Opal Management: Accountability and Empowerment

“Collective intelligence is at the heart of our business model: each colleague participates and contributes fully to the work of the organization,” says Géraldine with conviction, very happy with her recent appointment as head of the financing organization dedicated to the success of impact companies with diverse and inclusive ownership. Empowerment, and ultimately, employee happiness, helps maintain a culture and a system based on trust.

"Evol has a purpose, an ambition shared by all employees, which is to give entrepreneurs the means to participate in a better world. It is embodied by employees who really want to make a difference and a management style that allows it."

It must be said that the organization has benefited from the leadership of its teams since its very beginnings. Evol, which was then called Femmessor, was a group of 17 funds across the province, each with their own general management, board of directors, financing agreements, etc. Although the organization has since merged all of its entities, it continues to encourage the sense of initiative and autonomy of all colleagues, regardless of the title and function assigned.

Evol was built on this strength. “Present across the 17 regions of Quebec, we had to build a remote corporate culture well before the telework imposed during the pandemic,” remembers Vicky. “We had to find the best means of communication to stay in close contact and foster cohesion around the common mission. We created links based on our desire to be “at the service of”. In fact, we always hire according to this principle. We want passionate and invested people. Our commitment to the community of entrepreneurs is visceral. The human side is very important to us.”

The new leader intends to apply a simple concept to preserve the unique culture that has existed at Evol since 2019, the 6 Cs: communication, trust, collaboration, creativity, courage and continuum . This seems obvious, and yet. The concept is neither hollow nor utopian, and above all, this corporate culture does not have to be applied by force. It is applied daily and simply by the 70 employees grouped, by expertise, into self-managed teams. We are far from the traditional hierarchy; everyone is responsible and autonomous in their work, as Frédéric Laloux explains in his book on the new management model that is the liberated company, " Reinventing Organizations ".

Communication and Trust, the basis of Collaboration

There is no need to impose and repeat to teams key messages or concepts that define organizational values: in this model, corporate culture is experienced intrinsically by each employee and by the way they work and collaborate together.

The power of this unique model is there: it brings greater openness towards each other, allows us to learn to communicate better, to convince, to listen, to negotiate. "Communication is the basis of this system, it is essential, confirms Géraldine, passionate about the subject. It is the link that allows us to enter into a relationship and create a bond of trust, absolutely necessary for any collaboration. We must give ourselves this space, and come back to it when things are not going well. Everything starts from there: active, real listening, in order to clearly identify the issues, then to start again to move forward in the same direction."

There are weekly scrum meetings, in-depth meetings, times organized for specific mandates, solicitations for opinions for requests that require consulting colleagues with a position. A person can then summon team spokespersons to solicit an opinion, without necessarily seeking consensus; then, they must exercise judgment and make the right decision.

Rather than turning to a manager to solve their challenges, employees are invited to do it themselves. Colleagues are naturally more involved, because everyone is a stakeholder. "This way of doing things is very human, it creates commitment and consideration," rejoices Vicky. Everyone takes ownership of the success of their work, and the success of the organization.

Creativity, Courage to Take Action and Keep Going

An environment where employees are not afraid to share their ideas allows them to try new things and have the freedom to act. “Creativity can only happen when you feel comfortable enough to be able to step outside your box, so with enough trust and support around you, that’s where innovation and new solutions can come from,” assures the manager.

“Taking action requires courage,” Vicky confides. “First, the courage to name things, to say the truth, to have frank discussions that avoid innuendos. Then the courage to do, to realign if we have gone down the wrong path, the courage to change things. It requires humility and perseverance. Everyone grows and develops new skills with this way of doing things. Everyone takes leadership, regardless of their title.”

Opality is at the crossroads of vertical leadership and horizontal leadership, "because we still need to establish a clear vision in our strategic planning to enable the organization to move forward. Our roles must have meaning," maintains the woman who now leads Evol.

Being a bearer of meaning, enthusiasm and authenticity creates a space for fulfillment and commitment at work, which naturally promotes adherence to organizational values. This way of working is even a catalyst for performance, because empowerment means motivation, happiness and success!