A Lifeguard is much more than the Webster defition; “an expert swimmer employed, at a beach or pool to protect bathers from drowning or other accidents and dangers.”.
An excellent Lifeguard needs; Professional, Pro active, Guest Service, Keeps his area Clean, Skilled, Emphatic, Organized, Social, Kind, Strict, Flexible, Disciplined, Attentive, Fit, Knowledgeable, Leadership.
The following link is the presentation given during a seminar in Jakarta about Lifeguarding Excellence organised by ARKI. Click here for the full presentation in pdf on lifeguarding excellence.
The Lifeguarding pyramid covers the following items
- Recruitment – Recruiting the right people
- Training – Provide LG Training
- Basic Needs – Basic Lifeguard needs:
- Shade, Water, Breakroom, etc
- Culture – Creating a culture
- Development – Development of new leaders to continue the cycle.
Recruiting the right people
- How do you select? Skills VS attitude?
- Create a value based “wish-list”.
- Make your tests relevant.
- Think about group vs individual, personal interview vs case, trainable vs natural skills
Basic Lifeguard needs
- Environment protection (umbrella’s, water availability (coolers or bottles)
- Realistic work environment (zones of protection, equipment, etc)
- Variation (move positions every 30 to 60 minutes)
- A place to relax (nice breakroom, and good food choices)
- Support from management in section (from toilet breaks to guest complaints)
Lifeguard Training
- What is your standard? DIY, certified, or full service
- Training time: 3 days to 2 weeks
- Different levels? Slide dispatch vs Lifeguard
- Additional training: English / Guest Service / etc.
An Excellent Lifeguard is created by a culture of excellence
Culture is influenced by;
- Language (What & How is being spoken)
- Attitudes, Norms and Values (what are the underlying rules of the team)
- Education (value and amount)
- Social Organization (i.e. how is the manager addressed)
- Artifacts (Symbols and items with significance)
- Rituals (i.e. morning briefing, thanking LG for the day)
Operation ways to influence Lifeguard culture
- Training (Management, Guest Service, Development)
- Quarterly outing, team dinners, movie, birthday celebration,
- Lifeguard of the day, week, month, year.
- Lifeguarding competitions internal, external.
- “Make their day” card to handle guest issues, Minifigure giveaway
Leadership;
- Develop strong future leaders with the right skills.
- Strong and clear values
- Authentic care for the team
- Lead by example
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