Step 6: The Measures

Advocacy is not like the movies.

We are used to seeing big wins as these one off moments at the end of a heart warming movie.

Think of the typical Hollywood movie. A new teacher with very little experience but a whole lot of good intentions gets placed at failing school or in a failing program. Then through trials and tribulations they make it through to a fundraising event or a competition and, despite all the odds, they do well.

The final scene is when the person who they needed to win over to get more funding or permission to go ahead with a new music program comes up and says they were so moved by the students that they have been changed and they say yes to whatever the program needs.

It is a wonderful scenario and makes for many, many great movies. But it is not how advocacy happens in the real word.