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Is your camp staff marketing and memes?
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Today’s young camp staff are hyperaware of the moment a phone comes out. Think about a moment at your own camp. Something fun is happening at the end of a long day. But now marketing pulls out a phone to grab a quick photo. And then the mood shifts just a little. These staff are 17 to 23. They have spent basically their entire lives watching people get turned into marketing posts, or worse, into memes in someone else’s group chat. They notice the second a phone comes out. They notice when their image might be used for something else. They are not paranoid, but they are definitely paying attention. What Matters MostThis connects to a study I come back to often when I’m working trainings. Harvard Business Review surveyed professionals in 2012 and then again in 2022, asking which leadership traits matter most. The traits that climbed in the more recent study are the human ones. Staff want a leader who listens to learn instead of just popping in with an answer preloaded. They want authentic communication (think: real talk), and no corporate jargon. They want someone to show up and be in the camp trenches with them. They want inclusiveness, where everyone gets brought in. And they want respect for others. That last one shows up in a place most camp leaders don’t think about. Here is the easiest example. The Tough ConversationsYou have to let a staff member go. It’s unfortunate but it happens. Now you have to tell the rest of their team. The wrong way: “They got fired. Don’t you dare do what they did, or I’ll have to fire you too.” The right way: “I had to ask them to step off the team. Out of respect, I am not going to get into what happened. Please know I’m here for you. If you need a minute before you go back to the kids, take it.” Same situation, but totally different message about you as a leader. Because the rest of that staff is watching that conversation and silently noting one thing. That is how you’ll talk about me when I’m gone. The young staff in front of you want to know they can trust you with their own story when it’s their turn. So slow down. Put the screen down. Spend a little more time with the staff actually standing in front of you. That is the whole study and that is the whole job. Sincerely, Senior Consultant at Immersive1st Learn more about Immersive1st's Approach |
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Let’s take a look at some numbers from the summer: 15 states 5,120 miles behind the wheel 10,000+ air miles across three round trips to Wisconsin, Georgia, and Arizona 80+ meal stops at Chipotle, Starbucks, and mom-and-pop taco places This wasn’t one planned mega-trip or anything like that. It wasn’t even family vacation! It was visiting camps all over the map. And yes, I catch some flack from my accountant who looks at my expense reports every quarter and says something along the lines of:...
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