We are finding that our team quickly solves the surface-level problems during IDS® but the same systemic operational issues keep reappearing on our list month after month. How do we push past the polite surface symptoms to identify and solve the real issue behind the issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When systemic operational issues keep reappearing on your issues list, it means your team is solving symptoms rather than root causes during the IDS® process. This usually happens because digging for the truth is uncomfortable, and team members would rather agree to a quick, superficial fix than have a difficult conversation about process failure or personal performance.

To get to the issue behind the issue, you must master the Identify stage of IDS®. Do not allow your team to jump into discussing a solution within the first thirty seconds of an issue being introduced. Instead, force the issue owner to state the problem clearly in one single sentence. Then, ask the team to ask why at least three to five times to strip away the layers of defense.

For example, if the stated issue is that marketing did not deliver the weekly leads, the immediate discussion might focus on buying more ads. But if you ask why, you might find the marketing agency did not get the creative assets. Ask why again, and you realize the creative director was pulled into customer service. Ask why a third time, and you discover the customer service department is understaffed because of a poor onboarding process. The root issue is not marketing, it is onboarding.

You must challenge your leadership team to be brutally honest during this process. If you notice a team member becoming defensive, pause the meeting and remind them that the goal is to solve the business problem, not to place blame. Once the true root issue is identified, the Solve and Do phases become remarkably simple.