We have several issues on our Level 10 Issues List that have been sitting there for weeks because nobody wants to take ownership of them during IDS. How do we force the team to assign clear ownership to every issue we tackle?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When an issue sits on your Level 10 Meeting™ Issues List for weeks, it is usually because it lacks a clear owner. A group cannot solve an issue; individuals solve issues. If everyone is responsible for finding a solution, nobody is responsible. To resolve this, every issue that is prioritized for IDS® must have a single name attached to it before the discussion begins. This person does not have to be the one who solves the problem alone, but they are accountable for ensuring the issue is resolved and that any resulting To-Dos are assigned. If the leadership team cannot agree on who owns an issue, look directly at your Accountability Chart. The issue must live in the seat of the person who is responsible for that business function. If the issue spans multiple departments, the Integrator must step in, assign the ownership, or take ownership themselves. Never close an IDS® session without a clear, named owner for the resulting action steps.