This post is written in the context of business for professional services, but of course the title applies more widely. Nevertheless, it is an essential aspect to be considered because as consultant we are often contacted because of some symptoms that have been noticed. And we should seek to understand the root causes before jumping into solely treating the symptoms.
Understanding the root causes often requires to take a more systemic view of the organization or the situation, looking in some details at all relevant aspects to identify if the symptom is isolated or only revealing a deeper issue. This should be the first step of the intervention, what I call the ‘discovery phase’. And it is essential that it is addressed in the most comprehensive manner so as to identify and treat the relevant root cause.
The ‘systematic’ approach here is essential as in any complex system: it needs to be considered in its entirety including the interfaces and relationships with external stakeholder to allow to identify the root causes.
In the past months I have been continuously amazed, as we have made this approach more systematic, at how we uncover root causes that are unexpected but relevant – requiring a lot of discussion with our clients.
This approach is not always understood even from clients who want a ‘quick fix’ solution, but that should be part of our ethics as professionals not to allow to just put a band-aid on a situation, but have a wider view of its causes. It is in any case absolutely essential for the sustainability of any change we intend to bring in the client organization’s or way of working.
It also applies in coaching situation and any situation of dysfunction: take the time at first to carefully assess the situation of its root causes so that you can treat the issue at its root.
This post is a follow-up from the post ‘Useful Lessons Learnt for the Professional Services Business‘ based on Pamela Slim’s post ‘23 Lessons from 23 years in business‘.
