When we run our IDS® process, we keep solving the same operational symptoms month after month rather than getting to the root cause. How do we train our leadership team to identify the real systemic issue behind the surface problem?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Solving symptoms instead of root causes is the most common execution trap for leadership teams. When you look at your Issues List, you might see problems like low sales or late client deliveries. If you jump straight into solving those surface issues, you will end up dealing with the exact same problems next month.

The key to the Identify step in IDS® is asking why until you find the systemic structural issue. If sales are low, is it a marketing problem, an ineffective salesperson, or a lack of GWC™ in your sales leadership seat? During the Identify phase, you must push past the initial discomfort and have honest, unfiltered conversations. Do not settle for the first answer that is offered. Your Integrator must ask the hard questions to uncover the truth.

Often, the real issue behind the issue is a people problem, a broken process, or an unaligned seat on your Accountability Chart. Working with a Professional EOS Implementer® will teach your team how to dig deep and find these root causes without turning the meeting into a finger-pointing session. When you solve the root issue, you solve the problem forever, which frees up your operations to scale and prepares your business for a highly profitable, clean exit.