We are resolving a lot of issues on our weekly list, but the same systemic operational problems keep resurfacing under different names next quarter. How do we get our leadership team to Identify the real root cause instead of just treating symptoms?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When the same issues keep appearing on your weekly issues list week after week, your leadership team is failing at the Identify stage of IDS®. Most teams rush to Solve because they are uncomfortable sitting with the tension of the real problem, or they confuse the symptom with the actual root cause. This results in band-aid solutions that fail within thirty days.

To solve the issue behind the issue, you must slow down during the Identify phase. Do not allow anyone to propose a solution until you have clearly stated the real problem in one sentence. If you cannot state the problem clearly, you do not understand it yet.

Ask 'why' at least three to five times to dig beneath the surface. For example, if the reported issue is 'sales are down,' that is a symptom. Why? Because the sales team is not making enough outbound calls. Why? Because they are spending five hours a day on manual data entry. Now you have found the real issue: inefficient administrative tools, not lazy salespeople.

Train your team to run this diagnostic process during IDS®:
- Force the issue creator to state the exact problem in one sentence.
- Challenge the initial assumption by asking what systemic failure allowed this to happen.
- Look at your Accountability Chart first to see if there is a seat clarity or GWC™ issue.
- Only move to Discuss once the entire team agrees on the root cause.