Park Allen on management
From Leadership Live with Park Allen · · Sounding Board
“I ask managers to imagine themselves in five or seven years and whether those who reported to them would cross the street to say thank you for what you did for me and how you supported my personal growth.”
On , Park Allen, Vice President of People at FOUR CORNERS PROPERTY TR INC, spoke about management during Leadership Live with Park Allen on Sounding Board.
About Park Allen
Park Allen, Vice President of People at Four Corners Property Trust, appeared on the "Leadership Live" series on September 17, 2024, where he discussed his approach to people management and leadership. Allen stated that his title reflects a focus on collaboration rather than viewing employees as resources, saying, "My title is VP of People because I'm not about the resource that is humans in a company... it's about how we do this all together." He emphasized listening to employees and incorporating their ideas, noting, "People don't really care about my process; what they want to know about is are they being heard." Allen also described managers as "like the captain of a sailboat," providing guidance while allowing employees to take initiative. During the conversation, Allen shared examples from his career, including a time when he adjusted his approach to performance appraisals after realizing his executive team needed to be invested in the process. He said, "I realized that if I just listen and try to incorporate the ideas of my executive team, we're going to have a product that they're going to be invested in." Allen also discussed creating a learning program during COVID-19 with self-guided, manager-led, and goal-oriented components, and deputizing experienced managers to share expertise in meetings. He advised managers to reflect on whether former reports would "cross the street to say thank you" for their support, and encouraged gratitude toward partners and thought leaders to foster stronger collaboration.