faithfully fulfills them. By happiness is meant those elements of one’s work that have personal meaning, bring happiness, satisfaction, a sense of value and a performance of an assignment well done. It is hoped that in everyone work these types of values can be found.
~Dr. Craig Kelsey, PlaySafe, LLC

 The world, our jobs, and everyone's (from our bosses to the public) expectations are always changing.
 The only way to keep up is to train.

 A bias for action , active decision making - 'getting on with it'.

To order this vital text for your classes or your personal library call 1-800-321-0789 or go to www.AAPAR.org
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“This book is the definitive guide for planners and recreation professionals who prepare community master plans or who oversee the preparation of a master plan. It presents the components of a typical plan in a logical and easily understandable format. Each section is explained in clear and concise language that makes this an indispensable resource for the user. By following the steps described, any agency can develop a master plan that is both meaningful to the public and elected officials as well as one that is useable and practical. After twenty-five years working in public recreation, this remains the one book I refer to regularly.”
-Stan Ford, General Manager,
Coachella Valley Recreation and Park
District Palm Desert, California
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