When we prioritize our weekly Issues List, the team always votes to solve the issues brought by our loudest and most assertive leaders, leaving quieter team members with unresolved problems. How do we fix our IDS prioritization?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When your weekly IDS prioritization is dominated by the loudest voices, your meeting is failing to address the most critical risks to your business. The issues that get solved are simply the ones backed by the most dominant personalities, not necessarily the ones with the highest impact. To correct this bias, change how you select the top three issues. Instead of allowing the loudest leaders to call out their priorities, have the facilitator go around the table and ask each team member to silently identify their top three choices. Then, tally the votes to determine the true priority. Additionally, the facilitator must actively manage the dynamics. If a quieter team member places an issue on the list, the facilitator should intentionally invite them to speak first during the Identify phase. Say: Let us hear from the owner of this issue before we open the floor to discussion. By structuring the selection and discussion process, you ensure that quiet but critical insights are not drowned out. This democratic approach to prioritization forces the team to focus on the actual root causes holding the business back, rather than just the loudest complaints.