Appreciation PPT

Camp Staff Appreciation:A Step-By-Step Plan

Main Concepts• Random acts of kindness show staff members you care! • Summer is long…very long…but awesome! Very awesome! • Variety of techniques is important • Just as gratifying to give as to receive!

Main Concepts, Continued…• Some acts of appreciation are director-driven • Some are staff-driven and director-supported • Get to know your staff and what they like/value • Be as inclusive as possible (ex.: CITs) • Plan for these in advance and make a calendar! Incorporate it into your budget • Create traditions

Desired Outcomes• Preventing burnout & boosting morale; increasing motivation • Counselors’ happiness directly impacts the campers which directly impacts overall camp • “12% of people leave for pay; 88% leave for other reasons” —> staff retention • Increase supervisor approachability —> prevent problems in the long run

5 Languages of Appreciationin the Workplace

By Gary Chapman and Paul White

• Words of Affirmation • Quality Time • Acts of Service • Tangible Gifts • Appropriate Physical Touch

Additional Camp Languages of Appreciation

• Games • Animals • Comforts of Home • Jokes • FOOD

Words of Affirmation: Public• Shout-Outs

– Announcements at informal and formal meetings. Plan them out & be specific

– “Femblem” – Written words of

affirmation – Sharing praise from

campers & parents

Words of Affirmation: Private• Just like with campers

•describe it •label it •praise it

• Private or Anonymous – Index Card Games

• Each staffer gets an index card with a name on it • “Staffle” • “Tap Someone Who…” game

– Handwritten notes of any length

Quality Time• When are you interacting with the staff? What’s appropriate? • Asking for feedback and advice • Conversation • Being 100% present • Tie Dye Activity • Clothes swap

Acts of Service• Some people like this; some do not! • Could be defined as “taking something off of someone’s plate”

– Putting a cabin to bed for a counselor – Jumping into the kitchen to help the cook – Doing a segment of the programming – Lifeguarding – Helping with a specific task (setting up the

speakers) – Teaching someone a skill or technique

Tangible Gifts• Store Items (Great advertising! Order a few extras at wholesale) • Order in advance so they are on hand when needed • Pairing again with an activity • Taking the staff members’ leads (ex.: thrift shop) • “Spirit Items”

Inexpensive Tangible Gift Ideas for Groups

• Pens • Water Bottles • T-Shirts • Time-Off Giftcards • Custom Croakies • Coffee mugs • Stickers • Custom Clipboards • Temporary tattoos

Inexpensive Tangible Gift Ideas for Individuals

• Survey the staff at the beginning of the summer about their “favorites” & get to know them in general

– Favorite beverage – Candy – Magazine – Song – Color – Pizza Topping

Appropriate Physical Touch

• Figure out how comfortable you are with hugs, and how comfortable your staff members are • Touch on the shoulder • High fives • Ideas?

Part 2: Campy Appreciation

Games• Facilitate bonding • Provide quality time • Being on staff as a special club • Infuse staff with the spirit of camp

– Clothespin Game – Dinosaur pass – Nighttime kickball – Regular Elimination – Word Elimination – Tournaments (Euchre, Volleyball, Bananagrams, etc.)

Animals

Comforts of Home

• Special items from hometown • Time to talk with family (time zones) • Opportunities to share about hometown

Jokes• Camp is a funny place! • It’s OK to laugh about camper situations because sometimes they are funny! • Make opportunities for appropriate jokes. Be as inclusive as possible.

FOOD• #1 thing our staff asked for more of at mid-summer survey • So many favorites! Think about trends • Health foods are crowd-pleasers • And so are junk foods! • The home-made touch

Foods Out During a Meal

• Poll your staff! – Special omelet ingredients – Custom pizza toppings – Fresh fruit for cereal – Novel salad bar items – Vegetables (believe it or not) – Secret staff cereal selection – Hot Sauce – Special grill items (bratwurst) – Real maple syrup

Foods During Staff Times• Puppy Chow • Pizza Rolls & Bagel Bites • Smoothies • Staff creations (pies) • Ordered pizza • Root Beer Floats • Kraft Macaroni & Cheese • Tater Tot Bar – use your special equipment!

Now what?1. Host a brainstorm

meeting with key staff stakeholders

2. Create summer staff appreciation calendar

3. Delegate different events/ideas to coworkers

4. Budget and plan for all events (remembering that most events are low- or no-cost)

5. Have fun!!!

Ideas?

ContactSarah Kurtz McKinnon

Kurtz McKinnon Creative www.kurtzmckinnoncreative.com

[email protected] (313) 506-2891