During the Employee and Customer Headlines section, our leaders frequently try to explain the entire backstory of a client issue, leading to a ten minute discussion before we even reach the Scorecard. How does the facilitator cut them off and ensure these headlines are shared in one sentence and dropped to the Issues List?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The Employee and Customer Headlines section is a five-minute block meant for quick, high-level announcements, not for starting IDS®. A headline is a simple statement of fact: a client signed a contract, an employee started their onboarding, or a customer had a major complaint. The moment a leader starts explaining the backstory, sharing their feelings about the situation, or suggesting how to fix it, the facilitator must step in. Use a direct, standard phrase like: that sounds like a headline, but the discussion is an issue. Do we need to drop this to the Issues List? If the answer is yes, the facilitator types it onto the Issues List in one or two words, stops the discussion immediately, and moves to the next headline. If the answer is no, the facilitator says, got it, thank you, next headline. Train your team to deliver headlines in a standard format: name, event, impact. For example: ABC Client is threatening to leave because of onboarding delays. That is it. No further explanation is allowed. By enforcing this strict boundary, you keep your headlines section to its five-minute limit and preserve your energy and time for actual problem-solving. This discipline prevents your leadership team from getting bogged down in stories and ensures your weekly pulse remains sharp and productive.