ࡱ> ܥhc eM,"j"jj"j"j"j"j""""""" " ";+1""""""""K$M$M$M$8$L'L+l+X+;+j"""""";+"$j"j""""$"$"$"Zj""j""K$&[}[~"""j"j"j"j""K$"$)"$FAX MARCH 30, 1998 TO: COLLETTE FROM: SIMON GALED Collette, I am writing this with an extreme staffing concern for the 1998 H.W.A.C. season. The issue that I am concerned with involves the management staff and the effective authority that we hope to possess in smoothly running the pool. I am currently acting on this letter as a result of speaking with many staff members and also having coming to grips with my feelings about this summers H.W.A.C. season. Collette, literally I have lost sleep over this issue and feel that I must take action because it is very serious and crucial to a smooth flowing summer. I am taking my role at the H.W.A.C. this summer incredibly seriously due to the fact that I will be the constant on the management staff throughout the entire summer. Andy will miss much of the summer and with Neal still being in high school, his availability will be extremely limited until mid June and at the end of August. This is a great concern of mine considering I will be the primarily be the manager for the summer. Last summer, from early August (the 5th or 7th) through late August (the 23rd), upon Andyl departure, I worked all day everyday. I am not prepared to do that this summer. Furthermore, I have concerns about the effectiveness that the Head Lifeguard position will hold this summer. Mid Last year, Andy and I spoke (and I assume Andy spoke with you) about the possible institution of another management position. I feel that due to the forecasted absenteeism of the Head Lifeguard and the Manager (and other concerns which I discuss below) this may be necessary. These other concerns that I have about this summer is the effectiveness of Neal Hafner as a manager. I do not feel at all comfortable with Neal being the Manager on Duty in any way. Nor do I feel comfortable with Neal possessing keys to the pool. I feel that I will ultimately be responsible for the H.W.A.C. this summer and I cherish the opportunity with great pride. Because of this responsibility however, I feel that imputing Neal as Manager will double my responsibilities in the reality that I will never feel comfortable with him as Manager on Duty. From the standpoint of safety and lifeguarding, Neal is one of the best people we have on staff and is one of the best Ive worked with. In my opinion the role of Head Lifeguard is primarily in the interest of improving the quality of the guards and the general safety of the H.W.A.C. (Inservice training, guarding technique, rule enforcement, etc.) There is no question in my mind that Neal can complete this task and complete it well. However, when it comes to management functions, such as disciplinary action, paperwork, addressing staff concerns, scheduling, dealing with patrons and planning among others tasks, I feel that Neal will be painfully inadequate. My greatest concern about Neal taking on management responsibilities was how the staff would react and what level of respect they would have. When Andy called me asking for my opinion about the hiring of the head lifeguard position, I raised serious questions about Neal in regards to management. I spoke with Andy, and later with you about some of my concerns. The most significant issue that I raised was the respectability that Neal held among the pool staff. I posed the inquiry of how the staff might react to Neal in a management role with great concern. Andy did not offer his intuition on the matter in any way, almost as though the issue were dead. Over the last week I have spoken with many staff members about Neal in the role of Head Lifeguard. All of the guards I have spoken with raised concerns over Neals authoritative capability and most remarked they would have trouble answering to Neal. Most interesting however is the fact that many of the guards spoke with Andy on this issue prior to Andy consulting me. My question is why Andy did not voice these concerns to me? It is evident that Andy previously pooled the general feeling of the staff whereas I did not, but why did Andy not share such vital information before a decision was made, specifically when I had raised the questions on the topic. The repercussions of the situation are that some high quality guards plan not to return and others are returning disgruntled. I have further concerns than the lack of respect Neal possesses from the staff. Neal is incredibly young at 17. I did not hold a management position at the H.W.A.C. until I was a 19 year old college student and even then, I sometimes had questions about my capabilities. His young age is evident in his maturity level and the way he has conducted himself over the past years. He has treated the pool as a social center, often more absorbed in other activities than in pool related interests. Neal has shown unprofessionalism in dealing with other staff members in a fashion I dont expect to subside based on the fact that he is the same age as most guards. Since the middle of last years H.W.A.C season, I have vehemently supported the hire of Shawn Coughlin into the position of Head Lifeguard with the provision that Brent Fairman should decide not to return to the H.W.A.C. I feel that Shawn is a prime candidate for a management position. With more experience at the pool than everyone except Andy and myself, at 22, he has grown each year into a better staff member. In the past he has shown a willingness to work unbelievable numbers of hours, a definite necessity for the management. He has shown an interest in aquatic activities, working full time at a YMCA pool in a management position. In addition, Shawn is available full time for the entire duration of the H.W.A.C. season, including pre-season maintenance work. Most importantly however, Shawn has the respect of the staff that is absolutely crucial in supervising a young work group. I have spoken with many staff members whose feelings are congruent with this. Shawn carries an aura of authority that is needed and that no other current staff member possesses. The lack of older staff will further strain the responsibilities of Andy and myself and would make our jobs nearly impossible. With such a young staff, I feel it important to have a significant elder presence. To lose the employment of Shawn, I feel, would be greatly detrimental to the H.W.A.C. staff. To summarize my feelings, I strongly encourage the consideration of an additional management position to smoothly operate the H.W.A.C. (even if Brent was returning as Head Lifeguard.) It is necessary primarily because of the availability of the management staff. I can not make it through the summer working everyday after Andy has started medical school. I plan to call you and speak about this issue, but I just thought I would send this along first. 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