I need to read that book that Aquinas recommends!
My biggest mistake (in the past) has been in assuming that Logic is all that's needed:-
"Here are the facts...
...so here are the conclusions that any right thinking person would draw"
Was the entirely misguided approach that I used to have - and the one that I will fall into if I don't self monitor.
What I have discovered through trial and error (mostly error - LOL) is that people need space and 'suggestion' to make decisions. Learning how to guide their conclusions when given the facts - drawing them out instead of forcing mine on them works better - duh.
When advocating for DD I found that lots of verbalized variations on:-
"we need to work on this as a team so as parents we are here because we need your help so that we can all work together on this"
has got me better results than my old bull in a china shop approaches of yore. Appealing to the school staffs' human nature and finding things that they have done worthy of praise (even if it chokes you to say it) gets them to be more open too.
In the end, though, often it takes all of the above and persistently working up the chain of command to get what you need. The sucking up/ego stroking done lower down the ladder helps, big time later, though, to get the rank and file buy in once the decision maker has been brought into line.
Just my $0.02 YMMV
