Our team gets incredibly passionate about solving issues during IDS, but we frequently realize after the fact that we spent thirty minutes solving a problem that does not even align with our Core Focus or current V/TO goals. How do we keep our weekly problem-solving anchored to our strategic guardrails?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is easy for a leadership team to get sucked into solving interesting problems that have absolutely nothing to do with their strategic goals. When you spend thirty minutes during IDS® debating a new product idea or a minor client complaint that does not align with your Core Focus, you are wasting critical executive energy.

To prevent this drift, the facilitator must use the company V/TO® as a filter. Every single issue on the short-term Issues List must pass a simple test: "Does solving this issue help us achieve our 1-Year Plan, hit our Rocks, or protect our Core Focus?"

If the answer is no, the issue must be moved. It does not belong on the short-term Issues List. Instead, push it to the long-term Issues List in your V/TO® or discard it entirely.

Remember the six compartments framework. The weekly meeting is for issues that must be solved this quarter to keep the train on the tracks. If an issue is an opportunistic distraction, compartmentalize it. By keeping your weekly focus laser-targeted on your strategic guardrails, you ensure that every solved issue actually moves the needle toward a clean, profitable exit.