that feels like a continuation of their development, not to ‘catch them doing something wrong’ or to drop a big surprise on their laps. If someone is having little success, evaluations should not be the first time they are hearing about it.
2. Emphasize the importance of providing legitimate, specific and ongoing feedback during evaluations and all summer long. Encourage supervisors to follow the motto, “When you see it, say it.” Meaning, don’t wait to give feedback. It should be time- ly, relevant and with wonderful intentions. Feedback is always meant to help someone, even at its most concerned state.
3. Encourage supervisors to write down the specific examples they want to communicate during the evaluation process. “Winging it” is always a bad idea when it comes to providing formal feedback. Staff members are waiting to hear about them- selves, so they are often listening with great anticipation during evaluations. Supervisors must be prepared with well thought out examples to maintain the credibility of the evaluation.
4. Prior to evaluation time, role-play challenging evaluation dis- cussions with your supervisors, preferably one-on-one. Private role play is often taken more seriously than classroom role play. It feels like coaching rather than a silly training exercise. It’s important to reduce the anxiety some supervisors feel about this process. Practicing is sometimes the best way to do this.
5. Decide on a way to open & close the evaluation discussion. Have your team think through a common way to set up the eval- uation discussion. Sometimes simply asking, “So how are you feeling about receiving an evaluation today?” provides the super- visor with some insight on what to do next. Some people need reassurance at the start to reduce the “noise” running through their head.
Some staff members are so nervous they are incapable of lis-
tening. A gentle reassurance or reminder of why this process is done may be helpful. Similarly, a common ending to the evalua- tion process could be very effective for a leadership team. One possibility is to have all supervisors recap the goals discussed and ask, “So which one of these will be most difficult for you to accomplish?” or “What did I leave out? Is there something that you are proud of that I may have missed?”
Does our evaluation design help or hurt the quality of the evalu- ation discussion? When a staff member reads his or her evalua- tion form during orientation, it should be like providing them the answers to the test before the test is given. Evaluation forms should focus on actual job behaviours that are measurable and observable. The most successful evaluation design breaks a staff member’s job into core categories. Each category serves as a core responsibility for the job. A counsellor’s core categories may include: Camper Care,
Group Management, Partnering w with Supervisor & Co-Staff, and Participation. Each of these core categories gets broken down into defining
behaviours needed in order to successfully meet the standard of the core category. For instance, Partnering with Supervisor & Co-Staff may include defining behaviours such as:
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• Asks for help when unsure of expectations, decisions or solutions;
• Collaborates with co-counsellors to anticipate the day and solve problems;
• Provides supervisor with ongoing communication about the campers; and
• Is open to feedback and learning new skills to increase job performance and satisfaction.
These defining behaviours are important to make the evalu-
ation a training tool. These behaviours paint a picture of what a good job looks like and gives the supervisor a strong starting point when discussing the overall category with the staff mem- ber. Without these defining behaviours, we hurt our evaluation discussion. Remember, people challenge feedback that isn’t clear or specific. By assessing the accuracy of the core categories and clarity of
the defining behaviours, you ensure your camp’s evaluation design is helping. The process of evaluating summer staff can be challenging.
The summer is intense, with greater priorities sometimes taking the place of quality feedback. However, by simply reducing sur- prises, training supervisors, and focusing on actual job behaviours, you can increase the quality and effectiveness of your camp’s eval- uation process. Supervisors will feel more comfortable and credi- ble, while staff will see the process as valuable and helpful.
CC
Jay Frankel is the president of True to Life Training (
www.true-
tolifetraining.com), which offers programs and services designed to improve communication, management and interpersonal skills.
Spring 2010 Canada Camps 25
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