During the IDS portion of our Level 10 Meeting, our leadership team spends sixty minutes passionately debating issue number one on the list, leaving zero time for issues two and three. How do we manage the clock during IDS so we do not spend our entire problem-solving block on a single topic?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Spending the entire sixty minutes of IDS® on a single topic is acceptable only if issue number one is genuinely the most critical constraint in the company and the discussion is driving toward a concrete resolution. However, when an issue drags on because leaders are repeating arguments, rehashing history, or venting frustration, that is not problem-solving. It is meeting waste.

The facilitator must actively manage the tempo of IDS. The root cause of a bloated discussion is almost always a failure during the Identify step. When teams do not isolate the true root problem, they spend forty minutes debating surface symptoms. The facilitator must stop the conversation early and ask: What is the real issue here? In one sentence, what are we trying to solve?

Once the real issue is stated and agreed upon, the Discuss phase should be fast and focused. The facilitator must enforce two rules:
- Say it once. Leaders are not allowed to repeat their point in different words just to be heard.
- Push for solutions. As soon as the options are clear, move directly to the Solve step.

If the team hits a wall because critical financial data or technical facts are missing, the facilitator must call time. Do not speculate. Assign a single 7-day To-Do to gather the missing information, drop the issue back onto the list for next week, and immediately move to issue number two. Solving three issues decisively produces far more organizational momentum than burning an hour spinning in circular debate.