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by Jeffrey Leiken, M.A.
Imagine a camp work environment in which every staff member lives from
a positive approach to life and is willingly and enthusiastically supportive
of one another — an environment in which issues that exist are
addressed directly — not behind backs. Imagine a summer free from
gossip — free from the us-versus-them mentality between counselors
and supervisors that seems ever present in so many workplaces, especially
in the emotionally charged camp environment where performance standards
are more subjective. Imagine this being not just how it is on day one
but on every moment of every day of every summer.
Clean Communication
Gossip in camp has a negative effect on the community. It dampens morale
and creates animosity and ill will. From a larger moral perspective,
staff who gossip — especially camp leadership who gossip — model
poor behaviors for the campers. Camps need to learn to operate with "clean
communication."
Although this need is embraced by many in the camp profession, some
have found the message to be "unrealistic" — claiming
that gossip is part of "human nature." Only a few camp directors
took the message not just to heart, but to their entire camp community.
The results — and their success — have been phenomenal. What
follows is an exploration of how one camp director made it happen.
Tiffany Romero, director of Tocaloma Day Camp in Los Angeles, California,
knew that clean communication was something she would make happen at
her day camp — not something to try — but something important
enough to the welfare of the camp to make it a reality. She understood
that ways in which staff communicate with one another, especially how
administration communicates with staff, has a greater impact on morale
than any other factor. It was very clear to her the indirect impact this
communication has on the over 700 campers and families who attend Tocaloma
Day Camp during the summer and the direct effect it has on the ninety-five
counselors she hires each year. Romero began asking the essential question — What
would need to be in place for the day camp to operate with clean communication?
Although some answers to this question are more complex to implement
than others, all are doable with proper intention and effort. Romero's
main solutions were:
- Employ people already inclined toward clean communication and make
it explicitly clear in interviews that this is what would be expected.
- Get a core group of key people on staff to buy in before announcing
it to others.
- Start orientation with a memorable activity that leaves a lasting
impression.
- Teach essential skills about how to communicate without gossiping.
Romero's experiences provide a good framework for those who might wish
to implement clean communication at their camps.
Employ people who are already inclined toward clean
communication, and make it explicitly clear in interviews that clean,
positive communication is what would be expected.
To accomplish this, Romero had to change her camp's interview process — specifically
what qualities to search for in applicants. There is an old adage about
hiring employees that states, "Hire for character over skills. Skills
can always be taught, but character, a person either has or hasn't." It
may be old, but worthwhile in hiring for camp personnel.
Consider learning three primary things about your applicants:
- Do they comfortably and naturally operate their lives in an affirmative
way?
- Are they inclined to be forthright and direct when confronted with
challenges?
- Are they inclined to be a team player versus a loner?
Answering these questions during the interview process became immensely
important to Romero as she searched for applicants with the character
and skills she required. The responses were also important, but to her
astonishment, she discovered that during the interviews she became increasingly
aware of not only what people said but how they said it.
Some typical interview questions:
- Has there ever been a time at school or in a job where you disagreed
with a role or policy and how did you handle it?
- Have you ever had a teacher or supervisor or co-worker whom you
didn't particularly like or care for?
- Tell me about a challenging situation you've faced in your life.
- What are things you are excited about in your life?
These questions should be asked without leading to a specific answer.
Note how "Tell me about a challenging situation you've faced in
your life" is markedly different from, "Tell me about a challenging
situation in your life AND WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM IT." The former
leaves room for a person to demonstrate his or her thinking and approach
to life, the other leads the respondent there.
Applicants' responses should demonstrate that they are positive, mature,
and accountable. You absolutely do not want to hire people who place
blame on others or identify as a victim. Thus, listen for people who
recall challenges they've been through and talk of how they grew from
them, rather than how they hurt them. You want to hear about teachers
or supervisors the applicants didn't like, but more so, how they moved
beyond the dislike, rather than continuing to bear grudge.
As soon as you hear a response like, "Oh, let me tell you about
that miserable person. I'm so glad I don't work there anymore," you
have vital information. Those who answer your questions in a way that
attempts to get you to align with them (e.g., "You understand what
I mean"), which takes on an us-versus-them approach, are probably
not a match.
Often camp directors respond with something like "Well you won't
have that problem here . . . ." almost as if they are trying to
sell the candidate on the camp. For Romero, a person who talks negatively
about a previous employer in this way is not the type of person she wants.
Romero is looking for those who respond with answers such as: "Well,
working with that boss certainly taught me how to stand up for myself
. . . ." or "Sometimes I got myself in trouble for this, but
my tendency is to speak up when things aren't right."
You should prefer applicants that consider challenging scenarios from
a mindset of possibilities. Ideally, they give several potential answers
to how they might handle things or make reference to being inclined to
get help.
When Romero first implemented this new hiring criteria at her day camp
to improve communication and morale, there were many candidates whom
she did not hire — candidates who might have been successful previously.
This hiring process required more time and demanded that Romero be uncompromising
about it. Another old adage bares true here, "Better to be understaffed
with the right people then to be fully staffed but have some of the wrong
ones."
While the first year required much more time and effort in the hiring
process, by the second year Romero was getting potential candidates calling
her because they had heard that Tacaloma Day Camp was such a positive
place to work! In fact, in a market that averages less than 5 percent
return rate of counselors, Tocaloma Day Camp averages a 50+ percent return
rate. It may be true that this extensive interview process is easier
said then done, but that's the point. Camps on the cutting edge do the
things that camps that are not, don't.
