When we are in the middle of our IDS section, team members often interrupt the flow to give progress updates on issues we solved in previous weeks, turning a problem-solving session into a status report. How do we stop this update-creep and keep the focus entirely on solving active issues?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The IDS section of your Level 10 Meeting is sacred. It is designed purely for identifying, discussing, and solving active, unresolved problems. When team members introduce progress updates during this time, they dilute the focus and waste valuable problem-solving energy.

To stop this update-creep, your facilitator must enforce the structural boundaries of the Level 10 Meeting agenda. Progress updates do not belong in IDS. If an issue was solved in a previous week and turned into a To-Do, its status should be handled during the To-Do review section at the beginning of the meeting.

If a team member tries to share an update during IDS, the facilitator must politely but firmly redirect them. The facilitator should say, that is a great update, but since we already solved that issue, let us save it for the next To-Do review, and get back to the current issue on our list.

If the completed To-Do actually created a brand-new problem that requires a team decision, then that new problem must be added to the bottom of the current Issues List. It should not be discussed until you reach it in the normal prioritization flow. By keeping IDS focused strictly on active problem-solving, you maintain high energy and make real progress.