When a metric on our Scorecard is red or off-track, my team spends 15 minutes explaining why it happened during the review instead of dropping it to IDS®. How do we stop this?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic operational trap. The Scorecard review is for reporting numbers, not telling stories. When a metric is off-track, there are only two acceptable words: 'On track' or 'Off track.' If it is off-track, the facilitator must immediately say 'Drop it' to place it on the short-term Issues List, and then move directly to the next number.

Any attempt to explain, defend, or contextualize the red number during the Scorecard review must be cut off. Remind the team that you are not ignoring the problem; you are simply placing it in the correct compartment of the meeting to be addressed during IDS®.

If the issue is truly critical, it will rise to the top of your prioritized list during the IDS® portion, where the owner of that metric will have plenty of time to explain the context and work with the team to find a permanent solution. If it isn't a top priority, it waits. This discipline alone will save you up to 20 minutes of meeting waste every week.