Get a core group of key people on staff to buy in
before announcing it to others.
Romero knew which returning counselors she would need to get on board
with this new approach. She considered the different personalities and
groups of staff and selected a core group of approximately a dozen people — most
of whom were up-and-coming leaders. Since most of this core group of
returning staff lived in the vicinity, Romero scheduled several day-long
meetings with them in the late winter and spring. Those who did not live
in the immediate area were included in the process with lengthy phone
conversations, and a second meeting was scheduled when they could be
available.
As the new policy and expectations were presented to this group, each
member was both excited and anxious. They knew it meant that they had
to have willingness to change some of their ways. Each one was challenged
to speak up and express his or her concerns and questions. Each was challenged
to commit to working on developing his or her skills and confidence with
this. All were told in no uncertain terms that they were either committed
fully to this new approach, or they were not allowed back.
When the second meeting was held, each staff member was asked to demonstrate
what he or she had learned about how to communicate cleanly. They worked
on role playing scenarios as well as real issues that went on within
the group.
One of the key issues addressed was the existence of cliques among
staff — to which many of those in this core group belonged. Cliques
often have the negative effect of creating divisiveness among a staff.
While they are comfortable and fun for those in them, they tend to isolate
or intimidate those on the outside — especially new staff members
who have no history with the old.
Romero challenged this group of staff to show up at orientation and
present themselves in a way in which others new to the staff would not
readily recognize longstanding friendships and involvements. It meant
they couldn't hang out together. They couldn't tell inside jokes. They
couldn't sit together at meals. Essentially, they'd have to act as if
they were brand new to camp.
The group struggled to make sense of her challenge. Not surprisingly,
they responded as most would when confronted with change. They feared
their summer wouldn't be as fulfilling for them and argued that their
actions would be "phony." Several worried about forgetting
and spoiling everything by making a comment that would reveal their secret.
They needed Romero's reassurance that it was okay not to be perfect — a
reassurance she gave with the understanding that they still needed to
try. A mistake was acceptable, but anything less than a full commitment
was not.
During this discussion and as a result of the group excitement, Romero
had another even bigger idea. Why not make the entire staff behave this
way from the very beginning?
Start orientation with a memorable activity that leaves
a lasting impression.
Romero decided to implement this new idea. What unfolded was a most
unusual first day of staff orientation — a day that has since become
a tradition.
All staff were sent a letter informing them of the plan. Whether a
ten-year veteran or a first-year counselor, when staff arrived at camp
that first day, they were to act as if they knew no one. It was acceptable
to speak about anything except camp or people they knew from camp.
When the staff arrived for the first day of orientation, they were
reminded again of the policy as they registered and were quickly assigned
to groups. They spent the entire day in various groups — doing
exercises, getting to know one another, learning to be counselors, etc.
The only people they knew for certain were returning staff members were
Romero and one of her assistants — the one who had done many of
the interviews. Even the camp owner (a former director) acted as if he
knew no one.
As the day progressed, the groups were intermixed to give everyone
an opportunity to meet and mingle. People chatted with other staff members
who they likely never would have spoken with otherwise. The pressure
of social status and the awkwardness of approaching groups who already
knew one another was removed completely. A level of bonding and cohesiveness
was established that exceeded even Romero's expectations — expectations
which are already higher than most.
At the end of the evening, they began to reveal "the truth." They
asked those for whom it was their first year to stand; then those for
whom it was the second year, and on down the line. Many of the new counselors
were amazed that they had been socializing with one of the assistant
directors all day and didn't have an inkling.
This experience made the people in leadership roles so much more approachable.
It established for all staff a different and very special working environment.
Teach essential skills about how to communicate
The final step was to devote several orientation sessions explicitly
to clean communication. Staff role played various ways to approach a
co-worker, how to use language of accountability, and how to ask for
help. While it was understood that no one was expected to be perfect
at this and that everyone could and should always feel comfortable asking
for help, it was expected that no one would engage in talking negatively
about anyone behind his or her back.
Lessons Learned
As the first summer progressed it came to Romero's attention that two
counselors were violating this code. Romero confronted them, and when
they immediately began to make excuses, she fired them. The overwhelming
response from the staff was one of praise and gratitude. Already high
morale at the day camp went up even further. Staff members overwhelmingly
cheered the decision. Ironically, the two who were fired were the only
two whom Romero had had any hesitation about hiring!
This proved to be a lesson learned. As the following summer approached,
Romero became even more uncompromising about her hiring. During the second
summer of the new policies, no one was fired. Parents raved about the
experience their children had at the day camp. Early enrollment forms
came in at a faster rate than ever before. More counselors than ever
began planning to return. And most importantly, Tocaloma Day Camp spent
an entire summer without any negative interpersonal issues. Any issues
among staff were resolved immediately between only those involved.
The members of this camp community were challenged to model mature,
clean communication. They were asked to support one another, to have
conversations even when they were uncomfortable, and to be honest and
upfront at all times. They were asked to trust one another completely
and to be people who can be trusted. And they did something which many
would say was "unrealistic."
By embracing this staffing philosophy and doing the essential work,
you will learn that it is truly possible for your staff — all positively
committed toward a single goal — to work together to accomplish
clean communication. The results are nothing short of extraordinary.
Originally published in the 2004 January/February
issue of Camping Magazine.
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