Our team does IDS® and we think we are finding root causes, but we keep avoiding tough conversations about interpersonal trust and capability. How do we run IDS® when the real issue behind the issue is that team members do not trust each other's competence?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When teams run IDS®, they usually list operational issues like missed deadlines or low lead volume. But the elephant in the room is often interpersonal trust or a lack of confidence in a teammate's competence. If you keep tip-toeing around this, your business will plateau.

To solve the issue behind the issue, you must establish safety and absolute candor. During the Identify step, if a metric keeps failing, you must ask if the person in the seat has the capacity to do the work. This is not personal. It is about the GWC™ framework. Ask the team: Is this a process issue, or do we have a resource in the wrong seat?

If it is a relational conflict, you must address it head-on. The Implementer approach is to ask both parties to state their perspectives without interruption. Use the Kolbe A Index results to see if there is conative friction. Sometimes, a high Quickstart and a high Follow Thru are simply speaking different languages.

Once the real issue is named, the Solve step must be a clear commitment, not a vague promise to try harder. It must result in a specific, measurable To-Do for the next week. If the issue is competence, the solve is a clear timeline for training or a seat change. Stop saving feelings at the expense of your business.