Our leaders are bringing headlines that are actually disguised issues, but instead of dropping them to the Issues List, they try to get a quick group consensus right then because they say it affects everyone. How do we stop this drive-by decision making?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic boundary violation. When a leader shares a headline like we just lost our top customer, and immediately follows it with so we need to adjust our sales forecast and reassign the account managers right now, they are bypassing the system. They are trying to force a decision without the benefit of the full IDS® process.

To stop this drive-by decision making, the facilitator must step in immediately. Do not allow any discussion on the headline. The moment a leader asks for a group opinion or suggests a course of action during the headline segment, the facilitator must say: That is an issue. Let us drop it to the bottom of the Issues List.

If the leader resists and says it only takes a second, hold the line. Explain that trying to solve problems on the fly during the first ten minutes of the meeting ruins the entire agenda. It prevents the team from looking at the Scorecard, Rock progress, and other headlines to get a complete picture before solving.

Once you reach the IDS® portion of the meeting, that item will get prioritized along with everything else. If it is truly critical, the team will vote it as one of the top three issues to solve first. If it is not, it waits its turn. By forcing everything through the same gate, you protect the integrity of the Level 10 Meeting™ and teach your leadership team that the only place we make decisions is in the IDS® portion of the meeting. This builds trust and ensures you actually solve the root cause instead of reacting to immediate anxiety.