9:00-10:00AM Managing Decisions Fatigue for Professionals
Camp leaders make hundreds of decisions a day - big and small, urgent and strategic. Over time, that constant demand takes a toll. This session explores how decision fatigue affects clarity, judgment, and emotional regulation in leadership roles, and how to prevent it from leading to burnout. Participants will learn how the brain’s “decision-making fuel” gets depleted, how stress compounds the problem, and how to build systems that reduce unnecessary choices. Practical tools include strategies for batching tasks, creating decision thresholds for staff, and using templates or SOPs to preserve mental energy for what truly matters, leading to fewer reactive choices, more intentional leadership, and better outcomes for campers and staff alike. Objectives: Participants will (1) understand what decision fatigue is and how it impacts leadership performance and wellbeing; (2) identify common sources of decision overload in camp settings and their effects on clarity and consistency; (3) learn strategies to minimize unnecessary decision-making through structure, delegation, and scheduling systems; and (4) apply the “decision threshold” model to empower staff and streamline daily operations.
Speaker - Emily Golinksi