Michael Staires

Fight them on the beaches!

On June 4, 1940, Winston Churchill gave one of the best speeches of his life. France had fallen to Germany and the United Kingdom was now vulnerable to attack from Hitler's Nazi troops. It was only a matter of time before the English felt the heat of the Nazi attack. 

What did Churchill do? Did he issue a press release? Did he have his press secretary go on the radio and give a speech and answer a few questions? No. He gave the speech of his life to his people and as a result, he helped give them the confidence they needed to fight against the Nazi onslaught. 

In these times it's important that those who look to you for leadership can identify with you. When you talk to them are you saying "we" or "you?" Remember the key phrase in Churchill's great speech was "We shall." By phrasing that way he was telling his people "We're in this together."

Your team, your staff, your tribe...they want to know you are in this struggle with them. You are there to help, to serve, to support, to lead. This isn't the time to hide or run away or pawn your leadership off on others. You are where you are for a reason. It's time to step up and lead. 

Leaders...saddle up!

It's said that in battle, if the leader of the troops ever fell off his horse he should get back on as quickly as possible. Being up on horseback put you up higher...above the fray and there was an advantage when you could fight from up above your enemy. 

But there was another, maybe more important advantage. When the troops could look over and see their leader still on his horse it would give them the confidence to keep fighting strong. In battle...it's always been important for the troops to be able to see their leader.

In these tough times...what kind of leader are you? Are you leading from the front? Are your "troops" able to look up during the course of their day to see you boldly leading them on? 

Today's culture is a proactive one...folks today are ready to engage anything head on. But they require strong leadership. Now is the time to lead boldly from the front. Don't hide in your office and allow others to make the tough calls. If someone needs to be layed off...you do it. Don't pawn it off on the HR department. Leadership begins with identification not isolation.

Resource for this post is from my good friend Mal Fletcher.

 

Mobilize the army (Part 2)

Yesterday I talked about a few things you can do when marketing budget money tightens up to continue to spread the word about the work you do at camp. The best way is to employ the age-old truth, "word-of-mouth" is the best form of advertising. In short...it's time to mobilize your army and arm them with tools to help you spread the word to their own tribes and spheres of influence. When your army is on the march...they can accomplish a lot. Here are a few more things you can do.

4. "Jump day videos" - ("jump day" being the last day of camp when you "jump" home) It's the last day of camp and the place is packed with campers and their parents. People are all over the place hugging each other, exchanging email addresses and cell phone numbers, promising to stay in touch. Campers and parents alike are coming up to you and in tears telling you what an impact this week has made on their family. Why not designate a summer staffer to capture some of those moments on video. Just a short 2-minute video of honest, authentic, unscripted feedback can be a powerful thing to post on your camp website, Facebook page or YouTube video channel.

5. Bring a friend to camp - This one is as old as the hills but it still yields great returns. When I was at camp we had what we called the "Andrew Discount." In other words...in the same way Andrew introduced his brother Peter to Christ, kids could introduce friends to camp and get a discount for it. This got camp age kids who were in our tribe out going door to door in their neighborhoods and churches recruiting campers. There's no way I could've marketed as effectively as those kids in their own neighborhoods.

6. Online reviews and ratings - This might be a tough one. To open up your facility, your program, and staff and food to online reviews can be a scary thing. But the fact is...people are talking about you right now anyway. Wouldn't you rather be a part of that conversation? You can use online sites like Yelp or others for campers or families to talk about their camp experience. Then you can direct propective families to the site to read what people are saying about you. Once you get your online review location and URL, you can hand out cards on jump day. When people come up to you and gush about their great week, you just give them a card with the review URL and say, "Could you go online and say that so everyone can read it?"

Marketing budgets might be tight but when you are able to mobilize your army, you'll find a lot of low cost or no cost options to continue to spread the word.

Mobilizing the army (Part 1)

When times are tough and budgets get tight, it's time to look to your tribe to help you spread the word about your programs and events. We've all heard that the most effective means of advertising is word-of-mouth and that's as true now as ever. But with tightening budgets, word-of-mouth can be your go-to marketing plan.

The days of shouting your message to the "world" are over. When the money crunch hits, it's very difficult to keep up with traditional marketing channels like television, radio, and print ads. It's time to get creative! It's time to mobilize your army of fans. 

As summer approaches and your fans are busy making plans to come and see you, here are some things to consider to help with future marketing efforts:

1. Pass-along brochures - How would you change the design of your brochure if you were making it for your tribe to hand out instead of mailing it to your list? Make a brochure or postcard that is designed for your tribe to pass along to their sphere of influence. Send them in bunches--not just one each but 10 each--to your closest fans and followers. Let's face it...your fans are probably already talking about you...put a tool in their hand that will help them spread the word. One thing to remember...if you get your web site up to speed, the hand out doesn't have to be nearly extensive. All it has to do is be a compelling piece to drive traffic to your web site.

