Camp Code - Leadership & Staff Training Podcast for Camp Directors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!If you work in camp long enough, you will either watch a long-time staff member (director, year-round staff member, long-time seasonal staff member) leave or you, yourself, will opt for something different from #campdirectorlife. While camp directors tend to be the types to be inclined to keep this kind of news on the extreme DL, it is imperative to the health of your camp community that you create space and time for campers, their families, and staff to say goodbye. Best Practice for Leadership Training Write all of your teambuilding and group games on individual notecards (1 game per card). Divide them by type (Examples: icebreaker, active, large group, easy initiative, fixed elements). Grab an index card box and organize all of your games in the box with the appropriate labels. When it comes time to design a program, just pull out the cards you need for the day. You may want to number them too so it's easy to get them back in place! (HT to Travis for this best practice!)      

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Puzzled by why you can't seem to find the right staff each summer? Perhaps it is because of the wording, structure, and requirements of your staff application. Gab, Beth, and Ruby discuss the must-dos (and a few must-don'ts) to help you start your staff training before your people are even hired. Best Practice for Leadership Training Is there a way to add a creative element to your staff application so folks with a wide variety of talents can exhibit their strengths? Have you thought about sharing your expectations for a job at your program via video, podcast, or original song? Using visual tools and letting applicants hear from you and other people really sets the tone for community building and gets the expectations across in your tone.      

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!As camp people, we sometimes find ourselves looking around thinking "Universe, what else could you possible throw at me?" and sometimes that all happens before 9 AM. Some summers are just like that and often it is due to circumstances totally out of your control. This episode will talk about how to heal and recover from the "perfect storm" summer and how to lead your team when it feels like very little went right. Best Practice for Leadership Training Build a relationship with a local mediation organization. Face it, in camping, we are in the relationship business and sometimes an objective ear and voice can be the key to working through conflicts. Often these organizations may be able to provide training for your year-round and seasonal staff as well.      

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This podcast discusses the importance of staff training and shares a checklist for preparing staff for camp. It covers topics such as dividing staff training, utilizing a staff board for welcoming, creating and assigning groups, acknowledging staff accomplishments, reaching out for help and delegating tasks, and the benefits of mid-summer staff training.

The podcast discusses strategies for engaging return staff during training, such as using language change techniques and involving them in teaching sessions. They emphasize the importance of clear communication and supporting return staff. The hosts also highlight the significance of leadership classes and involving return staff in marketing the camp. They encourage listeners to engage with the show and share leadership training tips. The program area fair during staff training is discussed as a way to showcase different programs and build excitement for the summer.

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Ah...the birds and the bees and the smell of horomones at camp in the summertime. Whether in a single gender or co-ed environment, the reality of it is people fall in love at camp. And some people think they fall in love at camp. And it makes sense as folks are living and working closely together and acting genuinely and passionately day in and day out. Many of your staff likely have common values in life and when they find each other at camp, it can be a beautiful thing. Or it can be disruptive and fueled by drama. Today's podcast focuses on how to train your staff on what it means to have a relationship at camp and some best practices that Beth, Gab, and Ruby have found can lead to a drama-free summer. Best Practice for Leadership Training Never underestimate the power of a handwritten note to provide praise and establish that you acknowledge the impactful work another person is doing. Whether it is an employee, a supervisor, a conference presenter, or a random person you encounter in life, everyone can appreciate a small token of acknowledgement from another person.      

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!By talking about what it looks like to get fired from camp, you may find that your staff make better decisions, which, in turn, actually reduces the likelihood of you having to fire staff as often. Gab, Beth, and Ruby discuss how they train their staff about the termination process, what worked and what didn't, and some best practices for letting someone go at camp be as drama free and mission-focused as possible. Best Practice for Leadership Training Gather your male and female staff members separately and discuss with each of them how they want to treat the other gender. Bring the groups back together and have the groups share with one another their commitment to how people should be treated at camp.       

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Your summer staff are trained on your mission and are bought in to the why of camp. Who better than your staff to help you market camp than those who really know it inside and out? Tune in to today's podcast to learn how to teach your staff some basic sales strategies that will impact your bottom line. Best Practice For Leadership Training: Track which of your cabin staff from the previous summer have the most campers returning this summer. Give public praise to these staff members (whether they are returning or not) during staff orientation this summer and challenge your summer staff to be one of those counselors that managed to provide such an incredible experience for their campers, that they all HAD to come back to camp. Additionally, tell your staff the retention rate from the previous summer and challenge them to go above and beyond that number.      

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!When hiring seasonal staff, directors look for applicants that are trainable. However, you inherit your boss/board/Executive Director/CEO when you accept a position. Ever wish you could conduct staff training specifically for your higher ups so they will do things the way you want to do them? In this episode, learn what it takes to get those above on you on the organizational chart on board with your ideas. Big shout out to Rosanne Badowski for the term Managing Up. You can check out her book on Amazon right now. Best Practice for Leadership Training Today's best practice comes from our friends Scott Arizala and Dr. Chris Thurber and their unofficially titled "Stump the Hunks" EPIC session at ACA National in New Orleans in 2015. When asked how to get the boss to do what you need them to do, they suggested this tactic. Have your boss happen to accompany you to witness whatever challenge/inefficiency/problem that you are hoping to address. Ask "Have you noticed how when it rains, our staff get particularly grumpy while waiting in the rain with the kids to go into lunch? Do you have any ideas for how we could make this better?" or for the bold ones of you out there, instead state the following as a follow up to your Have You Noticed question, "I've noticed this as well and I wonder if we gave each cabin a large umbrella to decorate to use on rainy days if they would be more excited about rainy days?" By simply asking "Have you noticed...", you bring the boss into the discussion and make them a part of the problem solving, even if they don't do any of the problem solving.