Quality 16

Guest Blog by Tracey Long

SOLUTION ORIENTED
Make A Resolution To Find The Solution

Favorite Quote: “Don’t find fault; find a remedy.” Henry Ford

I think back into the not so distant past and remember a voice that said “You own these scores; everyone in this room owns these scores!” Yes, that is the undeniable voice of Mr. Ellenburg in regards to the PACT scores that arrived in the fall. The scores were very low and lagged behind those of similar schools in the area. As we all know, Mr. Ellenburg came out of retirement to be the interim principal of a school which was closing. He could have simply taken the easy way out and just gone with the flow. However, Mr. Ellenburg stepped up to the challenge and came to Kellett with a vision and a plan. He took ownership, created a data team to analyze scores, brainstormed strategies, and involved the entire faculty with his leadership. The voice came again, “You own these scores; everyone in this room owns these scores!” The spring MAP scores showed tremendous gains and Kellett leapfrogged over the similar schools that we had lagged behind. Mr. Ellenburg is a solution oriented team leader and Kellett is very fortunate that he chose us for his team.

Maxwell’s believes that your personality type, upbringing, and personal history may affect how solution oriented you are naturally. However, anyone can become solution oriented. Consider these truths that all solution-seeking people recognize:
Problems Are a Matter of Perspective
All Problems Are Solvable
Problems Either Stop Us or Stretch Us

Maxwell tells us that we only have four choices to approaching problems:
Flee them
Fight them
Forget them
Face them
What do you usually do?

To make yourself a more solution-oriented team player…
Refuse to give up
Refocus your thinking
Rethink your strategy
Repeat the process