During the IDS phase of our Level 10 Meeting, once we start discussing a prioritized issue, our leaders frequently bring up entirely new secondary problems and try to solve them on the spot under the umbrella of the main issue. How do we stop this sub-issue branching and keep our focus on solving the primary problem first?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is common when teams get excited about solving problems. They start with one issue, such as a drop in sales pipeline velocity, and suddenly someone says that their marketing software integration is also broken and they should talk about hiring a new coordinator. Before you know it, you are trying to solve three distinct operational issues at once.

The facilitator must act as a strict gatekeeper. The rule of IDS is one issue, one solve. When a secondary issue is brought up, the facilitator must immediately stop the discussion and ask a simple clarifying question: Is this sub-issue a critical component of solving the main issue today, or is it a separate problem that belongs on the Issues List?

If it is a separate issue, write it down at the bottom of the weekly Issues List and get back to the main topic. Do not allow the team to open up multiple fronts. If the team member insists it is part of the problem, give them thirty seconds to explain the direct connection. If they cannot make a tight connection, the facilitator must park it.

By keeping a clean separation between the primary issue and new tangential problems, you preserve your ninety-minute meeting pulse. You also teach the team that every valid problem will eventually get its turn to be prioritized and solved, but only after you finish the task at hand. Keep the focus narrow and push everything else to the bottom of the list.