When we attempt to use IDS® on complex, cross-departmental issues, our leadership team gets bogged down in circular debates because nobody wants to take ownership of the root cause. How do we run the Identify phase when an issue spans multiple seats on our Accountability Chart?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Cross-departmental issues are the ultimate test of your leadership team's trust and commitment to the Accountability Chart. When an issue spans multiple seats, the natural human reaction is to point fingers or retreat into defensive silos. This turns your IDS® time into a political debate rather than a problem-solving session.

To break this deadlock, you must start by separating the issue from the personalities. The Integrator must step in and define which seat on the Accountability Chart ultimately owns the process or the area where the breakdown occurs. Even if multiple departments are affected, one seat must hold the accountability for resolving the core problem.

During the Identify phase, do not let team members discuss solutions or defend their departments. Force the team to state the problem in one clear sentence. If they cannot agree on the single sentence, you have not identified the real issue yet. Ask yourselves what the root cause of the breakdown is, rather than focusing on how it affects each individual department.

Once the root cause is identified and the single accountable seat is clear, that leader must take ownership of the resulting action item or Rock. The rest of the team is there to offer support and counsel, but they do not share the accountability. Solving cross-departmental issues requires a shift from defending your own turf to owning the health of the entire organization. By using your Accountability Chart as the guide, you eliminate the ambiguity that causes circular debates.