By Hannah King
As a person who has spent the past 20 years asking for, receiving and implementing public input, I’ve heard my share of strange ideas.
The adage ‘there are no stupid questions’ was my daily mantra while working in the hospitality industry. (It’s a fact that people often forget to pack their common sense while travelling)
So I consider myself a bit of an expert on feedback and can tell you I have never worked in a place where feedback is more readily sought, considered and acted on than here at parks, recreation and culture.
Quite simply, we wouldn’t be able to operate without it.
If you’ve been a regular or even passive user of local recreation, culture and parks services, you’ve probably heard about one of our surveys or open house sessions.
We ask you about everything from preschool programs and goose poop, to smoking bans and your favourite activity guide cover image.
Our latest attempt to encourage feedback is a video created by a group of Vancouver Island University students.
It takes a light-hearted approach, but the purpose is serious. We can’t achieve our goal of improving the life and leisure of residents and visitors if we program without input.
As a group, we do have great ideas and a lot of practical experience, but those are only part of the equation when it comes to providing community recreation, parks and culture services.
We need feedback to know if our ideas are working, or if the experiences we are providing the community are the ones you are seeking.
Staying current and responsive is critical. As a department with many working parts, this can be a bit overwhelming at times.
It is a bit like striving to achieve a healthy lifestyle. As an organization we have to maintain a balance between what we know, what we think and what we are willing to try.
We ask, listen and act in order to achieve our goal of nurturing an active community.
Take a few moments to watch the students’ video posted at www.nanaimo.ca and on our Facebook and YouTube pages; visit with us at one of our Coffee with the Coordinators sessions; send an e-mail with your thoughts to askprc@nanaimo.ca; or fill out a feedback form at one of the facilities.
Thanks for keeping us all healthy.
Hannah King is a marketing and communication specialist with Nanaimo parks, recreation and culture.
