Chapter 3: The Leisure Service Programmer

Four Elements Related to Program Leadership

1.Program Planning and Implementation: involves managing the planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating recreation and leisure activities. 2.Direct Activity Leadership: involves the face-to-face conducting of a recreation or leisure activity. 3.Provision of Related Program Services: involves coordinating resources from various organizations to provide recreation and leisure programs. 4.Supervision of Special Facilities: involves coordinating registrations, admissions, and supervision at special activity facilities and sites.

Ethics: standards of right and wrong.Values: principles or guidelines that individuals believe to be important (Edginton & Edginton, 1994).The very basis of the leisure experience relies on the ability of participants to influence their experience, and requires decision making related to values and ethics. An individual's values and ethics will permeate the entire leisure experience and to a great extent determine its potential for impacting the potential for positive outcomes.

Roles of the ProgrammerThe leisure service programmer will provide two basic types of service.

direct: programmer uses his/her knowledge to identify the needs of the community and intervene in order to provide services.

indirect: the programmer facilitates opportunities for customers to develop their own skills and initiate programs and services to meet their needs.

Professional Roles

Activity Leader: provides face-to-face leadership (teacher, group facilitator, advocate, referral worker, counselor, outreach worker, host, guide, and coach). Program Coordinator: involves creating and distributing program resources and services. Fundamental skills include planning, organizing, promoting supervising and evaluating programs. They are responsible for one or more of the following areas (program area; facility; population groups; and geographical area)

Community Developer: works with community groups and associations which have a specific initiative or agenda to promote (youth-at-risk needs, new community facilities etc.). A cooperative relationship based on mutual benefits.

LeadershipThe three most common leadership styles are:

Authoritarian

Democratic

Laissez-Faire

The most effective leadership style is Situational. A situational leader has the ability to apply each of the three leadership styles "when the activity, group, or environment" requires it. At times each leadership style is the best for that moment or stage of the activity but will not be appropriate for the next stage of group development or activity.