We are wasting time in IDS® because our team brings issues that are actually just complaints with no clear owner. How do we filter these out so we can focus on the real issue behind the issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

An Issues List filled with vague complaints like marketing is slow or morale is down is a recipe for a useless IDS® session. These are symptoms, not issues. To get to the issue behind the issue, you must enforce a strict gatekeeping rule before any item is discussed.

First, every issue placed on the list must have an owner. If someone wants to add an item, they must own it or get agreement from the person who does. You cannot have anonymous or orphaned complaints on the board.

Second, the person who raised the issue must state it in one sentence. That sentence must follow a simple formula: We have X obstacle, which is causing Y business impact, and we need Z to happen. If they cannot articulate the business impact, it is a complaint, not an issue. Drop it from the list.

Third, identify which seat on the Accountability Chart owns the domain where the issue lives. If the issue is about customer onboarding delays, the Operations seat holder must lead the response. This prevents the entire team from chiming in with unhelpful opinions before the responsible seat holder has even diagnosed the root cause.

By forcing this structure, you strip away the emotional noise. You stop solving the superficial complaints and start identifying the systemic gaps in your processes or people, which is where the real root issues always hide.