What do you want to improve as we move into the new year? Maybe you want to eat better, get more sleep, or spend more time with family. But what about at work? While you may be an effective manager at your activity center, there is always room for improvement. Here are just a few ways to improve in the coming year.

When was the last time you updated the look of your activity center? Remodeling your entire facility is a costly and time consuming undertaking, but there are simple actions you can take that will give off the appearance of a “new and improved” park. Changing around the layout, giving a fresh coat of paint on the walls, or getting some new furniture pieces are all smaller, less expensive ways to show your customers you are dedicated to staying up-to-date and keeping up with the times.

You can’t effectively manage your employees or your facility if you aren’t there to observe what happens day to day. Don’t just sit in the back office and expect everything to run smoothly without you; be out on the floor and engage with both customers and your staff to make the experience pleasant for everyone. Being present and seen around your park assures customers and staff alike that should an issue arise, you will be there to assist and handle it in a timely manner.

Yes, your employees work for you, and you are their superior -- but that shouldn’t mean their thoughts or feelings about their place of work don’t matter. Meet one-on-one with members of your staff regularly to discuss their performance, acknowledge where they are strong in their work and where they could focus more effort. Ask them questions and allow them to do the same. If they have feedback for you that isn’t completely positive, take it seriously and work to make it better. By listening and showing concern and care, you will earn your team’s trust and respect, and they will do a better job for you moving forward. Not to mention, you will lower your turnover rate, saving you time, effort -- and money -- in hiring and training new employees.

Your employees can’t perform to your standards if you don’t communicate those standards to them. Be direct with your expectations, and be specific in what actions you want the staff to work on every day. These can be a certain responsibility, like checking on the cleanliness of bathrooms every so often; or they can be more fluid, like working on having more meaningful interactions with customers. If someone isn’t performing to the level you expect, you must let them know or they won’t improve. Being clear in your direction will be better for your business and will also help members of your team grow professionally.

Last, but not least, make your workplace an environment of fun not only for your guests, but also for the people you’ve employed. It’s that fun that probably encouraged them to come work for you in the first place, and it all starts with you! If you have fun, your employees will have fun, and your customers will feel that when they come to your activity center.