Ah, Summer break feels so fine, right? No homework to worry about, no school lunches to pack, no permission slips to turn in and no PTO stuff. Er, if you agree with all of those things, including that there should be no PTO stuff done over Summer break, then that’s just one of the three mistakes I’ll lay out in the post!
You see, while Summer is a time to take a break and spend more time with family, it is NOT a time to take a complete break from all things PTO. If you do that, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice!
No, ma’am! That’s the first mistake too many PTO leaders make.
Mistake #1: Waiting until Fall
Don’t wait until school starts in the Fall to begin planning for the new school year! You’ll find yourself behind the 8 ball and be scrambling through the year to catch up. Instead, take some time during the Summer to get plans together so you’ll just have to execute come Fall. It’s a heckuva lot easier to just do what has been planned when the busy start of the school year comes than it is to try to figure out what to do and then try to do it all.
Mistake #2: Not meeting
Another mistake some PTOs make is to not gather during the Summer to plan for the coming year. Heck, if you really don’t want to plan as a group, at least get together for some fun social time! Pick a date go out together and enjoy some adult drinks and desserts. The time spent bonding and getting to know each other will help you work better as a group throughout the school year.
Really on the ball PTO leaders know that the best gathering involves adult drinks and planning! Set some goals as a group during this time and get a general picture f what the year will look like as far as programs fundraisers and events.
Mistake #3: Not looking at what’s been done in the past
Ok, so you’ve taken my advice on the get your plans together during the Summer. But don’t fall into the third mistake too many PTO leaders make of not considering what’s been done in the past when planning. All leaders should be evaluating past programs to see:
- What worked
- What didn’t work
- What needs to be done away with
- What could stand some tweaking if repeated
Willy-nilly planning without this crucial information won’t serve you in the long run. Take a look at past events and do some thinking about them when you’re planning.
The Fix
Ok, now you know three mistakes that too many PTO leaders make during the Summer and how to avoid them! If you want a set of tools to help you with the whole planning process, I highly recommend you check out the President’s Planner or one of the many other planning tools I have available in my shop. They’re all designed to help support you in your leadership role to be the most effective and organized leader throughout your term!
Want even more advice about avoiding these mistakes? Watch this:
