Our weekly Level 10 Meeting™ often runs over because our IDS® sessions turn into endless discussions without concrete resolutions. How do we force the team to solve issues quickly and permanently?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Endless debating during the IDS® portion of your Level 10 Meeting™ is a sign of poor discipline. Teams often get stuck because they fail to define the real issue, or they allow too many people to weigh in on topics outside their seats.

To speed up your resolution pace, follow a strict, systematic process.

First, start with Identify. Do not allow the team to discuss an issue until the owner has clearly stated the actual problem in a single sentence. Often, what is listed as an issue is just a symptom. Force the owner to dig deep and define the root cause before anyone starts talking.

Second, move to Discuss. Keep discussion focused and brief. Only team members who are directly impacted or can contribute to the solution should speak. Eliminate redundant opinions and polite agreement. If the discussion starts going in circles, the Integrator must step in and move the team to the next phase.

Third, force a Solve. A real solve always results in a concrete action item with a clear owner and a weekly deadline. If a problem is too large to solve in the meeting, the solve is to assign a Rock or an action item to research and bring options to the next meeting.

By enforcing a highly disciplined approach to IDS®, you will keep your meetings on time, solve issues permanently, and maintain your operational velocity.