We struggle during IDS® because our team identifies the wrong root causes, often blaming external market factors or other departments rather than looking in the mirror. How do we systematically drill down to the actual issue behind the issue without the session devolving into defensiveness?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Defensiveness is the enemy of effective problem-solving. When your team starts pointing fingers at external factors, they are avoiding the uncomfortable internal truth. To find the issue behind the issue, you must establish a culture of absolute radical candor.

Start by forcing the team to separate the people from the process. When an issue arises, ask whether it is a process issue or a people issue. If it is a process issue, look at your documented core processes. Is the process broken, or is it simply not being followed? If it is a people issue, you must look at your Accountability Chart. Does the person in that seat truly have the GWC™ (Get It, Want It, Capacity to Do It) for their roles?

Use the five-whys technique during the Identify step. When someone states a problem like "our leads are down," do not let them start discussing solutions. Ask why. If they say "the agency did a bad job," ask why. Keep drilling down until you reach an internal point of control. The root cause is almost always an internal lack of clarity, a missing metric, a broken process, or an accountability gap.

As the facilitator, you must call out defensiveness immediately. If a team member gets protective, remind them that we are not here to assign blame, but to solve the issue permanently for the good of the company. When you find the true root cause, it will usually feel slightly uncomfortable, but it will lead to a real, lasting solution.