PROBLEM SOLVING
Solutions that work
Charities, like any organisation will have to deal with challenges - here and now problems, things that are starting to look like they're going wrong - and those challenges will vary in scale, scope and impact.
In The Round Advisors have a unique 7 step approach to problem solving. It's easy to understand, easy to use and it applies to whatever challenge you're facing into.
Understand what we are dealing with. We gather data and info that will help scale the size of the problem, quantify the impacts and quickly build a communications approach to provide leadership, let colleagues, service users and other interested parties know what's going on and share knowledge.
Contain and don't make things worse. Controlling the problem perimeter and limiting the impact is a critical base camp for us then being able to effectively deal with the problem.
Gather the right knowledge and tools to deal with the problem. Knowing what we're dealing with means we can mobilise precisely the right response, limit direct involvement to people, systems and other assets that can solve the problem.
Solve the problem. Sounds obvious, but often we see organisations spending huge amounts of time and effort on things that have no direct impact on the problem. If nothing else (especially if it's a serious problem) solve it.
Recover, restore & reassure. Everyone looking in at the problem expects a real focus on solving it. The thing that sets great charities apart (and provides a competitive advantage) is how quickly and effectively the disruption is dealt with, how they get to the new normal and how authentic the reassurance that all is now well is delivered.
Deeply understand the real causes of the problem. People talk about root cause analysis all the time, but in our experience rarely get to the root. They often stop at the first cause they find and try to deal with that. We invest the time to examine the charity's ecosystem to understand the combination of factors that led to the problem,
Prevent them from reigniting. There's nothing more frustrating for colleagues, service users, organisational leadership, regulators and increasingly the media (in all its forms) to experience the 'here we go again' syndrome. If you have a listening, responsive, action based approach to problem solving and improvement, then the odds of the problem recurring are hugely reduced.
That's what we do.