In the summer of 2009, I found myself stuck. I had returned to camp in 2007 after a decade away, and while I loved being back, I kept running into the same challenge—the six-week slump. Every summer started strong, but by the midpoint, energy dipped, frustrations built up, and it felt like we were just trying to push through to the finish line. I wanted to break the cycle, but I wasn’t sure how.
That’s when I was given The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. I had never heard of positive psychology before, but one simple idea—starting meetings by sharing three pieces of gratitude—stood out. I tried it with our program area leads, and the impact was immediate. Attitudes shifted, the program improved, and we created a culture of appreciation that helped us push past the slump.
That experience taught me that getting unstuck often requires rethinking the way we do things. Recently, I picked up Reset by Dan Heath, a book that dives into exactly that—how to identify what’s not working and make real, lasting changes. Just like The Happiness Advantage helped shift our camp culture, Reset offers powerful insights that can help camp professionals break free from old patterns and create meaningful improvements. In this article, I’ll share some of the biggest takeaways from Reset—and why they matter for camp leadership.
In Reset, Dan Heath introduces two key strategies for making meaningful change: finding leverage points and restocking resources.
A leverage point is a small but powerful area where a targeted adjustment can create outsized results. Instead of overhauling an entire system, the key is to identify where a small shift—whether in process, mindset, or priorities—can unlock greater efficiency and impact.
Restocking resources is about recognizing when burnout, stretched-thin teams, or insufficient tools are the real barriers to success. Sometimes, the best “fix” isn’t a new strategy but making sure people have the energy, time, and support to execute effectively.
For camp professionals, these ideas are especially relevant. With limited time and resources, the ability to pinpoint high-impact changes and ensure staff and systems are properly supported can make all the difference in running an effective, mission-driven program.
These ideas came to life in a recent book club discussion with my colleague, Julia Bessen. When I asked her where she felt stuck, she immediately brought up our camp’s laundry system—a constant source of frustration due to lost items and inefficiencies. It felt like something we just had to deal with, but Julia saw an opportunity to apply Reset’s approach.
To get a clearer understanding, Julia didn’t just brainstorm solutions from her desk—she went and saw the work firsthand. By visiting the laundry facility and observing the process, she pinpointed a key bottleneck: the transition from campers’ bags to facility-provided bags was causing mix-ups and delays. On average, we ran three laundry loads per session, and nearly 20 campers experienced issues each time—most often missing more than just a sock. Sorting through misplaced laundry was consuming 6-8 hours of staff time each week, as we tried to resolve these issues.
Instead of pushing for a complete overhaul, Julia identified targeted tweaks that could streamline the process. One of the key changes involved adjusting how items were sorted when they arrived at the facility and making sure the bags were better labeled and tracked. We’re now refining the system in partnership with the facility and are exploring whether bringing laundry in-house could give us more control and reduce issues. Early indications suggest these small adjustments have saved valuable staff hours and reduced the number of parent calls about lost items.
This experience is a perfect example of Reset’s core lesson: meaningful change doesn’t always require massive effort—just the right leverage point and a fresh perspective.
One More Idea from Reset
Another idea from the book that really resonated with me was the power of real-time feedback. Heath highlights an example from a football stadium that installed “Happy or Not” buttons to collect immediate input from fans, allowing the organization to make on-the-fly improvements. This concept felt familiar—at camp, we’re already pretty maniacal about collecting and using feedback. We analyze camper programming surveys, run mid-session check-ins, and regularly measure staff satisfaction. But what the book reinforced for me was the value in not just gathering that feedback, but using it in the moment to make small changes that improve satisfaction before the summer is over.
While I don’t have a fully formed plan yet, one area I’m now thinking about more intentionally is the Health Center visit experience. Campers are constantly moving through that space—for meds, injuries, check-ins—and I wonder if there’s a way to improve that interaction in real time. Maybe that’s a feedback mechanism, or a change in flow or environment, but it feels like an area where a thoughtful tweak could go a long way.
What does this mean for your camp?
Think about something causing frustration for you and your staff at YOUR camp. Is there a leverage point that can help? Or a way to restock resources to better meet the challenge? Let us know if you have a good idea to share with the field!
About Michael: Michael Wax is celebrating his 35th summer at Beber Camp, where he grew up and now serves as the Camp Director. While waterskiing is his favorite camp pastime, he spends more time fulfilling his rock star dreams by playing Hatikvah each morning to campers—despite being a terrible guitarist. It's all part of the magic of camp life!
Interested in contributing to the Directors’ Corner, a periodic series featuring ideas from the field? We're interested in featuring something you're puzzling out, an innovation that you want to share with the field, or any other small or big intervention that's making a difference at your camp. Pitch us your idea at jcamp180@hgf.org and we will help you with the article.