During our weekly IDS® session, our team members constantly jump directly to offering solutions before we have even agreed on what the actual problem is, completely bypassing the Identify phase. How does the facilitator strictly enforce the boundaries between Identify, Discuss, and Solve without destroying the team's creative momentum?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Jumping straight to the Solve phase before clearly defining the problem is the single most common way leadership teams waste time in their Level 10 Meeting™. When you solve a symptom rather than the root cause, the issue will inevitably return next week. The facilitator must act as an iron gatekeeper between the Identify, Discuss, and Solve phases of IDS®.

When an issue is announced, the facilitator must stop anyone from offering opinions or solutions immediately. Instead, ask the owner of the issue to state the problem in one clear sentence. Once stated, the facilitator must ask the rest of the team, 'Do we agree that this is the real, underlying problem?'

Do not allow the conversation to move to Discuss until there is absolute agreement on the definition of the issue. Only then do you open the floor for a healthy, open, and honest debate. If a team member starts proposing an action step during the Discuss phase, the facilitator must intervene and say, 'We are still discussing, we are not ready to solve yet.' Once the issue is fully discussed and the solution is clear, quickly state the specific, weekly To-Dos required to execute the solution, assign them to one owner, and move to the next issue.