When we identify a critical bottleneck during the IDS® portion of our Level 10 Meeting™, our leaders frequently block the solution by claiming they do not have the capacity to take on any more weekly To-Dos. How do we overcome this capacity-block during our weekly problem-solving?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a leader claims they are too busy to take on a critical weekly To-Do, it is usually a sign of a deeper issue: poor prioritization, lack of delegation, or an incorrect seat on the Accountability Chart.

If a bottleneck is truly critical to the business, "I am too busy" is not an acceptable answer. The facilitator must help the leader look at their current plate and make trade-offs.

Ask the leader: "If this new task is our top priority, what existing task or To-Do can we delay, delegate, or eliminate to free up your capacity?" This forces the team to make conscious choices about where to spend their limited time and energy.

You should also look at whether the leader is spending too much time working in the business rather than on the business. If they are constantly fighting fires, they will never have the capacity to solve the systemic issues that are holding the company back.

Use this as an opportunity to review their seat on the Accountability Chart. If they genuinely do not have the capacity to execute their core functions and solve weekly issues, it may be time to delegate some of their responsibilities or hire additional support to prepare the business for a clean exit.