Let me tell you--I wish every one of you head-smacker proponents could take a road trip over here! There are far too many heads that need it, and I only have two hands!
If something is tradition--by all means keep it! My issue is when, say, a fundraiser is losing money at an alarming rate every year, yet they doggedly stick with it "because _______." (Pick your poison to fill in the blank). This even though they are given winning ideas with people willing to chair AND who actually have a game plan and understand how to gauge things like how much you can anticipate to make.
I made the mistake of opening my mouth at our last meeting--I usually keep it clamped shut out of fear of being more unpopular than I already am. And I honestly DO try to be nice--ask Bertha!! Ai yi yi!! To say the fall-out from a couple of stances I took did NOT go over well is the understatement of the century. But that's a whole other topic for a thread!
Unfortunately in the face of alarming stupidity (and I'm very sorry--but there really is NO other way to express the behavior of the officers of my school's PTO) I tend to think only sarcastically. I know, passive-aggresive, but here are some of my more pointed comebacks to the "we do it because it works" or "well that's the way we've always done it:"
"And it works so well--I can see why you stick with it...."
"Wow--it must be such a burden to never need improvement--how do you handle the pressure?"
"You know, on second thought you're right. That whole, 'Working to make things better' idea is highly over-rated."
"Ah, you're right. Why actually take pride in something?"
"Oh, I see--saving money on expenses while making more isn't the goal here."
When our BOE and superintendent were criticized at a recent BOE meeting about our highschool, the superintendent said, "I disagree, our highschool isn't as bad as you're making it out to be--why, we're number 9 in the county." I wanted so badly to stand up and say--"OH MY GOD. And the problem with actually striving for excellence and being number one is...?"
Family Fun Night (FFN)was a tradition in my school.(7yrs.) We always had to beg for volunteers & were always open to new ideas (like what to do to our principal) & games. We kept what worked & what didn't we got rid of or modified. The last 2 yrs. I had NO help except for set-up. Then I had 2-3 people. Talk about hectic. I did everything from planning, begging for volunteers, ordering prizes, flyers..... because NO ONE would help & I wouldn't let the kids down because they were looking forward to it.I can't tell you how much of my time & effort went into this. There were times I went to the school just to go thru everything & put prizes into the prize buckets. Not to mention what I did at home. Be thankful you have people who want to help & give new ideas. Try them because if they don't work, you don't have to do it next yr.If they do, you've added something new for the kids.
Family Fun Night (FFN)was a tradition in my school.(7yrs.) We always had to beg for volunteers & were always open to new ideas (like what to do to our principal) & games. We kept what worked & what didn't we got rid of or modified. The last 2 yrs. I had NO help except for set-up. Then I had 2-3 people. Talk about hectic. I did everything from planning, begging for volunteers, ordering prizes, flyers..... because NO ONE would help & I wouldn't let the kids down because they were looking forward to it.I can't tell you how much of my time & effort went into this. There were times I went to the school just to go thru everything & put prizes into the prize buckets. Not to mention what I did at home. Be thankful you have people who want to help & give new ideas. Try them because if they don't work, you don't have to do it next yr.
I have read everyone's responses and I somewhat agree with most, but why would you run your businees from a ten year old or a fifty year old model? We all agree that PTO is a business and should be run as one- but why would you keep it a 1980 model of business if innovation is key to keeping competitive? Take stock of the major businesses out there, they are always changing with the times and technology to keep up with the current trends and so should we. PTO should never be about "business as usual". We need innovators and movers to keep our organizations strong and competitive with the current economic situation. Our parents want the best value out of what they put in, and we must find those solution to do just that. I know what evryone is saying..." If it's not broke, why fix it?" It is not about fixing PTO, but offering alternatives to make our jobs more streamlined and getting more for our value in thew long term. Talking is a short cry from accomplishing this, as we all know "talk is cheap." We need those within our team to embrace change, not to fear it. It takes alot of courage for those in charge not only to do something different from the norm, but also to convince others to support the idea in the first place. I feel " this is the way we always do it..." is nothing but a crutch to not be innovating with an ecuse for fear of being difeerentand fear of failing. No one fails at something, one finds success at what doesn't work and keeps going till they do find what is successful.
When told ....."Weve always done it that way", you need to consider whether or not thier way is working. If it is not working, then you need to explain why your way is better. Be opened minded and try to compromise. I find it useful to listen to multiple viewpoints and incorporate a master plan from there. Focus on the goal and not on being right. People fear change, therefore they tend to believe that there is only one way to do things. Ease thier fears by explaining the benefits of change. Good luck, and thumbs up for thinking outside the box.
I know change is something many people have problems with in all organizational cultures, as well as personally, so it could be fear of leaving the comfort zone. However, before you just assume that all new ideas are discarded out of hand and rejected look into it more closely. Some things are steeped in tradition, and tradition is not necessarily a bad thing. If your school has always done "Fall Fair" don't automatically assume that it needs a change and should be "Spring Fling." "Fall Fair" is part of that school's identity. There may be good reasons to switch, or maybe just make some smaller changes to the oldie but goodie. There is always room to improve everything, and every idea should be given respectful consideration in a mature manner. That doesn't mean it has to be implemented or the group is "change-phobic." I agree with the idea of adding in new, with the old. Also, start with small changes, little improvements rather than complete overhauls. Make an effort to respect and keep alive important traditions. How would you feel if your new sister-in-law wanted to change your family's 6+ generation "Christmas Eve Dinner" to "Christmas Brunch" the same year she married into the family. A little resentful, maybe? Would you offer to do both - keep the old tradition, and start a new one to incorporate the new member? There is always a compromise. It's important to work with human nature, not against it. A little change is great, refreshing, and keeps things interesting. A lot of big changes, or constant change, can be confusing.
