Our leadership team uses IDS® to solve superficial symptoms rather than root causes because we are afraid of the interpersonal conflict required to dig deeper. How do we push past the surface level to identify the real issue behind the issue when it involves team dynamics?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

True IDS® is uncomfortable because root causes are almost always human and behavioral. When your team settles for superficial solutions, you are treating the sneeze instead of the cold, and the issue will inevitably return next week. To break this cycle, you must embrace healthy conflict and stop letting people off the hook with easy answers.

Start by demanding clarity during the Identify phase. When an issue is raised, ask the owner to state the problem in one clear sentence that focuses on the root cause, not the symptoms. If they say the issue is that a department missed its deadline, push back. Ask why the deadline was missed. Is it a capacity problem, a process failure, or does the person in that seat lack the GWC™ for their role?

As the leader, you must create a safe environment where team members can challenge assumptions without fear of retaliation. Use open-ended questions like, What is the real problem here? or What are we afraid to say out loud? Digging into team dynamics requires you to point directly to the Accountability Chart and ask whether the right people are in the right seats. Only when you identify the real structural or personal gap can you actually solve it forever.