Our team members are polite to a fault during our weekly IDS sessions, meaning the real issues behind the issues are whispered in the hallways after the meeting. How do we break this artificial harmony and force the real, uncomfortable truth onto the table?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Artificial harmony is a silent killer on leadership teams. When team members are too polite, real issues are never solved. Instead, they morph into passive-aggressive politics and hallway gossip. To get to the issue behind the issue during IDS®, you must establish a culture of humble confidence where being vulnerable is the expectation, not the exception. For tips on fostering openness, consider [building vulnerability and safety in leadership](/qa/building-vulnerability-and-safety-in-leadership) within your team.

When an issue is brought to the table, the person who raised it must state the problem clearly in one sentence. Your job as a leadership team is to avoid jumping straight to solutions. Instead, you must ask probing questions to peel back the layers. For example, if the stated issue is a delayed product launch, the actual issue is often:

• Lack of resource alignment
• Fear of conflict between departments
• A legacy manager who does not have GWC™ (Gets it, Wants it, has the Capacity) for their seat

To force the real truth out, use the rule of asking why multiple times until you hit the core friction point. You must also encourage your team to call out the elephant in the room. If two leaders are constantly experiencing conative tension due to different natural problem-solving modes, drag that tension into the light. This often surfaces during discussions about [resolving leadership turf wars](/qa/resolving-leadership-turf-wars-accountability-chart).

Once the real issue is identified, the discussion should be brief and focused entirely on the root cause. You are not looking for a consensus that makes everyone feel warm and fuzzy. You are looking for the right solution that serves the company's long-term vision. Solve the root cause permanently so the same issue never returns to your board. Learn more about preventing recurring problems by [using the Accountability Chart to stop the blame game](/qa/using-accountability-chart-to-stop-blame-in-ids).

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