Our leadership team keeps solving the exact same operational problems during IDS week after week because we only address the symptoms. How do we identify the issue behind the issue when everyone thinks they already know the solution?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Teams fail at IDS because they rush straight into solving before they have actually identified the root problem. Someone raises an issue such as missed project delivery deadlines. The room immediately begins debating software upgrades or hiring more coordinators. That is treating a symptom. To find the issue behind the issue, the Integrator must force the team to stop pitching solutions and instead ask diagnostic questions.

Start by asking the five whys. Why did the project miss the deadline? Because client onboarding assets arrived late. Why did they arrive late? Because the account manager never sent the intake checklist. Why was the checklist omitted? Because account management has no documented onboarding process, or the person in that seat does not get it, want it, or have the capacity to do it. The real issue is not deadline management; it is a broken process or a personnel seat failure.

Every operational issue on your Level 10 Meeting agenda ultimately traces back to one of two structural buckets: a people problem or a process problem. A people problem means someone is in the wrong seat or does not align with your core values. A process problem means a core process is undocumented, unmeasured, or not followed by everyone. Once you isolate the structural breakdown, solving it becomes straightforward. Name the root cause, establish a single owner, and assign a seven-day To-Do to fix the root system rather than patching the daily leak.