We are trying to run IDS® in our leadership meetings, but every time we get to the Identify step, people just list tactical process bottlenecks. How do we train our team to push past these surface-level symptoms and confidently call out the real issue, even when the root cause is a personnel problem or a leadership team member's behavior?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Pushing past process bottlenecks to find the true root cause during IDS® is painful because the real issue is almost always a human being. When you keep discussing late reports or missed sales targets, you are hiding behind the spreadsheets. The actual issue is usually that someone lacks the GWC™ for their seat, or they are violating your core values.

To force this shift, you have to change how you frame the Identify step. When an issue is placed on the table, the owner of that issue must state it in one sentence. Do not let them tell a five-minute backstory. Once the issue is stated, the facilitator must ask why it is happening. Repeat that question at least three times.

For example, if the issue is a missed shipping deadline, the first why might reveal a software glitch. The second why points to a lack of training. The third why inevitably reveals that the operations manager has not prioritized training. Now you are solving the real problem.

Stop protecting feelings. If a leadership team member is the root cause, you must name it. Use the Accountability Chart as your neutral ground. Frame the discussion around the seat, not the person. If you cannot speak the hard truth during your Level 10 Meeting™, you are merely rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship.