When we run our IDS® sessions, our team consistently solves symptoms like missed deadlines or poor communication rather than getting to the root cause of the breakdown. How do we train our leadership team to look past the surface and isolate the real issue behind the issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Most leadership teams struggle with IDS® because they solve the issue that is written on the board rather than the root cause. For example, if the issue is a missed delivery deadline, the team immediately tries to solve the delivery process. In reality, the root cause might be a sales rep who is selling custom packages that operations cannot deliver, or a warehouse manager who does not have the capacity to handle the volume. To find the issue behind the issue, the team must slow down in the identify phase. Do not let anyone propose a solution until you have spent at least five minutes asking digging questions. Keep asking why did that happen, and what is the underlying cause, until you hit a wall. Often, the root cause is a people issue, meaning someone is in the wrong seat or does not GWC™ their seat. It is uncomfortable to call this out, but you cannot solve an operational breakdown if you ignore the human breakdown causing it. When the real issue is identified, state it clearly, even if it is uncomfortable. You must separate the person from the seat. Focus on the Accountability Chart™ and the measurable outcomes. Once you solve the true root cause, the surface symptoms will disappear on their own, saving your team dozens of hours of repetitive firefighting.