Map vs GPS: Why Copy-Paste Strategies Miss The Turn For Camps

On a recent episode of NHPR’s Outside/In, host Nate Hegyi explores how our reliance on GPS shapes the way we navigate, and more importantly, the way we think. We’ve all heard the stories of stubborn adherence to GPS directions leading to cars driving into lakes (a la Michael Scott) or attempting to turn left inside a tunnel. But there’s a deeper concern than just how fragile our satellite systems really are. Relying exclusively on GPS navigation has a physiological impact on our brains. Now, we’re not saying GPS units are bad; we use them all the time! But it’s a great reminder that tools are helpful, but context is everything.

The Camp Parallel: Copying Tactics vs. Reading Your Terrain

In our strategic planning work with camps, we see a real difference in the kinds of thinking used by camp leaders:

• GPS-thinking (copy & paste): “That camp raised $500K with a gala,” “They went all-in on two-week sessions,” “Their counselor pipeline comes from X university, let’s do that.” It’s fast, seductive, and often brittle.
• Map-thinking (context & choice): You start with the landmarks (mission, outcomes, values), account for terrain (facilities, region, community needs, staffing realities), and then choose a route that fits your conditions.

The NPR episode makes the point vividly: when we let a device do the wayfinding, we disengage the parts of the brain that build a mental map. In organizational life, when we let other people’s playbooks “navigate” for us, we disengage the strategic muscles that make our choices durable.

Why GPS-Thinking Tempts Camp Leaders

• Speed: It feels efficient: just follow the line.
• Proof: Someone else already did it (social proof lowers perceived risk).
• Pressure: Boards, donors, or peers want quick wins.

But just like when GPS units want a left turn into a lake, what looks like a shortcut can burn time, money, and trust if it doesn’t match your context.

What “Map-Thinking” Looks Like

1. Start with landmarks: Mission, values, non-negotiables, and the youth outcomes you promise.
2. Read the terrain: Demand drivers, family demographics, regional school calendars, lodging type, price sensitivity, available talent, and program risk profile.
3. Select a route: A small number of moves that reinforce each other (not a buffet of borrowed tactics).
4. Field-test and recalibrate: Pilot small, gather signals, tune, scale.

The strategic power isn’t in the tactic—it’s in the fit.

When directors use a map mindset, your choices become more coherent, your team moves with clarity, and your stakeholders see a strategy that is both mission-true and operationally sustainable. GPS is still welcome—just as a tool inside a well-understood landscape, not as the driver with the blinker on in a tunnel.

Next time you hear a great idea from another camp leader at a conference or on social media, ask these questions:

A Borrowed-Idea Fit Check (Use This Before You Copy Anything)

1. Context match: How similar is their terrain to ours (audience, facility type, staffing, price point)?
2. Hidden prerequisites: What assets do they have that we don’t (brand, donor base, program equity, HR capacity)?
3. Tradeoffs: What will we stop doing to fund/execute this?
4. Equity impact: Who benefits, who might be excluded, and how will we mitigate that?
5. Signals: What 2–3 early indicators will tell us to scale, adapt, or stop?