Why Adaptive Listening Helps Camp Directors Feel Steadier
And How It Strengthens Your Resilient Blueprint Operating System
This article is inspired by the book Adaptive Listening: How to Cultivate Trust and Traction at Work by Nicole Lowenbraun, MS CCC SLP, and Maegan Stephens, PhD. Their work offers a simple way for leaders to build more trust and clarity. What follows is how these ideas fit inside the Resilient Blueprint Operating System (RBOS) for camps.
Running a camp can feel like a season of quick decisions, long to-do lists, and problems that show up at the worst time. Even strong leaders feel stretched by the pressure to keep people safe, keep systems steady, and keep parents informed.
In all this noise, one skill helps you feel more in control:
Adaptive Listening.
Listening on purpose so your response fits the moment.
Adaptive Listening makes daily work smoother. When you combine it with the RBOS, you reduce stress and build steadier systems over time.
Here is how it works.
1. Most Camp Problems Are Not About Talking
They are about mismatched listening
Camp days move fast. It is common for people to bring you a problem when your brain is already full. In these moments, trouble grows when the type of listening does not match what the person needs.
For example:
Staff feel upset and receive quick fixes
Parents want clear answers and receive warm reassurance
Leadership teams want a decision and receive more discussion
Seasonal staff want direction and receive empathy
When your listening mode is not aligned, the conversation takes longer and feels heavier.
Adaptive Listening gives you four simple modes:
Connect. “I hear how you feel.”
Clarify. “Let us make sure we see the same facts.”
Collaborate. “Let us sort this out together.”
Catalyze. “Here is the next step.”
These modes help you respond with more intention. They also fit well with how the RBOS encourages leaders to slow down, notice what is happening, and take one small step at a time.
2. Why Adaptive Listening Fits Camp Life
Many leadership models feel too corporate or too complex for camp. Most camp conversations happen:
On the way to an activity
With little sleep
With kids or staff waiting nearby
In the middle of a safety concern
Adaptive Listening works because it is:
Simple enough to use under stress
Easy to teach to seasonal staff
Helpful for campers, parents, and team members
Flexible enough for emotional moments
It is a people-first skill that complements the RBOS, which is a systems-first tool designed for overloaded camp directors.
3. How Adaptive Listening Supports the Resilient Blueprint Operating System
The RBOS helps you feel less overwhelmed by giving you a small set of tools you can use each week. When you pair these tools with Adaptive Listening, you build trust faster and make clearer decisions.
Here is how the two fit together.
Three Safety Nets
Adaptive Listening helps you read what is happening in each net
The Three Safety Nets in the the RBOS are:
Financial Resilience
Operational Resilience
Community Resilience
Many problems inside these nets begin with unclear communication.
Adaptive Listening helps you:
Notice whether a concern is emotional, factual, or systemic
Understand what the person truly needs
Respond in a way that builds trust instead of fear
Keep conversations shorter and calmer
When people feel heard, your three safety nets strengthen.
The PATH Framework
Adaptive Listening makes the “Humanize” step stronger
The PATH tool asks you to look at one heavy situation and ask:
What do I need to Protect?
What can I Amplify?
What should I Trim?
How can I Humanize?
Adaptive Listening sits right inside the Humanize step.
When you choose the right listening mode, people feel safer and more willing to work with you on solutions.
The Three S’s
Adaptive Listening helps you see the real source of the problem
Many camp conflicts are not “people problems.” They are:
Self-esteem issues
System issues
Power or structure issues
Adaptive Listening helps you understand which S is at play. A good question or a moment of Connect often reveals the real issue and keeps you from fixing the wrong thing.
One Small System
Adaptive Listening makes small systems easier to design and follow
The RBOS asks you to choose one small system to improve each week.
Adaptive Listening helps you:
Hear where confusion really lives
Listen for the steps that need to be clearer
Write systems in simple language
Test those systems with staff in a low-stress way
Small systems stick when people feel comfortable giving honest feedback. Adaptive Listening creates that comfort.
Simple Rhythms
Better listening makes these rhythms more useful
The RBOS uses simple rhythms like:
Daily checkins/huddles
Weekly check-ins
Quarterly resets
When you begin each rhythm with a clear listening mode, the group moves faster and stays calmer. For example:
Connect for a stressed staff team
Clarify when everyone is confused
Collaborate for shared problems
Catalyze when a decision is overdue
These rhythms keep the RBOS alive. Adaptive Listening keeps the people inside those rhythms steady.
4. What Adaptive Listening Looks Like at Camp
Scenario 1. A staff member is overwhelmed
Most directors jump to problem-solving.
What she needs is Connect.
Try:
“I hear that this feels heavy. Tell me what part is the hardest.”
She calms and becomes easier to support.
Scenario 2. A parent sends a long, worried email
Many directors start with facts.
The parent needs to feel understood first.
Try:
“I can tell you are worried. I want to make sure you have the information you need.”
Then move into Clarify.
Scenario 3. Your leadership team is stuck in a loop
They think they are collaborating.
They actually need a clear next step.
Try:
“It sounds like we have enough to decide. Here is what we will do next.”
This shifts the group back into motion.
5. RBOS and Adaptive Listening Work Best When Used Together
The RBOS helps you steady your camp systems.
Adaptive Listening helps you steady your relationships.
Together, they help you:
Make clearer decisions
Respond instead of react
Reduce staff drama
Shorten parent conflict
Build trust faster
Stay calm when things get loud
Feel more in control of your season
These tools are simple, but not small.
They help camp directors lead with more confidence and less fear.
A Final Note and Another Acknowledgment
Parts of this article were inspired by the book Adaptive Listening by Nicole Lowenbraun MS CCC SLP and Maegan Stephens PhD. Their work is a helpful next step if you want to deepen your listening skills and build stronger, more trusting teams.
**a note from Travis about AI use: I'm using AI in almost all of my communications and consulting work. AI helps me solve for my learning/writing disorder AND helps me write more blog posts.
