What do you do all day?
Get my newsletter every week.
It’s all about kids today
If you’ve spent even a little time on the internet or especially social media, you’ve probably run into some version of the Midwit Meme.
It’s one of the funnier (kind of crude) quick snapshots of how people think and tackle problems in life, represented as a bell curve.
The meme shows three figures:
Left → someone with a simple, intuitive approach.
Middle → a smug dude who overthinks everything and blows right past simple solutions.
Right → A Jedi who’s circled back to the simple approach but with all the wisdom to make it actually work.
Looks like this:
The joke is that midwits overcomplicate all the little crap while Jedis circle back to simple truths with wisdom.
We’ll get to what I think is the camp pro version of this in a bit, but for now, know that I’ve been thinking about this meme a lot, and where I (and likely many other directors) currently live on the bell curve.
And I’m especially thinking about it after the first couple of weeks at a new camp.
Quick break: I’m pumped to be using CampMinder this summer.
The Campanion app is our camp parents' favorite part of camp.
That’s weird to say, but the reality is the facial recognition and getting to see their kids every day is everything for them.
Thanks CampMinder for making that possible.
Check out CampMinder and tell them Jack sent you over
Living in the Middle
Last week, I wrote about walking around asking a million different versions of “How does this really work?” to figure out how things tick at Kenwood & Evergreen.
But in this mission to “figure it all out”, what’s happened is just a daily stream of smaller missions and side quests. This is the nicer way of saying: solving a bunch of little problems.
Not a complaint. And not anything different about K&E. These are the normal things. This is the job. We all do it.
You know the stuff I’m talking about.
→ Figuring out how to stop all the ping pong balls from getting lost by junior camp porch. → Making sure the gluten-free options are enough for everyone. → Planning out the schedule so it’s clear for everyone to see if there are changes. → Deciding if we can fix the ice machine ourselves or does someone need to get called in?
You’ve probably got your own running list in your head right now of things you’ve been solving even in the first few weeks.
This is where I currently live while I’m learning. And honestly, this is where most camp directors spend most of their time.
The Camp Director Version
So here’s the camp director version of the midwit meme:
Or to break it down just a bit more.
Left side: “Just talk to kids and staff.” What people think camp directors do. Seems too simple and when this group does it, kind of nothing else gets done.
Middle: Run around solving every problem. Make sure everything is on time. Worry constantly about every supply being ordered. Stress. Pull your hair out. This is where many of us actually live.
Right side: “Just talk to kids and staff.” But now with fully systematized operations, delegated problem solving, and the wisdom to know when to engage.
Why We Get Stuck in the Middle
So why do some of us live in that middle section, drowning in logistics?
First, there’s this whole Puritan work ethic thing. There’s a little (or a lot) of a high from the problem-solving.
It might even be quasi-addictive.
Someone comes to you with an issue, you figure it out, they walk away happy. You feel useful. You feel needed.
So I end up spending my whole day in the problem solving weeds and still feel behind. Cutting off the head of one problem just sprouts two more like a weird camp hydra and now walking around talking to kids and staff feels a little like slacking.
The Jedi Director
But I’ve seen the other side. Part of me feels like I was getting there with my old camp. Makes sense. Had been there 7 years and knew how every little thing worked.
I’ve def seen it in action too. Andy Shlensky at Northstar runs his camp from the front porch. (Hey Andy!)
He picks his very specific spots where he upholds the values of the place and has the system's down pat. He can sit for two hours on the porch, three people come up to ask him questions, and then they go do their thing.
The systems are so clear that he’s not needed every second. When his walkie goes off, it’s for something that actually matters.
This isn’t being lazy. It’s being strategic about where to engage. It’s sitting when you can, so you can hear, feel, and sense what’s actually happening at camp.
What I’m striving for is not sitting around all day. It’s sitting when I can. Walking around when I should. Being available for the stuff that really needs me.
Moving Toward Jedi
How do we get there?
It ain’t gonna happen overnight, especially if you’re new like me or if you’ve been rocking the middle for years. I know I am very much in the middle right now.
So, like with everything, let’s start small. Find one recurring problem and get an easy system around it instead of solving it yourself every time.
It’s spending a lot of time talking about the big goal so we all know we are rowing in the same direction. Classic leadership stuff.
Be cool with letting people handle things their way. Focus on the outcome, not the method to get there. The goal is “a new way” instead of “your way”.
Ask, “Does this need me?” before diving all the way in (unless it’s like a pool problem or something).
The more we can confidently step back from the small stuff, the more available we are for the big stuff. And when staff solve that stuff without you, they get stronger too.
I’m not there yet.
Right now, I’m earning credibility, learning the systems, and finding out about the Hidden Curriculum (yeah, I’m kind of a one-trick pony with this, lol).
But I’m trying damn hard to ask: “Am I solving this because it needs solving, or because I want to feel useful?”
Because eventually, I want to don my Jedi robe and talk to kids and staff all day. Knowing the camp galaxy is working just fine.
You got this,
Jack
PS - Know other camp pros who are looking to level up their game this summer? Would love to have them on this list.
Get my newsletter every week.
It’s all about kids today
Jack Schott
Summer Camp Evangelist