Create An Academy Training Program.

In some cases, you will find a vice president or C-Level executive that has been with a parking company or organization for nearly 25 years, where he/she/they worked their way up the ranks from parking attendant to senior executive. These are the workhorses and the people that know every aspect of the business inside and out. In some cases, they may have a full knowledge of the business, but lack the softer skills of management involved with leading people. In the next decade, parking operations will need to draw from this talent pool, but first take a more committed approach to developing and upskilling their leadership skills. Every team requires a strong and experienced leader they can communicate with, trust, and learn from.

Organizations can partner with a learning and development team or external expert to curate a training program. Brand this as an “Academy or Institute” that will then be rolled out to eligible employees. Create various tiers of training modules or “courses” for every level of management that will eventually build upon previous learnings. Envision your training “Academy” as a multi-year upskilling program that begins at the field level and prepares employees for senior leadership including:

• Managing and leading seamlessly in both virtual and physical workplaces.
• The most effective communication strategies and when appropriate to use each.
• Leading through inspiration and motivation, especially in volatile times.
• Managing both up to leaders as well as down to teams.
• Building upon current DEI initiatives and how to continue elevating the conversation.

For the business, employees will add more value, and improve their skills and advance their careers which will be a key retention strategy. Excellent people management skills are critical for building a strong culture, loyal workforce, and all-around better business. Those companies who have all three will see higher retention rates, engaged employees, and success for decades to come.

Develop Cognitive Skill Sets

As we saw over the last 10 years, the only predictable market trends were disruption and change. To navigate this, employees needed to have a curious mindset about the world and industry around them. COVID showed everyone, but most especially the parking industry, that adaptable thinking and agility was essential for solving staffing shortages to changing business models. For example, teams that tapped into their curiosity during the shifting dynamics of the pandemic, allowed for parking companies to adapt their pricing, business, and strategy to focus on more transient, special event-based, and residential parking. Companies that were not led by inquisitive leaders or lacked curiosity struggled through COVID. Disruption will continue to be a key trend for the next 10 years, and the parking industry must prepare to remain focused on innovation and change.

So how do you develop more curiosity within your people?

Start by assessing your team members and identifying who on the team has a curious mindset and approach to the world. These are the employees who are collaborative, offer up moonshot ideas, question processes, and introduce fresh concepts or dive into hypothetical situations. Upskilling this group of contributors to become more curious is not done by simple training sessions or learning and development initiatives, but by leaders and managers that encourage curiosity. With equity, mobility, and digitization transforming the industry, leaders should encourage stretch assignments that solve for these industry challenges and launch projects and discussions that spark innovation including:

The impacts their products and services will have on other industries, communities, and society in general.

• An aging population and how to physically meet and cater to this group.
• An emerging generation that approaches driving and mobility in a completely new way.
• Transforming payments and accessibility to close the digital equity divide.
• Changing regulations and legislation within the auto industry.
• All of these are opportunities for teams to collaborate and tap into their curiosity and develop this cognitive skill set. Companies that develop, encourage, and empower curiosity tend to be more agile in shifting markets, and are more likely to retain top performers.

Invest In Digital Agility and Technical Expertise

As the parking industry evolves over the next decade, it will continue to become more segmented and niched requiring more specialized technology, tools, and technical talent. Looking ahead, employees will need more digital agility as a basic skill set – not only knowing how to use new technologies, but when to implement them across the business. This will require sales and operations teams to work more closely alongside automation and upskill their product and customer knowledge, becoming deeper subject matter experts in their field. Parking companies can upskill their teams’ technology skill sets and technical sales expertise in several ways including:

• Upfront Tuition Reimbursements or Stipends — These serve as an excellent way to both upskill your team and use it as a multi-year retention strategy.
• Send Employees to Conferences or Workshops — Industry and trade events are often overlooked for acquiring new skill sets and facilitating collaboration. It also provides an employee the opportunity to experience their career and profession outside of the workplace.
• Mentorship and Reverse Mentorship Programs — Leverage generational skills up and down all levels of management. Seasoned experts can provide legacy and institutional knowledge and best practices, while emerging leaders can introduce new technologies, processes, or concepts to senior leadership.
• Gamify Implementation, Learning, and Software Adoption — With every new technology or process comes adoption or rejection. Gamify this process to create a seamless transition and incentivize employees to learn these new technologies and skills.

The parking industry will continue to grow, evolve, and integrate more deeply into sector-adjacent products and offerings. The key to maintaining a strong foothold as an industry leader and competitor for the next decade is to focus on not only hiring the best minds, but developing and upskilling your biggest asset, your people. ◆