Skill for staff supervisors

Camping Magazine, May-June, 1996 by Bob Ditter

With summer fast approaching, many directors have been preoccupied with making last minute staff appointments and preparing for the arrival of 1996's crop of campers. With all of these concerns, it is easy to overlook the preparation and training of staff supervisors.

Because most supervisors have some experience, they can add knowledge and expertise that can give your camp program greater depth and stability. These people serve as a "starter dough" for younger or less experienced staff. Supervisors are the people who reinforce camp policy, philosophy, and culture during the season.

Ideally, supervisors should be a part of an ongoing, year-round staff development program. Whether they have moved up through the ranks or have come in from another organization, supervisors must truly be in agreement about the range of acceptable behavior in the following important areas at camp:

* camper discipline and child management techniques

* expectations for program staff, bunk counselors, and group leaders

* policies on drugs, alcohol, and curfew

* grounds and procedures for dismissal (e.g., who fires staff; what's the policy)

* methods for coaching, supporting, and rewarding staff.

Supervisors need to discuss and role play particular responses to specific situations at camp, because these exercises help staff understand what is and is not acceptable at camp. Even staff who have been with a camp for several years and think they are clear about camp policy can encounter difficulties when they go to put that policy into practice.

Likewise, if you plan to introduce new techniques or procedures, or have a new orientation program, you should present the information to supervisors and key staff. Besides creating a greater sense of solidarity, exposing your supervisors to new methods and material allows them to digest the information, buy into the ideas, and become more comfortable with new language and procedures. Having such prior exposure allows supervisors to appear and act more certain and competent. Furthermore, giving key staff a preview of the things that have been planned for the summer encourages them to take greater ownership in the program, which increases their stake in its success.

Once the supervisory duties begin, key staff will need skills in four significant areas in order to be successful as supervisors: observation, confrontation, check-listing, and repair work.

Observation

Observation skills are essential for anyone who wants to be effective with people. Being a good observer means many things, including:

* watching carefully (being undistracted)

* waiting to draw conclusions

* checking assumptions and appearances

* observing ones own biases, likes, and dislikes.

One helpful aid for supervisors is to brainstorm and prepare a guide to use while observing staff. It could include such categories as eye contact, appropriate touch, one-on-one communication, speaking up with camper groups, pitching in, and working well with co-counselors. Having a guide helps keep observations neutral. The guide will evolve as people use it and identify more distinct or specific categories of counselor behavior.

Confrontation

The second central skill area for supervisors is confrontation. Volumes could be written about confrontation skills, and it takes years of practice for most people to use them well. However, a few tips and pointers can serve as a primer for unexperienced or younger supervisors.

The word confrontation has negative connotations for most people. Hurt feelings, fears about escalating arguments, and a lack of skills contribute to this apprehension. Confrontation in its most useful form, however, is not an attack or character assassination; it is an opportunity for people to look at something with mutual respect. Obviously, when that "something" is a counselor's own performance, pride and defensiveness can get in the way. Thus, supervisors need to become versed in how to handle this type of situation.

Some supervisors, when approaching staff about a sensitive issue, first make a positive comment before pointing out a shortcoming. While this can be effective, remember that females typically remember only negative feedback, while males typically remember only positive feedback.

Another technique is "checking it out." "Can I check something out with you?" can be a simple, but effective, opening phrase. Another useful phrase is, "I was wondering. . ." For example, "I was wondering if you know that pillow fights aren't something we do here." The language is inclusive and gives the counselor the benefit of the doubt.

The checklist

When giving feedback to staff, most supervisors use nonspecific language, which often sends a message that is unclear. To avoid this, use a checklist. The checklist is a specific way to give more precise feedback. When supervisors say "You need to have better contact with the children," what do they really mean? With a checklist, supervisors can itemize specific behaviors. For example, they can tell a counselor, "stand in the middle of your group, make more eye contact, speak up sooner, and gather the group together before changing activities."