A Reader Asks... Problem Solving

A LYS Teacher (and an aspiring campus leader) asks the following question:

SC,

How does an effective school leader assess and solve problems or challenges?

SC Response

Good question.  One that could serve as a topic for an entire book.  But I’m going to give you the 80% answer.  The answer that will serve you 80% of the time.

1. Watch your indicators, both leading and lagging.  And when an indicator catches your attention, recognize that the indicator is a symptom.  Go find and solve the problem and the symptom will go away.

2. Stay focused on student need.  You can spend a lot of time solving adult problems that have absolutely no positive effect on student performance.  Keep student performance moving forward and adult problems begin to evaporate.

3. Plan for the worst, expect the best. The initial contingency planning makes you a more flexible thinker when faced with an actual problem.  And if you expect things to go well, they often do.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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