Sailing Into Success
As a continuation of our Leadership Series at Reynolds Lake Oconee we sat down with Brian Baker, Director of Marina Operations and 2018 Leader of the Year, to learn about his leadership philosophy and a few of his team-building techniques.
As Director of Marina Operations, you oversee our four marinas, 12 rental boats, the Spirit of Oconee (a 39' houseboat), two retail stores, and two 12-passenger Sprinter vans, while managing a team of 68. How do you ensure that Marina Operations runs smoothly and offers a positive experience for Members?
Aside from the day-to-day responsibilities of making sure those facilities, products, and watercraft are working efficiently, I translate that to mean I'm responsible for orchestrating a team that provides a seamless experience for our Members and guests to help families create forever memories at Reynolds Lake Oconee. I also spend a significant amount of time planning for the future and how Reynolds Marinas can continue to offer the best service for our Members and at Lake Oconee. An example of this is with the recent Lake Club Marina expansion, which added room for another hundred watercraft to be stored.
In your experience, how does a leader maintain a healthy working relationship with his/her employees?
First, I believe it is important to establish a hierarchy within an organization to ensure a good flow of information and responsibilities. Once this is established, it is important as the leader to stay engaged with their direct reports, but more importantly, establish a basis of trust through open and honest communication.
What's an example of a technique you use to build that communication with your team?
I think food can be a great team-building exercise! Over a good meal, guards can come down and real, genuine conversation can occur, leading to the building of trust and mutual respect. Sometimes I'll break out the grill and cook hamburgers for everyone. Even though it's simple, I think it's a nice gesture to let them know how much I appreciate them and their hard work.
In 2018 you were named Leader of the Year, a prestigious award at Reynolds. What traits/accomplishments do you think led to this award?
Being a forward thinker and a person that doesn’t believe anything is impossible helped me receive the Leader of the Year honor. However, I would not have received this award without the amazing team we have in the marinas. They operate with a known mission to create unforgettable memories for our Members and guests, and their dedication to this mission contributed to this humbling recognition.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned since assuming a leadership role?
The biggest lesson I've learned is that when an issue occurs to not let more than 24 hours pass without addressing it. Inversely, also do not let 24 hours lapse when giving out praise.
What advice would you give to other leaders?
Listen to everyone on your team. From experience, I've learned that the people doing the job everyday usually have the best insight and ideas for making the job better.
