Our weekly Level 10 Meeting™ frequently gets completely derailed because we spend seventy minutes arguing about the very first issue on our list, leaving us with zero time to address the remaining twenty items. How do we keep our IDS® sessions moving without rushing the actual problem-solving process?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The IDS® portion of your Level 10 Meeting™ is where real operational breakthroughs happen, but many leadership teams waste this time by getting stuck in a never-ending debate on the first issue. To prevent this, you must strictly follow the three-step IDS® framework: Identify, Discuss, and Solve.

First, you must identify the real root cause of the issue before you begin debating. Most teams jump straight into solutions based on a superficial symptom, which leads to circular, frustrating arguments. Spend eighty percent of your time identifying the actual problem.

Second, keep the discussion phase brief and focused. Do not allow team members to repeat themselves or repeat what others have already said. Once everyone has had their say, the facilitator must move the team to the solve phase.

The solve phase must result in a clear, actionable weekly to-do with a single owner. If the issue is too complex to solve in the weekly meeting, do not let it hijack the schedule. Create a to-do for a sub-group to meet offline and report back next week. Protect your ninety-minute meeting pulse.