Once Upon a Time...
...a group of students decided they were going to change their campus forever.
They had big ideas. They dreamed about fixing the problems once and for all.
There was just one little problem: they weren't actually in charge of the kingdom...
The best SGs know what power they have, and don't have. They know where they fit on campus. And they're realistic about which issues are winnable.
They put their limited people, time, money, authority, and influence where they can actually make a tangible, measurable difference.
You don't have to change the world. You need to make your students' world better.
1. Don't take the name Government literally.
SG doesn't make laws. It doesn't have an SG PD. There's no SG lock-up for student groups who break your rules.
You can't pass a resolution Tuesday night and expect the president, faculty, and staff to scramble into action Wednesday morning.
Even the claim that SG "represents the students" has limits. If only a handful of students voted in your last election, you don't really represent the entire student body. And administrators know it.
Does that mean SG is powerless? Not at all.
→ Read: Is SG a Real Government?
2. You're Not Superman.
Superman has all sorts of powers. That's not your SG. No SG is Superman.
SG is a lot more like Batman.
The Bat has no powers at all. He trained for years to fight. He has tools: the batmobile, batarang, batsuit, all created with the help of his inherited fortune. His wits and detective skills let him fight crime. He knows his limitations.
SG can't force the institution to do anything.
→ Read: Which Superhero Is SG?
3. Know What You Actually Control.
What power has your institution actually given you?
Your powers are appointed, deferred or delegated. SG Man knows what his powers are (and aren't), then uses them to fight crime on campus.
→ Check Your Power
4. Your College Is a Team.
Just like a football, baseball, volleyball, or basketball team.
The best players are on the field. They play a key role. They work together with team members. They're critical to winning. And SG is one of the players. Hopefully.
Question: Is your SG even on the team? Are you contributing? Are you on the sidelines or dugout, hoping for a chance to play a minute or two? Or even worse, are you a spectator sitting in the stands?
→ Read: Are You a Player?
5. You Don't Have to Make the Final Decision.
Power and influence aren't the same thing.
Maybe SG doesn't get the final vote. That doesn't mean you're irrelevant.
Your job is to bring student opinions, research, ideas, and recommendations to the powers that be. Build relationships with them. If you've fostered credibility over time, they may actually listen. And then act.
→ Read: Does SG Have Influence? → Grade Your SG's Influence
6. Can We Win This?
SG sure doesn't have unlimited people, power, money, and time. Accounting for Spring Break, Christmas, Halloween, Homecoming, federal holidays, weather days and weekends, your year-long term gets trimmed down to just six months of actual work.
People: Are you fully staffed with all positions filled by competent people?
Time: Can we finish before our term is over?
Money: Can we fund it?
Power: Do we have the authority to say yes or no?
→ Read: What Are Your Chances?
7. Yes. Some Things Are.
SG can't cut tuition costs. You can't build a new computer science building or parking garage. You can't make companies lower textbook prices.
Nothing SG does will make every student love all the food served on campus.
It's hard to hear, but some things are nearly impossible.
→ Read: Is Anything Impossible?
8. It May Be Possible. Just Not Probable.
Maybe it costs a lot of money or five people have to say yes. Maybe there's a contract. Maybe faculty have to sign on. Maybe the trustees have to chime in. Maybe it'll take three years. Or five.
Take food service. Students always (not just occasionally) complain about the food quality, the choices, the hours, or the vendor. They want SG to fix it.
But what if your institution is in the middle of a five-year food-service contract? All those changes may already be locked in. SG can complain. You can ask for changes. You might even get some.
But what if the contract expires this year?
Get to work surveyinh students, documenting problems, recommending changes, serving on the selection committee, meeting with potential vendors, and making sure student priorities are part of the next contract.
The issue didn't change. The timing did. And your chances changed with it.
Ask: Can we do this NOW?
Timing matters. Contracts matter. Money matters. Authority matters. And knowing when an opportunity is coming can turn a super-difficult issue into something you actually have a chance to win.
→ Read: What's Super Difficult?
9. This Is Where SG Should Live.
Expect to win. Pick projects you will win.
You have the people. The time. The money. The power or influence. No giant roadblocks.
Maybe it isn't going to change higher education forever. Who cares?
Most of what SG does is bread-and-butter stuff. Fix something students gripe about every day. Improve a service. Solve an aggravating problem. Make something easier. Add something students need. Improve something they can actually see or feel.
One of those wins may not seem like much. Put enough of them together and they start telling a story.
This SG gets things done.
You probably won't change the world.
But you can change it for your students.
→ Read: What's Probable?
Your team wins. Suddenly everybody's a fan.
People who never paid attention start watching. You see way more swag around town.
Yes, some of them are fair-weather fans. Keep winning and some turn into fans for life.
Create the SG bandwagon effect.
Get something done. Then do it again.
Students start noticing.
Something is different about this SG.
Your image improves. Awareness grows. Students pay more attention. Administrators suddenly notice. Your own members start expecting to win.
Don't Work on Everything. Work on Three.
Ten goals. Fifteen priorities. Twenty-five things everybody thinks would be nice to fix.
Most won't happen. Go ahead and try to do them all. Your staff will burn out. And quit.
If you have 5 people in SG, take on just one project. Have 50, divide the work and focus on three. If you have 500, guess what? Still three.
More members don't mean more priorities. They mean more staff working on your priorities.
Get the three done. Then pick three more.
10. More Than You Think.
Knowing what you can accomplish is the beginning of your journey. Once you've chosen a realistic issue, there's still a long and winding road ahead, filled with obstacles and dangers.
The great SGs don't have the longest list of big ideas or big promises.
They make things better for students.
Understand your power. Know where you fit. Choose issues you will win. Don't spread yourself too thin.
Get something done. Then do it again.