When an off-track Scorecard metric is dropped to the Issues List for IDS®, our team gets stuck in a loop of analyzing the historical data and debating the target number itself, rather than addressing the underlying operational failure that caused the miss. How do we keep the focus on solving the performance issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When an off-track Scorecard metric is dropped to the Issues List, the goal of IDS® is to solve the operational root cause of the miss, not to debate the metric itself. If your team spends thirty minutes arguing about how the data was collected or whether the target is too high, you are avoiding the real problem.

The facilitator must stop this avoidance behavior immediately. If a leader starts debating the validity of the metric during IDS®, ask a direct question to pivot back to operations. For example, say, the metric is red. What is the operational bottleneck preventing us from hitting this number?

If the metric truly needs to be recalculated or the target adjusted, make that a quick, separate to-do to resolve outside the meeting. Do not let it hijack the IDS® session. The focus must remain on the human or process failure that caused the underperformance.

Keep the team focused on identifying the root cause. Ask, is this a training issue, a capacity issue, or a broken process? Once you identify the real cause, move quickly to agree on a solution and assign a to-do. By separating the administration of the scorecard from the execution of the business, you keep your Level 10 Meeting™ highly productive and action-oriented.