Nick and Carol Randall had a dream for themselves and their two sons: to live at summer camp, re-creating their own memories of swimming in a lake, hiking the mountains, and laughing around the campfire every evening. So, when Green Mountain Camp in Vermont went up for sale, they scraped together their savings and bought the property and the business. Soon they learned why the camp was for sale: the cabins were run down, the kitchen was below health standards, the dock was falling into the lake. But as they assessed the situation, adding up the repairs necessary to open for a summer session of school-age boys, they realized they had an even more serious problem: a lack of employees. When they bought the camp, the previous owners were vague about the commitment of camp staff from year to year; when the Randalls tried to contact both the camp chef and head counselor, neither answered phone calls or e-mails. Something was clearly wrong. Why weren’t Green Mountain staff members motivated to return to work at the camp? After they hired contractors to make the necessary physical repairs to the camp, the Randalls set about recruiting job candidates—talking with them to learn what they needed and wanted in their jobs and how to motivate them not only to serve the camp and its campers but also to stay. One way the Randalls decided to spread the word about the change in ownership was a Web site. The new Web site included an introduction to the Randalls and an invitation to previous staffers to contact them. The site offered job descriptions with meager benefits, but it promised a welcoming, positive atmosphere with opportunities for forming new camp programs, social time, and more comfortable accommodations. Inquiries from both past staff members and interested newcomers began to trickle in, as did registration applications from campers themselves. Nick and Carol interviewed candidates to learn not only what their skills were but also what would motivate them to commit themselves to the job for more than one summer. Candidates included school teachers, recent college graduates, and even one retired businessman who just wanted to spend his summers outdoors teaching kids how to kayak and sail. The Randalls hired him immediately, hoping to tap his business knowledge in addition to his outdoor skills. All the candidates said they simply wanted to be treated fairly, given some freedom to make decisions on the spot that might benefit or enrich the children, and be paid promptly. They were pleased to hear that the campground itself was under renovation. By late June, the Randalls had filled all the staff positions and had only a few empty spots left for campers. As the first campers began to arrive, the Randalls believed their dream of living at summer camp might really come true.
1. What steps might the Randalls take to design motivating jobs for camp staff?
2. What needs might they be able to fill for camp staff?
3. In what ways might the empowerment of camp staff affect the success of the camp?
