During our Level 10 Meeting™ IDS® sessions, we waste thirty minutes arguing about what the problem actually is before we can even begin talking about solutions. How do we get our team to quickly agree on the issue behind the issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You are getting stuck in circular debates because your team is trying to discuss and solve the issue before you have clearly identified it. In the IDS® process, the identify phase is the most critical and the most abused. If you do not spend eighty percent of your time identifying the root cause, you will solve the wrong problem.

To break this cycle, the person who raised the issue must state it in one clear, concise sentence. They must define the gap between what is happening and what should be happening.

Once the issue is stated, the facilitator must ask the room if everyone agrees that this is the real problem. If there is disagreement, you do not debate solutions. Instead, you ask:
- What is the actual root cause of this gap?
- Who is the single seat on the Accountability Chart™ responsible for this area?
- What is the specific operational impact?

Do not allow anyone to propose a solution until the problem is agreed upon in writing. Writing the issue on a board or shared document forces clarity. Once the team agrees on the exact problem, the discuss and solve phases will take only a few minutes.