During our weekly Level 10 Meeting scorecard review, we have several critical metrics that have been red for six consecutive weeks, and although we drop them to the Issues List every single time, we never actually resolve the underlying root cause. How do we stop this wasteful cycle of admiring our problems instead of solving them?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a scorecard metric remains red for six weeks, you are not practicing IDS. You are simply talking about the problem and hoping it gets better on its own. This is a classic sign of superficial problem solving, where the team agrees on a quick fix To Do that only addresses the symptom rather than the root cause. To break this cycle, the next time this red metric comes up during IDS, you must ban the usual explanations. Stop letting the owner of the metric say they are working on it. Instead, the facilitator must lead a deep root cause analysis. Use the five whys technique to dig past the surface operational issues. Ask why the metric was missed, and then ask why to each subsequent answer until you hit the structural, process, or people issue causing the failure. Often, a persistently red metric is the result of an unrealistic goal, a broken process, or someone sitting in the wrong seat on the Accountability Chart. Once you identify the true root cause, create a specific, measurable To Do that directly addresses that root, or turn it into a dedicated Rock for the quarter if it is too large for a weekly task. Do not remove the issue from your list or accept a vague status update until the underlying structural problem is solved and the metric begins moving back to green.