We are solving the same operational problems every month, which means our IDS sessions are only scratching the surface. How do we train our leadership team to push past the superficial symptoms and identify the true underlying issue during our meetings?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Your leadership team is stuck in a loop because they are identifying symptoms rather than root causes. When you look at an issues list, the first thing you see is usually a lag indicator. A drop in sales, a delayed project, or a frustrated customer is not the issue. It is the consequence of the issue. To break this cycle, you must change how you run the Identify step of IDS.

When an issue is brought to the table, do not let the team jump into solving it immediately. Instead, force the issue owner to state the problem in one clear sentence. Then, ask the magic question: Why is this happening? You have to ask why multiple times, peeling back the layers like an onion.

For example, if sales are down, do not debate marketing spend. Keep digging until you find the real breakdown. Perhaps the sales reps are not making their outbound calls, or the sales manager is not coaching them. The true issue is often a human problem, a system failure, or a lack of accountability.

To make this stick, follow three simple rules:
- Never allow a solution to be proposed until the team agrees on the root cause.
- Call out polite behavior and demand honest, uncomfortable clarity.
- Write the real issue on the board clearly so everyone is solving the exact same problem.

Once you isolate the real root cause, the Solve step becomes surprisingly fast. If you do not dig deep enough, you will just find yourself solving the same symptom next month.