2. Photo Share - Using online photo share sites like Flickr (or even You Tube for video posts) allow you to create "channels" for people to post their camp pics. When campers and families are posting their favorite camp photos online, they are available for others to see. When fans post their camp photos on their Facebook pages, others can see and comment. This is a powerful way to reach an untouched group of people. Take some time to talk to campers while they're at camp about how they can help you spread the word. When I was a director at Shepherd's Fold Ranch, we had a "contest" called "Shepherd's Fold Around the World." People sent us pics of themselves around the world wearing their SFR gear. Pics of kids on the Great Wall of China or in front of the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon...all wearing their camp shirt. And we did that before the Internet. Just imagine how cool it would be now to have a place for folks to post those pics!

3. Create an online community - By using Facebook you can create a camp page that would allow campers and camper families to "join" by becoming "fans." They can post messages or comments to one another, plus you can promote events, keep your tribe up to date with what's going on at camp year around. In short...it allows you to keep your name and face in front of your tribe 12 months a year instead of just the summer months. But Facebook isn't the only option. You can use Ning or Campography to do the same thing and limit participation to campers only. 

Look before you leap

This has always been sound advice. Whether you were getting ready to jump off a cliff into the water or whether you are carefully considering the pros and cons of any decision before launching, it's always been considered wise to think things through before making any important decision.

The same is true of planning for new things at your camp or conference center. It's one thing to survey your users to make sure you are hitting your goals as far as customer satisfaction...how were the facilities? How was the food? Did you get your money's worth? etc. 

But I'm talking about a different kind of surveying here. Before planning that next program or event, have you done the hard work of researching your clientele to understand what their needs are? Do you know what keeps them awake at night? Are you aware of the questions they are struggling with?

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you know. Or thinking that this year will be just like last year and next year will be the same...just with a fresh coat of paint and a new catchy name. But until you really understand your customer you'll never be able to carefully target your programs and events to specifically meet her needs. 

Remember, never assume that you know. And never fall into the trap of marketing to yourself. Although you may have some similar characteristics to those you are serving, you'll never have the BIG IDEA or make the great decisions about your programs and events until you get outside your own head and start listening to those you serve.

Look first. Take a careful and deep look into the research. What are the trends? How can you design programs and events to meet and even head off those trends. Then, and only then are your ready to take that big audacious leap.

We serve. Or else!

I just finished reading "The King of Madison Avenue." The biography of David Ogilvy...the famous ad man. (Thanks John!)

Ogilvy didn't get caught up in the creative push to make great looking ads. He didn't hunger for ads that got awards. He was focused on creating ads that sold the product. He developed a culture at Ogilvy & Mather of "We sell. Or else." 

I had a great meeting with our member resources team yesterday and instituted a similar motto: We serve. Or else!

If we don't do a GREAT job serving the members of Christian Camp and Conference Association, then all of us will be out of a job. The same is true for you and your camp or conference center. If everyone on staff doesn't have the mentality of serving then you're done before you start. 

Serve. That's job one.

The thumbprint of God

What is it about this stuff that touches me so deeply? I watched this video (thanks to Brian Phillips, follow him on Twitter here) this morning when I got to work and where others merely smile or hum along or think, "that's nice," I'm sitting here weeping at my desk! A co-worker heard the music and poked his head in to see what was going on and here I am all teary eyed.

So...what is it? I think it's a destiny thing. I've learned to recognize these things in my life that seem to be tied to the destiny that God has for me. There's something about the goodness of man and the human potential that really touches me. 

Has that ever happened to you? Have you seen or heard something and realized that you are somehow being touched in your core. You look around at others and they don't seem to be having the same reaction. That's because different things touch them. God has put His thumbprint on your life and when you see or hear something that relates to that destiny...you react.

Watch this video and see what you think. Is it just because of Julie Andrews voice? Is it just because the song is from Sound of Music? I don't think so. It's more than that. See how the people respond. I might be overspiritualizing here but whether these people know God or not...they are all created by Him and when He touches them...they respond. They sing, or dance or move to the music. We all have His thumbprint. We were all "knit together in our mother's womb." And when His hand passes over our lives we can't help but respond.

Enjoy.

Make summer staff training count

Summer staff training is right around the corner. When I was a camp director, I always felt like training was a time for me to roll up all the years of history, all the blood, sweat and tears of previous staff, my mom and dad (founders), board members, donors, etc., the weight of all those great camp memories and relationships into a ball and gingerly handing it off to a bunch of college and older high-school students and saying, "Here you go...please be very careful with this!"

Certainly, summer staff training is the time and place for you to make sure your summer staff are all trained, certified, lisenced, and prepared to assume their summer posts. But it's so much more than that. It's your chance to really pour into them what it means to be on staff at your camp or conference center. They should get a healthy dose of heritage. The founders or previous staffers or camper moms should be featured "after dinner speakers."

Although the content of your training week (or more) is probably already planned, take a look at the following list to help shape the tone for the week.

