It's July and many of us are at or near the middle of our summer camp season. For weeks we've been immersed in all that it takes to lead camp on a day-to-day basis. Campers and staff to deal with, program planning, logistics issues. It's hard to get away from the daily grind but taking a few steps back and spending a little time reflecting on the summer so far can be enormously helpful.Doing a mid summer check up gives us a chance to see the big picture again after weeks of dealing with the details. It helps us take a break from "this is how we do it" to consider new, creative ideas. It challenges us, our staff and the camp to continue to grow even as we do camp.
Consider taking some time to consider the following questions. Maybe ask your leadership team to do the same and then compare notes.
1. Are we achieving the goals we had in mind for the summer? Why or why not? What could we do differently the second half of the summer?
2. How are the staff performing? In what areas are they excelling and in what areas are they struggling? Why? How can we build on the staff's successes and help improve in the areas of weakness?
3. What are the campers reactions to the summer? What's working and what's not? Where can we get better?
4. How am I doing as a leader? What am I doing well and where am I struggling? Why? What mid course changes could I make to be more effective the last half of the summer?
