Many organizations suffer from a lack of decision-making at the customer level; too many issues and challenges are answered with "I'll have to ask my (manager, supervisor, director)" when in truth, front line staff, when properly trained, can and should make many decisions on the spot, saving time, money, and allowing for exceptional customer service. Additionally, many organizations still suffer from "top down" thinking, wherein the department head, manager, or supervisor acts as an all-knowing, all-powerful dictator who makes decisions based on little or no direct knowledge or familiarity with the situations presented. By learning to empower one's employees to take responsibility for certain decisions and situations, organizations can respond more quickly and more accurately to customer needs and desires.
Paul Blake has worked in the field of Recreation and Parks since 1971, beginning as a part-time Recreation Attendant, and holding numerous jobs through the years, including as Superintendent of Recreation in the Village of Garden City from 1994 to early 2001.
After leaving Garden City in 2001, Paul worked for the Town of North Hempstead as a Deputy Commissioner of Parks. He held this title until he took retirement in 2010.
Paul operated a successful training and consulting firm, teaching CPO and doing consulting work from 2010 until spring of 2019, when he was hired as a consultant by Garden City to assist in the operation of the Recreation Department while a new Parks Commissioner was sought.
After several months as a consultant, Paul was encouraged to apply for the Parks Commissioner job, and after an extensive search and interview procedure, was hired as the Commissioner in October of 2019. Back where it all started as a 17-year-old kid working in the local neighborhood park.