During IDS, our team's default solution to almost every problem is to assign a weekly to-do to write a new policy or document a process. How do we stop our team from using band-aid administrative tasks as a substitute for permanent operational problem-solving?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Creating a new policy or writing a document is often a lazy solution to a deeper operational issue. When your team defaults to administrative tasks, they are usually treating a symptom rather than solving the root cause of the problem.

To stop this, the facilitator must challenge the proposed solution during the Solve step of IDS. Before accepting a to-do to write a policy, ask the team if the problem is a lack of documentation or a lack of accountability.

Often, the process is already clear, but someone is simply failing to execute. In those cases, writing a new policy will not solve the issue. You need to have a direct conversation with the person responsible, or clarify their GWC for that specific role.

If a process actually needs to be documented, make sure the to-do is focused on the core workflow, not a massive manual. Keep the documentation simple and focused on the twenty percent of steps that produce eighty percent of the results.

Always ensure that every solution leads to a permanent fix. If a proposed to-do does not directly resolve the issue so it never returns, reject it and continue the discussion until you find the real operational solution.