When we run our IDS® process, our team members immediately start proposing solutions before we have even agreed on what the actual problem is. How do we force our team to stay in the Identify phase long enough to unearth the issue behind the issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Jumping straight to solutions is a natural human reaction, but it leads to solving the wrong problems. To break this habit, your meeting leader must enforce a strict separation between the Identify, Discuss, and Solve steps. When an issue is brought to the table, forbid anyone from proposing a solution or discussing logistics until the issue is clearly identified. The person who raised the issue must state it in one clear, concise sentence. Then, other team members should ask clarifying questions, not offer advice. Ask questions like: What is the actual impact of this? Why is this happening now? What is the root cause? Often, the initial issue presented is just a symptom. For example, a complaint about a slow software system might actually be an issue of poor training or lack of documented processes. If you start solving the software speed immediately, you waste time and money. Only when the leadership team agrees in unison that they have found the root cause can you transition to the Discuss phase. If someone starts pitching a solution during the Identify phase, the facilitator must gently but firmly steer them back by saying: We are not solving yet, we are still identifying. This discipline forces the team to slow down so they can go fast. By spending eighty percent of your time identifying the real issue, the discussion and solution phases will take only minutes.