Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Harlan Thompson of the Texas State Guard (State Defense Force) recently had more than a fully packed weekend. During The Texas State Guard monthly weekend training drill he attended The 2nd Brigade’s Change of Command Ceremony, then headed over to another base to meet and speak with troops undergoing Basic Leader Course (BLC), Advanced Leader Course, Senior Leader Course (SLC) and Officer Candidate School (OCS).
Texas State Guard Senior Enlisted Advisor, CSM Harlan Thompson had another busy weekend. On Saturday he attended the 2nd Brigade Change of Command and Change of Responsibility Ceremonies. In the Change of Command, Brigadier General Edwin Grantham assumed command of the Brigade from Brigadier General Marco Coppola. Immediately afterwards, CSM John Marshall assumed responsibility as the Brigade Command Sergeant Major from CSM Ronald Smith.Immediately following the ceremony, CSM Thompson traveled to Camp Swift where the Texas State Guard’s Training Center was conducting the NCO Academy. Service Members attended 3 different leadership courses depending on their rank and experience. Saturday afternoon and into the evening, CSM Thompson observed the excellent leadership training provided by the NCOA Cadre.On Sunday, the Basic Leader Course,(BLC) graduated 17, Advanced Leader Course (ALC) graduated 6 and the Senior Leader Course (SLC) had 5 graduates.10 members of the current Officer’s Candidate School were also present for training and attended the graduation ceremony for NCOs they may be working with after commissioning.Congrats to everyone on their achievements.
The CSM also recently had a few words to share regarding lessons he learned in his career regarding problem solving and how to properly attack it.
From the desk of CSM Thompson.Good morning everyone. It’s time for my weekly leadership rant. Today, I am going to again pull from advice given to me by my father.One day, we were talking about dealing with some issues and I asked him how he would handle them. It was then he introduced me to a problem-solving process that I have used since. The process is simple and can be used in anything you may experience with in life. It started with 3 steps, but after years of implementation, I realized there is a 4th step that is always there but was never listed. The process is as follows:IdentifyAnalyzeDestroy (Solve)Reassess – Bonus step1. Identify: Before you start any problem-solving process, the first thing you have to do is figure out what that problem is. Whether you are hungry, having a hard time with your finances, an interpersonal issue or whatever, you first must isolate the problem. That was the first step. Once you know what the problem is, you can move to the next step.2. Analyze: Now that you know what the problem is, you need to look at the cause of the problem, what factors contribute to the continuance of the problem and then start coming up with solutions to the problem. This can be a process where you sit down and brainstorm, if you have time, or it may be something “on the fly”. Whichever method that is used, consider multiple solutions when time permits. Sometimes the first one that comes to mind may not be the right one, or it may not have all the right elements to make it work. Your solutions should be carefully considered to ensure that once you make the choice, it is the most efficient and effective. Notice I did not say the best solution. Sometimes, when we are trying to figure something out, we spend time trying to come up with the “perfect” solution. This leads to “analysis paralysis”, when a person does not move forward because they think a better solution will come. Problem is, if that solution ever comes, the problem has gotten so big, it is beyond the scope of the problem solver…or that perfect solution never materializes. General George S. Patton Jr. said, “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite time in the future.”3. Destroy the problem. Now my father, when he was explaining this process to me, was talking about a tactical situation. In that case, utter and complete destruction of the problem is the answer. Obviously, we can’t destroy all of the problems we come into contact with on a daily basis. I know there are times when my problem is a car doing 40 mph in the left lane on the highway and I wish I could destroy it…. not a good idea. So, let’s say solve. This is where you take the best solution that you have at the time and put it into action. If others are involved, make sure they know all the details prior to moving forward. If your solution is the right one, or close to being right, you should get good results.4.(Bonus) Reassess. This is where you look at the solution and the results. If the desired results are achieved, you are good to go. If not, you go back to Step 1 and run through the process again because there may have been changes from the original problem that you need to address.There have been other processes that have been used, Total Quality Leadership, Lean Six Sigma and The Six Step Problem Solving Model are a few that come to mind. They are fine and have been proven to work for years. The process my father taught me is what works best for me. It is simple, straightforward and it has not failed me for over 40 years. Some people might look at this problem-solving process and call it “Find, Fix, Finish” which is fine with me.
Source: Texas State Guard
