CLEMENT MOLINER- ROY SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Due to concerns about time and resources, entrepreneurs often tend to look for the quickest solutions to their problems. However, these are not always the most optimal and sustainable ones.

Recently, at the Desjardins Entrepreneurial Accelerator at the Université de Sherbrooke, I accompanied a group of young entrepreneurs determined to develop a mechanism to remove plastic from the oceans. After sketching several technical drawings of a vacuum boat capable of pumping water from the oceans, extracting the plastic and classifying it, they realized that it would be much better to go back to the source of the problem.

So they set out to create a water filtration system that could be installed where the world's seven largest rivers flow into the ocean. A few months later, they decided to go even deeper into the source of the problem, focusing on plastic consumption in villages in poor countries.

The example of this team clearly illustrates that by taking the time to understand a problem and asking the question "what are the causes behind it?", it is possible to develop more relevant, more sustainable solutions that will have more impact.

This concept applies in several contexts, both to develop innovative solutions and to resolve internal problems within a company.

Communication Issue A few years ago, I was working with an organization that was suffering from a communication issue between its members. The president at the time had tried all sorts of quick solutions to overcome this problem, but nothing seemed to work…

In a coaching session, I invited the president to deepen his understanding of what was not working in current communication systems. To do this, I introduced him to a tool I like that invites people to go back to the source of their problems.

Below the Surface – The Iceberg Diagram This tool invited him to dig beneath the surface of the visible problem (internal communication issue), i.e. the tip of the iceberg, in order to identify what is hidden there. To do this, the president conducted several interviews with his team to learn their perceptions of communication issues. Then, I invited him to ask himself the question “why?” repeatedly.

Why don't my members communicate with each other? ⇒ Because they often work from home without ever meeting… (trends & patterns)

Why do they work from home? ⇒ Because the structure of the organization divides tasks into silos and therefore does not encourage members to collaborate (underlying structure)

Why are tasks divided into silos? ⇒ Because it was thought that members would be more efficient and faster working alone rather than in a team. (beliefs)

Download the tool The iceberg: a tool for systems thinking

Noting that the communication issue was linked to the division of tasks and beliefs (we are more effective alone than in a team), the president decided to review the organizational structure by creating working groups. The new structure, rooted in the belief that members work better as a team, has completely transformed the organization, which is healthier than ever!

By digging into the problem to understand the trends, patterns, underlying structures, and beliefs behind them, leaders can become proactive and drive systemic change in their organizations. Be aware that it often takes digging down several different avenues to develop a complete picture of what’s beneath the surface, so you need to:

• Take the time needed to do it right.

• Have conversations with different stakeholders in the system.

• Be genuinely curious to dig into the problem without jumping too quickly to ideas for solutions.

It’s your turn to dig! I challenge you to create sustainable solutions that are based on the origin of the problems you are facing. After all, you have everything to gain by developing sustainable solutions that will have a real impact within your company!