Wednesday, October 19 -- Week 8 TRADITIONAL CALENDAR

Way to go, Catherine!  She posts quality work and stays in contact with me.  She continues to make connections even when she does not think she is doing so!

 

Week 8 began yesterday and is due next Monday.  

If you are still recovering from Matthew, I will work with you.  Remember Weeks 6 and will not be counted late.

All previous weeks will be opening next week to allow you the chance to make up missing work - stay tuned!

Ready, learn, lead!

You will explore problem-solving during Week 8.  No matter what career you chose or which life path you take, you will face problems.  Check out the how-tos of problem solving from Universal Class, Inc.

How do you solve problems as a leader?

1. You need to look at all the elements of the problem first and understand the forces that are affecting the situation. This could be looking at enemy forces coming over the hill, figuring out which of your running backs is open, or perhaps it is looking at the variables in a math question.
2. Next, you need to understand the causes behind the problem. Why are those troops charging at us, what is the other team doing to stop our player, how do these variables play into the math question?
3. Understand the roles of those with you, and those against you. This may not apply to math questions, but it certainly applies to sports and war, and as a result many great leaders are lauded in these two avenues for their ability to problem solve.
4. Last, evaluate the ability of those on your side, and those on the other side to affect the situation. You may think a barrage of arrows will stop the troops coming at you, but if you fail to think that the other commander thought of that and has his archers already firing, you may end up on the losing end of a battle.

How do leaders plan a course of action to solve a problem?

• They look at the situation as a whole before they ever break it down to see the integral parts of the problem or goal.
• They talk to those around them to get their opinions. They may not follow the opinions, but a good leader always tries to understand what their followers and advisors think.
• They use their own 'gut feeling'. One of the most important things a leader has at their disposal is a gut feeling. This is their intuition and when a leader is planning a course of action, they always listen to it. If they have an uneasy feeling about a situation, they will not take that course of action and they will readjust their plan. For a leader, a gut feeling is one of their greatest tools.
• They look at the end result that they want to achieve and the situation that they are in at that time. Afterwards, they plan how to get from point A to point B in the best manner.
• Once they have decided on a plan, they go through with that plan and they do not waver from it. If you remember from Lesson One, we learned that sticking to your guns was a huge part of being a leader, and if a leader wants people to follow them, they should not flip-flop.

Which historical figures used problem-solving well?

• Julius Caesar conquered a huge portion of Europe using his wits and the troops in his army with innovative methods.
• Alexander the Great conquered most of the known world by using problem solving techniques, including building a huge bridge to transport siege equipment across, just in order to take a small island.
• Boadicea defeated the Romans in London, despite being outnumbered, by using her knowledge of the terrain and her own problem solving skills, to her advantage.
• Gandhi looked at the problem of British occupation in India and came up with his own solution that would work given the dominance of the British: Non-violent resistance. Looking at the number of his people versus the number of the British, it was the clear solution.
• Epicurus routinely used problem solving to look at the world around him and devise solutions as to why the world is the way it is.
• Horatio Nelson's life was based on problem solving, overcoming the odds, and defeating the enemy with new and innovative methods.  

Reach the article "How To Solve Problems Like a  Leader" at https://www.universalclass.com/articles/business/leadership-skills/how-to-solve-problems-like-a-leader.htm (Links to an external site.). 

Message me in the course (use the inbox or send me a message from the gradebook), text/call me outside of Canvas at 9196-435-2008, email me at melissa.dettman@ncpublicschools.gov, or message me using Remind.  If I do not answer right away, I will answer as soon as I can and definitely within 24 hours.  You can also get help using the Peer Tutoring Center -- click on the PTC quick link on our homepage.