Page 9 - Demo

COUNTY COMMENT %u2022 February 2025 9DIAGNOSING PROBLEMSBy Jay Hall, KAC Deputy Director & General CounselIthink about problem solving a lot. As county government officials, I am sure that all of you also think about problem solving quite a bit. As local leaders, you have a responsibility to your community to find solutions to the challenges that your community faces.But to solve a problem, you have to figure out what kind of problem you are facing. We have lots of different tools that we can utilize, but if you pick up a hammer to put in a screw, while it may eventually work, it will not give you the best possible result.There are five basic types of problems you may encounter. They are:1. A goal problem %u2014 Do we know what we want to do?2. A strategic problem %u2014 Do we know how we are going to do what we want to do?3. A communication problem %u2014 Does everyone involved know what we want to do and how we are going to do it?4. A resource problem %u2014 Do we have all of the things we need to do what we want to do?5. An execution problem %u2014 Are we doing the thing that we want to do?Each of these problems requires a different type of solution. Over the next couple of months, I will address each type of problem and the questions you should ask to start solving that type of problem.We start with the most fundamental problem %u2013 a Goal problem. If you do not know where you are going, chances are that you will never get there. So, it is with a goal problem that if you do not know what you are trying to achieve, you will never actually achieve it.We must have a goal at the root of every endeavor. We should always be trying to do something, otherwise we are not actually solving the problems that confront us. Fundamentally, we have to know what we are trying to do from the very beginning. If we do not, we may take the wrong course of action from the start and leave ourselves worse off than if we had never begun at all. For that reason, the most important first step is to have a clearly established goal.To do that, we simply ask ourselves %u201cWhat do I want to do?%u201d Good goal setting must be SMART, that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. To have a specific goal, we must clearly outline the desired outcome. There must be a way to measure that outcome. We have to actually be able to do it. It needs to align with the overall values of the county and of course, needs to have a time frame within which we are looking to achieve it.If we can set SMART goals, we can start solving problems. So, over the next month as you are looking around your county, look at problems and then set a SMART goal to help you solve that problem. Next month we will dive into Strategic and Communication problems. n G G i AOvcWoCOUNTY COMMENT 4 %u2022 Kansas Open Records Act%u2022 Engaging the Public%u2022 State & County IssuesComment: There was too much time in the exhibition hall. Too much down time on Wednesday afternoon.The Exhibition featured 89 businesses or organizations. Many return year after year and only 12 were there for the first time. Their products and services represent many of the products and services you use to serve your county%u2019s residents. Consider the exhibition as an additional opportunity to learn %u2013 like a mini-workshop. Take advantage of their knowledge and ask them questions about issues you face at home. While they are there hoping to bring you on as a new customer, they have a lot of knowledge they will share if you take the time to ask, and look for different perspectives from other similar businesses. Think about using down times or breaks to network with people from other counties. Ask how they solve some of the same questions that face you in your county. Use the conference in its entirety for worthwhile information that you can take home.In addition, sbecause theybreak in the esince participand didn%u2019t takare also workoffering morExhibition. We want to tspecial thankconference exFoley EquipmShowcase & Johnson CouThe Victor L. several businbingo game.I enjoyedExhibitionice to vito rush othe openspoke rigmarketin%u2013 AttendeeWorkers Compensation Insurance,By Kansas Counties, For Kansas CountiesWhat does KWORCC provide for counties?%u2022 Safety training & certification%u2022 Stable premiums%u2022 Trustees are county officials%u2022 Trustees elected by counties%u2022 Trustees oversee operations%u2022 Quarterly reports to members%u2022 Best claims practices%u2022 Periodic safety inspections%u2022 Combined purchasing power%u2022 Owned by countiesWorkers compensation insurance exclusively for Kansas counties since 1992.www.kworcc.com 1-877-357-1069