Spencer Cox, Lt. Governor of Utah, joins the Park Leaders Show to talk about the value of state and national parks to the state of Utah.

Utah is fortunate to be home to five national parks, several national monuments and a thriving state parks system. The parks boost the economy and create jobs. Perhaps more importantly, Lt. Governor Cox suggest parks are part of the fabric of the Utah lifestyle.

Lt. Governor Cox also offers insight to how state government view a park system. He talks about funding, maintenance, and how a state determines if their park system is successful. He also discusses privatization of parks

This episode is a valuable look into how a park system fits into priorities and planning from legislatures and the Governors office.

Lt. Governor Cox recently shared pictures and video from a recent vacation to promote outdoor recreation in Utah. You can watch the video here.

Nearly every one of the questions asked to Lt. Governor came not from the host of the Park Leaders Show, but from people in the field who work in a park every day.

Carol Quinn returns to the Park Leaders Show to explain how to hire great people. If you missed the first half of the interview with Carol Quinn, you can find it here.

In this episode, Carol will discuss how to improve your hiring process. Making small changes in the interview process can move you towards hiring high performers.

If you have ever made a bad hire, you understand the long-term impact it can have on your park or organization. Sometimes we don't interview properly. Sometimes we rush a hire because there is so much work to do.

It doesn't have to be this we. We can hire high performers nearly every time.

Also in this episode, we talk about the impact Motivation Based Hiring can have on the culture of an organization.

If you would like to learn more about Carol Quinn, or Motivation Based interviewing, visit HireAuthority.com.

You can also check out Carol's books, Don't Hire Anyone Without Me and Motivation Based Interviewing.

Lee Cockerell has said "Your most important responsibility is to hire and promote the right people for your organization." If that is true, we need to take a hard look at the way we hire people.

Carol Quinn, CEO of Hire Authority, joins the Park Leaders Show to talk about how you can improve your hiring.

Carol has helped many companies, including Disney, hire the right people. In this episode, we talk about what typical interviews look like, and why relying on gut feeling is a mistake.

Carol also gives us an introduction to Motivation Based Interviewing (MBI).

To learn more about MBI, you can find information and free resources on HireAuthority.com. Carol is the author of Motivation Based Interviewing and Don't Hire Anyone Without Me.

This interview with Carol Quinn will give you a headstart in understanding what you can do differently to hire high performers.

Recently, Eric Watilo issues a document to parks in his region of Washington State Parks giving ideas to make sure visitor's have a better experience when they visit parks.

When I saw the information Eric was getting out to people in parks, I knew I had to share it with you. Eric did not create this list for people to read and check a box. This is content meant to be discussed and considered.

Eric joins me on the Park Leaders Show to discuss his list of 12 Steps to Enhance a Visitor Experience.

If you are reading this in email, CLICK HERE to listen to the episode and go in depth with the 12 Steps.

12 Steps to Enhancing a Visitor's Experience

1. Smile – As simple as this may seem, not everyone smiles.
2. Greet Them – Use words to make them feel welcome.
3. In-Person is Priority – Never break off a face-to-face interaction with a visitor to answer the telephone or speak with another employee.
4. W.I.N – W.I.N stands for “What’s Important Now.”
5. Please and Thank You – Say it. Say it often. We all like to hear please and thank you.
6. You’re Welcome – Do not say “No Problem.” Use your manners and say "You're Welcome".
7. Recognize Who You Work For – Every one of us in Parks is a government employee.
8. It Is What You Say – What you say to a park visitor can strongly influence they experience have at the park.
9. Find the Answer and Follow-up – From time to time a visitor will ask you a question you do not have the answer to. Instead of saying “I don’t know” and leaving it there, tell the visitor you do not know but that you will find out and get back to them.
10. Make Time for the Visitor –  I understand in parks it is not always possible to do this, but when you can take the time to show a visitor what they are looking for, you certainly should.
11. “Thank You for Supporting Our Parks” – After every financial transaction you make with a customer, thank the guest for their support.
12. Listen to Park Leaders Podcast – In particular, listen to this episode about customer service with Lee Cockerell.

In addition to Eric Watilo's list, I have added for steps of my own to enhance a visitor's experience.

1. You are putting on a Show Every day – At Disney World employees are called Cast Members because they play a role in the big show they put on every day. You may not be at Disney World, but you are putting on a show every day.
2. Your personal problems don’t matter to the park visitor – I am not saying your personal problems don’t matter. I just want to be clear that your personal problems do not matter to the park visitor. Your issues should not get in the way of delivering top notch service.
3. Wear the Hat – If you are a park ranger you need to wear the iconic flat hat when you interact with park visitors. If park visitors don’t get to see a park ranger often, then seeing you should meet their expectations. And they expect you to wear the flat hat.
4. Serve like it is your mother – Have you ever had a loved one receive wonderful service? How did that make you feel? Your mother is special to you and you want others to treat her that way. This is exactly how you should treat every park visitor.

Music for the Park Leaders Show is provided by Jason Harrod.