Tips on Making a Succesful Student Government

If any group on a high-school campus needs to work well together, it better be the Student Government right? The function and level of activity of the Student Government at any particular high-school (Or College for that matter) varies, but one thing remains the same. They still need to know how to lead and how to work together cooperatively. Here are a few tips for any student government to help them learn how to be more effective, work better together and in general do what they do better.

Meet With Each Other

The first thing is first, you have to know each other to work together. Your student government has to meet at least twice a week on a regular basis. These don't have to be long or drawn out affairs...anything from a half hour to and hour will do. The importance of this activity however is the necessity of being updated on each other's progress, of being aware of each other as fellow government member and to encourage free communication and cooperation.

Talk. Talk. Talk. & Plan. Plan. Plan.

In reality the previous tip is just a way to emphasize this one. Don't stop talking to each other keep in a state of constant communication. Inform each other of status on projects, of work and of all things that are going on. Use this communication to help plan, there is no such thing as planning too much. If you are in the student government both your status, the student body and the staff are depending upon and relying upon your activities to be well thought out.

Facilitation

Invest time into learning how to facilitate groups instead of intruding and becoming an active member yourself. This is a valuable skill for any leader. When trying to see what the rest of the government thinks, or when speaking to the staff or the student body itself. This will include a lot of working in groups to sort it out, a LOT of it. Anticipate hours spent learning icebreakers, team-builders, meeting formats and when to use every technique you learn. Learning how to facilitate a group however is an important skill.

Be Willing to Be Serious. Be Willing to Be Silly.

You need to be willing to be both serious and a bit silly to get everything that a student government SHOULD do, done. You have to approach your work seriously and then learn that if you want students to let loose and exhibit school spirit you have to be willing to make an idiot of yourself. Do silly ice-breakers, team builders, spirit activities. At the same time approach your work and position seriously. It's a fine line determining which of each is too much or too little, it's something every leader and every government has to learn for themselves.

Meet with the Staff

Something few student governments do. MEET with the Staff. Ask your principal, your deans, your school departments whatever it takes. Meet them, make sure they know who and what you are and who and what you are doing. Many of them will have good to great suggestions, and many at first will also prove skeptical and potentially derisive towards you. Learn how to deal with this and then do so. Having the Staff be aware of your activities, hearing about them FROM you will prove invaluable. It is often suggested that only the President, or a small portion of the lead "cabinet" of the student government should go to talk to them, that is perfectly acceptable. One of the best places to meet with the staff is at their meetings. Arrange a time on their schedule to appear and talk.

Meet with the Students

You are their government right? You should represent them. Seek out their opinions, do what you can to make their desires reality (Within the framework of possibility and reasoning that you are in fact in a school.) Arrange meetings with them, focus groups what ever is appropriate and potentially useful to you and necessary for the topic/subject at hand.