SYSTEMIC SOLUTIONS TO BUSINESS ISSUES

INTRODUCTION

Vector is firmly rooted in the concepts of System Theory and delivering measurable results for clients. Recognizing that an organization is a system does require a different approach than what many consulting firms provide.  We feel, as do our clients, that this is one of the primary factors that differentiates us.

Realizing that an organization is a system and making sure all activities reflect this reality has a number of consequences for both the consultant and the client:

While simple solutions to issues are always desirable, simplistic solutions are not solutions at all.  The complexity of the solution will always approach the “true” complexity of the issue.  True solutions must respond to and incorporate all of the elements of the system that have a bearing on the issue being addressed

Pre-packaged solutions to an organization’s business issues will never produce sustainable results. Effective solutions that “stick” are solutions that fit the given situation, within a given company, within a given industry, that are responsive to and reflective of the business strategy of that company.  Further, the solution(s) must include the ability of the company’s managers to knowledgeably maintain the solutions going forward into the future without having to rely upon outside support.

True solutions to business issues are ones that not only solve the immediate issue, they also result in managers in the company knowing and understanding more about their own particular business and that issue than they did prior to the solution.  This assures that the management is capable of maintaining the solutions and resolving any similar issues in the future without being dependent upon outside help.

THE FIRST STEP IN A CURE IS DIAGNOSIS

Step one in dealing with any business issue is a diagnostic to ascertain the nature and system connections of the issue, as well as the implications of any proposed actions to the rest of the organizational system.

Taking any particular issue, any particular unit, or even any particular functional area of an organization and attempting to “deal with it” or change it in isolation from the rest of the parts of the organizational system that interact with it will be only marginally successful at   Further, whatever slight success can be orchestrated in this way will not be sustainable in the long term.

Any diagnosis to find the real underlying causes of performance issues must be systemic and systematic in order for the resulting solutions to have maximum impact and efficiency that will be sustainable over the long term.

MEASURES

Anything in business that is important and relevant is also measurable in real business terms.  This includes things often considered “soft” and not quantifiable - such as trust, commitment, teamwork and organizational culture.  These too can be measured and managed with no less focus and measurable results than costs or sales.

Further, relevant measures are, by definition, measures which are meaningful and relevant to the customer and support their particular business plan. That is why, in any engagement, we always work to achieve client-defined measures.

BALANCE

“Effective organizations are those which produce excellent results by any measure of cost, quality or efficiency while simultaneously enhancing the energy and commitment of the members of the organization to the success of the enterprise.”
 – William Pasmore           

Systemic solutions to business issues also means that any intervention in, or alteration of, the organization must reflect both sides of the equation implied in the paragraph above.  Not just what gets done, but also how . Otherwise the solution will not deliver sustainable results.

This emphasis on client independence and sustainability of measureable results is what sets Vector apart from other consulting firms.

SYSTEM THEORY

The basic definition of a system is that it is a set of two or more elements that satisfies the following three conditions:

1. The behavior of each element has an effect on the behavior of the whole

2. The behavior of the elements and their effects on the whole are interdependent

3. However subgroups of the elements are formed, each has an effect on the behaviour of the whole and none has an independent effect on it.

A system therefore is a whole that cannot be divided into independent parts.  Every part of a system has properties that it loses when separated from the whole.  Every system has some properties, its essential ones, that none of its parts do. Therefore, when a system is taken apart it loses its essential properties.

To make an impact upon a system requires an approach that deals effectively with all relevant parts of the system interdependently.  In effect, a solution is not one you “interject” into the system.  Rather, it is one that is “aligned” to the overall system within which it has to exist.  This applies to all things in the organization, from things as specific as reducing costs to things as complex as altering the culture or improving the leadership.  Elements in a system must be dealt with systematically and in a systemic manner.

SUMMARY

Vector provides systemic solutions to business issues, enabling achievement of sustained and measurable changes required to achieve business plans.