During the IDS® portion of our Level 10 Meeting™, our leaders frequently resist taking ownership of weekly To-Dos, claiming they have zero capacity due to their quarterly Rocks and daily departmental responsibilities. How do we handle this pushback without letting critical action items fall into the cracks?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

During a productive IDS® session, you will naturally identify several immediate action items that need to happen before the next meeting. However, when leaders push back and refuse to take on weekly To-Dos because they claim to have zero capacity, it signals a deeper structural problem.

First, understand that a weekly To-Do is not a major project. It is a minor task designed to move a larger issue forward. If a leader feels overwhelmed, it is often because they are viewing the To-Do as a massive undertaking rather than a simple, bite-sized next step. The facilitator must help the team break the solution down into a task that takes less than two hours to complete.

Second, use your Accountability Chart to address capacity issues. If a leader genuinely has no time for a two-hour task, it is likely they are caught in the weeds of their department. This is an issue that must be added to the list and solved using IDS®. Do they need to delegate, automate, or eliminate other responsibilities to free up capacity?

Never let critical action items fall into the cracks. If a To-Do is essential for solving a priority issue, someone must own it. If the leadership team cannot absorb the task, it must be cascaded down to a departmental team for execution. Keep accountability absolute.