The best course of action

Colleagues,

Last week I was wrapping up a strategic action cycle (SAC) with a group of amazing early childhood educators. We were trying to decide on the next steps for engaging their parents more deeply.
 
Here were some of the options:

• Record lessons, load them on YouTube and send the link to parents
• Provide information in a weekly paper newsletter
• Email that newsletter
• Host a parents’ nigh on a specific topic
• Write daily notes to parents
• Call parents

 
A SAC emphasizes applying the four principles of leverage:

1. Focusing on the problem, not the symptom
2. Going from A-B
3. Developing minimally viable plans (MVP)
4. Getting the most value for the least effort (M=V/E)

 
So, what option should the teachers go with?
 
It depends on the criteria and what that root problem is. That ties closely into the question of which parents we are trying to reach, as different strategies will work for different groups of parents.
 
There may or may not be a “best” option, but if we don’t know our criteria for success, we can’t be confident in our choices.
 
Do good and be well,
 
Frederick