Our leadership team gets confused during the Employee and Customer Headlines section, frequently turning a simple news update into a ten-minute debate instead of pushing the underlying issue down to the Issues List. How do we clearly define the boundary between a headline and an issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The Employee and Customer Headlines section is designed to be a quick, five-minute news flash. It is a time to share high-level updates, both good and bad, to keep the leadership team aware of what is happening across the organization. It is not the place for discussion, problem-solving, or debate.

The boundary between a headline and an issue is simple. A headline is a statement of fact that requires no immediate group action or discussion during that section. For example, a customer signing a contract extension is a headline.

If a headline contains a problem, such as a major client threatening to leave because of a service failure, it is still reported as a headline first. The moment a leader begins to explain why it happened or starts suggesting solutions, the facilitator must step in and say that is an issue, let us drop it to the Issues List.

Do not allow any discussion to take place during the headlines portion of the meeting. The reporting leader shares the fact, the team absorbs it, and if it requires action, it goes straight to the bottom of the Issues List to be prioritized during the IDS® portion. By enforcing this strict separation, you keep the meeting moving fast and ensure that issues are solved in a structured way rather than through chaotic, unstructured conversations.