During IDS® we often realize that the issue on the board is just a proxy for a deeper conflict between two leadership team members who refuse to challenge each other directly. How do we force the real, interpersonal issue to the surface during the Identify phase?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When interpersonal conflict hides behind operational issues, your team wastes hours debating processes that are not the real bottleneck. The Identify phase of IDS® requires the courage to call out the elephant in the room. If the issue is listed as marketing hand-offs but the real problem is that the sales head and marketing head do not trust each other, you must identify that relationship as the root cause. To solve this, the meeting leader or any team member must ask a simple clarifying question: Is this an operational process issue, or is this a trust and alignment issue between people? You must state the underlying human conflict clearly before you enter the Discuss phase. We teach leadership teams to use entering questions to peel back the layers. Ask what is the worst-case scenario if we do not fix this today, or who is actually carrying the frustration. If the answer points to a specific relationship or a GWC™ breakdown, rewrite the issue on the board to reflect that truth. Only when the issue on the board matches the true friction in the room can you run an honest, healthy IDS® session that actually resolves the conflict forever.