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Albert Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.”

One of the hardest things to do is to define the problem we want to solve.  This requires us to dig deep into the underlying root causes, not the symptoms, which can open us to vulnerability.  Most organizations don’t like to admit there is a problem, even if it is staring them in the face.  No one likes to have to admit they are wrong or part of a system that is malfunctioning.  It’s our nature as human beings to strive for perfection, whatever that may be.

At the root of every problem is a cause.  Do you know what is the cause of your problem?  Many do not.  They often think the symptom is the root, but you need to dig deeper to discover it.  Once you do, the organization must acknowledge that it exists.  From there, they can decide which instructional strategies to employ, organize the necessary resources, and develop the staff so they feel confident.  All of this takes time, but it’s imperative if we want to move forward.

To help us define our root problem, we will use the Four Agreements. Consider which agreement lies at the root of an issue at your campus and create a possible solution to present to school leadership. This is bold, but oftentimes the leadership team doesn’t have all the answers.  They value specific, targeted feedback with possible next steps towards a resolution.  Even still, there are no guarantees that your ideas will be accepted, but you did your best to advocate for sustainable change.  This is taking ownership of your own learning process and taking meaningful action.

For a written blog post and other resources, visit:   https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com