We have five different Scorecard metrics off-track this week, but our Issues List has zero issues listed before the meeting starts. How do we connect our reporting to our IDS list?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

An empty Issues List when Scorecard metrics are off-track is a clear sign that your team isn't fully leveraging your system. A robust Level 10 Meeting thrives on objective data driving your problem-solving process. If your metrics are in the red but your Issues List is blank, your team may be avoiding reality.

To bridge this crucial gap, you must establish and enforce a non-negotiable rule.

The Automatic Issues Rule

Any key metric or task that is off-track or incomplete must automatically be added to the Issues List. This applies to:

• Scorecard metric
• Rock
• Weekly To-Do

There should be no debate, no lengthy explanations, and no negotiations at this stage of the meeting. The Level 10 Meeting facilitator plays a critical role in enforcing this discipline.

Implementing the Rule

During the reporting section of your meeting:

1. As soon as a leader reports a number is off track, the facilitator should immediately direct the scribe to add that specific metric to the Issues List.
2. Crucially, do not allow the owner to explain why the number is down at this point. That important discussion must be reserved for the Identify, Discuss, Solve (IDS) portion of the meeting. This helps [review your weekly scorecard in under five minutes](/qa/how-to-review-scorecard-under-five-minutes) and keeps the meeting on track.

By implementing this clear rule, you guarantee that your Issues List is populated with real, data-driven problems rather than merely subjective complaints or administrative details. This proactive approach helps your leadership team focus on systemic bottlenecks. When you encounter a leader who gets defensive about a missed metric, remember this rule helps shift the focus from blame to problem-solving. [Handling defensiveness around red scorecard metrics](/qa/handling-defensiveness-around-red-scorecard-metrics) becomes easier when everyone understands the process.

Once your team recognizes that an off-track metric simply triggers an opportunity to collectively solve a problem, they will stop fearing the red numbers and begin embracing transparency. This also prevents the common issue where [an issue is dropped to IDS and the team immediately starts pointing fingers](/qa/using-accountability-chart-to-stop-blame-in-ids).

The Role of AI

While AI can assist in optimizing processes and data analysis, remember:

• AI never sits in the room during the Level 10 Meeting.
• It works before the meeting to prepare and present data.
• It works after the meeting to capture and track decisions.
• The 90 minutes of the Level 10 Meeting remain human-centric, focusing on your leadership team, the Scorecard, the Issues List, and the IDS conversation.

Related questions

• [How do we review our weekly scorecard in under five minutes?](/qa/how-to-review-scorecard-under-five-minutes)
• [How do we narrow down our massive list of metrics to just five to fifteen numbers?](/qa/how-to-choose-five-fifteen-scorecard-metrics)
• [When is it appropriate to change a scorecard number, and how do we do it without losing historical consistency?](/qa/when-to-change-weekly-scorecard-metrics)
• [One of our key managers gets defensive and starts explaining away the context every time their scorecard metric drops into the red. How do we handle this in the Level 10 Meeting?](/qa/handling-defensiveness-around-red-scorecard-metrics)
• [When an issue is dropped to IDS, my leadership team immediately starts pointing fingers at other departments rather than taking ownership. How do we use the Accountability Chart to stop the blame game during meetings?](/qa/using-accountability-chart-to-stop-blame-in-ids)