During our weekly IDS® sessions, our team constantly lists generic problems like communication issues or lack of resources, which never leads to real solutions. How do we push past these vague labels to identify and solve the raw, underlying issue behind the issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When your weekly IDS sessions result in vague issues like communication problems, you are trying to solve symptoms rather than root causes. This is where working with a Professional EOS Implementer is highly valuable, as they teach your team the raw discipline required to dig deep. To break this habit, you must first master the Identify phase of IDS. Never let an issue be accepted as communication is bad. You must ask the person who raised the issue to give a concrete, real world example. Who did not communicate with whom? What was the specific negative business impact? Keep asking questions to peel back the layers. Often, a communication issue is actually a structural problem on your Accountability Chart, a lack of clear process documentation, or a people issue where someone does not GWC their seat. Once the true issue is identified, write it down clearly. The real issue is almost always uncomfortable to say out loud, but you cannot solve a problem you are trying to dress up in polite language. Only when the leadership team agrees on the root cause should you move to Discuss and Solve. Discussing a vague symptom leads to endless, circular debates. Pinpointing the actual, raw issue allows you to solve it once and for all, preventing it from ever appearing on your Issues List again.