1. Be Intentional Nothing just happens. That's true in life and also at camp. Those critical things that every staff member absolutely has to know, must be intentionally planned and executed. There's no other way to guarantee that you've done your job. Don't just assume that summer staffers will "pick up" the dining room routine or the lost camper plan.

2. Be Thorough This actually fits with #1. Train the staff all the way. Don't give them the general idea and then move on to something else. Remember, these are not camp professionals. Many of them (no matter how great your hiring job) lack the mindset and the maturity to connect the dots. You are going to need to cover all your bases and leave nothing to their imagination.

3. Be Specific Summer staff training is no place for generalities. You need to train your staff in specifics. "This is how we lead kids to Christ." Or "This is how we make sure we're safe on the lake." Again, you don't want the summer staff just doing what they think is right. 

4. Be Consistent Many camps actually have taken the time to write a manual that describes in detail how tasks should be performed. The only way that McDonald's can guarantee that the Quarter Pounder in Colorado Springs, CO tastes the same as the Quarter Pounder in Alton, NH is because they've left nothing to chance or personal interpretation. They are consistent...every time.

6. Be Realistic At some point you will determine that you simply can't cover everything. And you'll also realize that you can't do a two month training! You'll have to trust at some point. First, trust in God. Second, trust in your ability to recruit the right people and put them in the right places. It's not realistic that you'll be able to cover every possible scenario during training so you'll need to find some peace in knowing that ultimately you've got the right people in place and that God is watching out for you.

7. Be Fun Certainly, training is a very important deal and has huge ramifications if it's not taken seriously. However, don't forget the fun. Staff and campers don't return every year because you've got an efficient way of bussing the tables or because they love the fire drills. They come back because it's fun. The songs, the skits, the traditions are vital and should never be sacrificed.

This is going to be a great summer. Can you feel it?

Make your life extraordinary

Because of the circumstances I currently find myself and my family in, I've been thinking a lot about death lately...and life and how the two work together. I've been thinking a lot about legacy and heritage and what we leave behind when we go. I've been thinking a lot about "numbered days" and "when I've finished the race."

Kind of morbid? Not really. Nothing really focuses the effort like a deadline. That's true whether you're talking about a writing assignment in ninth grade literature, a building project or life itself. When you know when the end is near, you suddenly get pretty serious about the effort you're putting into things.

As of today, there are exactly 48 days until June 1. That's definite and will not change. Depending on exactly when your summer program begins, you've either got a few more or a few days less than 48 to make sure you're ready. So...how's the program for the summer shaping up? Will this be just another year...kind of like last year or the year before? Have you entered your planning in the off-season by simply using the previous year as a starting point and building from there? Or have you started by asking yourself, "How can we be extraordinary this year?"

Look, life's too short to be average. The path that God has ordained and layed out for you is one that only you can travel. It's unique and different and perfectly designed for you. And it's a remarkable path. It's beautiful and exciting and mysterious and it brings glory to Him. Is that where you're walking? Are those the kinds of programs and plans you've made for the summer?

This clip has almost become a cliche but I hope you'll watch it anyway. It's a great reminder that we've got some choices to make. We can let life happen to us or we can have a plan, forcefully advance, and change the world for the better. 

"Lean in and listen."

I think my favorite line is "We are food for worms lads." It may not be very spiritual but its true none the less. You won't last forever. There will come a time when you will no longer be doing what you're doing now. How will you be remembered? What legacy will you leave behind? What will your "brand" be? 

Now is not the time to coast along with average as your standard of whether you've succeeded or not. Now is the time to be remarkable. Now is the time to make your life extraordinary.

Get your head up!

This picture represents my worst nightmare while I was at camp. A big mud hole with a gaping water leak in the bottom of the hole, quickly filling up. From about March 1997 until August 2000 I was the site manager (a more prestigious way to say "maintenance man") at Shepherd's Fold. Of course I was also the development director, summer camp director, marketing director and, oh yeah, executive director. 

It's not so much that I minded these jobs. In fact, many of these jobs I really felt that I'd love to do...if that's ALL I had to do. Except for maintenance. Man those water leaks drove me crazy. Almost nothing's worse than laying down in the mud and reaching into that hole to fix the leak. And asa with any plumbing project, the right tool is the secret. And I never had the right tool.

There are only a few weeks now until your summer season begins. Where's your head? Are you lost in the myriad of details gathered at your feet, gnawing at your ankles? If that's the extent of your vision, it's easy to lose hope (unless you're one of those blessed individuals to whom the above picture causes you to break out into a huge smile). 

David wrote in Psalms 3:3: But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. When our vision has fallen down to our ankles, God loves to reach down and take our chin in His hand and raise our face so we're not looking down in the mud but so we're looking at His face. We're looking out to the horizon. We're looking out to the future. No matter what you're role at camp, you've got to take some time every week or every month or at least every year when you can get your head up out of the mud and dream. To have good perspective on the little things you've got to occassionally get a glimpse of the big picture.

God has a great summer planned for you and for your staff and for the campers and families who will be guests in your camp or conference center. Don't miss it because you're too busy wallowing in the mud.