When something is not working as it should within an organisation, the first instinct is often to look for a solution. Yet acting on what is immediately visible does not always solve the problem.

A difficulty can have several causes, sometimes far removed from where it becomes apparent. And when several issues arise at the same time, another question emerges: which one really deserves priority?

This is where stepping back becomes useful.

A problem is not always explained by where it appears

When trying to understand a difficulty, it is tempting to isolate it: a process problem, a team problem, a communication problem, a tool problem…

This makes analysis easier, but it can also hide the interactions between different parts of the organisation.

A decision made in one area can have consequences elsewhere. A new way of working can change responsibilities. A shift in the external environment can make a previously effective way of operating less appropriate.

Organisational diagnosis therefore also involves looking at a problem in its wider context and exploring the connections that may help explain it.

This broadens the perspective. But it is equally important not to let the way the problem was initially framed constrain the analysis from the outset.

Frame the problem before looking for a solution

The way a problem is framed already influences the solutions we consider.

Saying “we have a communication problem” naturally leads us to look for ways to improve communication. Saying “our processes are too cumbersome” points us towards simplifying them. Yet such statements often describe an observation rather than explain the situation.

Before looking for an answer, it is therefore useful to question the problem itself: what are we actually observing? Since when? In which situations? What has changed? Who is affected — and who is not?

These questions can shift the perspective. What appeared to be a communication problem may reveal unclear responsibilities. What looked like a process problem may have its origins in decisions that have gradually become inconsistent over time.

But even when the causes of a problem become clearer, the problem itself does not necessarily define the right scope for the analysis.

Step back to broaden the perspective

The issue that first drew attention may be only one element of a broader situation. Stepping back makes it possible to look beyond the initial problem.

An operational problem may reveal other issues that were less visible. But stepping back also allows a more fundamental question to be asked: is the organisation still heading in the right direction?

It is possible to improve processes, develop skills or resolve tensions without questioning the direction in which the organisation is moving. The environment evolves, needs change, and what was relevant yesterday may no longer be relevant today.

Stepping back therefore means not limiting the diagnosis to the problem that triggered it. It means looking at the organisation as a whole, considering whether its direction remains coherent and bringing other areas that may require attention into view.

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Assess your organisation with Prefix

To apply this approach to an organisation, Prefix developed Bilan360: a simple, quick tool that provides an initial overview before deciding where to act.

It helps move beyond the initial problem to take a broader view of the organisation, bring the issues that deserve attention into focus and better understand how they interact.

Discover Bilan360