The Value of a Great Operations Director - with Abigail Stuart and Ari Polsky - CampHacker #157

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/12/operations-director

It’s time for Camp Directors to stop trying to do everything. Invest in operations.

Ari Polsky, the smartie that he is, posed this question in the COVID-19 + Camp Slack last June:

“Based off the texts I have received from a few camp colleagues, and the current setup work I am doing I have some thoughts/questions:

• Are we (as a field) investing enough in operations and systems staff?
• How are we looking to cultivate/train/improve/retain people who keep the trains running on time?

I am talking about the people who can rattle of database queries in their sleep and solve any operations, logistics, camp chessboard problems. It seems like in this time it’s, especially in need.”

The conversation sparked from there and it was clear this was something we needed to zoom in on.

Join Travis, Ari and Abigail Stuart (3/5 of The Brief Newsletter Team!) as they share what their roles have looked like as operational directors and why every camp should consider investing in the position.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

• Travis - Dawn Powerwash - https://amzn.to/3C4EwrJ
• Abi - iGen by Jean Twenge - https://amzn.to/30pQ6kp
• Ari - Bring Your Human to Work: 10 Surefire Ways to Design a Workplace That Is Good for People, Great for Business, and Just Might Change the World by Erica Kesman https://amzn.to/3C9VPHQ
  • Milk Crate https://amzn.to/3F56aqw
  • Miss Excel on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/miss.excel/

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Your Hosts:

• Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Abigail Stuart, Director of Operations - Doxazo Ministries
• Ari Polsky, Marketing, Fundraising and Data Analysis Consultant, AriPolsky.com

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