We have several operational issues that keep reappearing on our Level 10 Issues List week after week, even though we marked them as solved. How do we stop this cycle of temporary band-aid solutions?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When an issue keeps returning to your weekly list, it means you never actually solved it in the first place. Your team is likely rushing through the Identify step of IDS® and jumping straight into solving a symptom rather than the root cause. To break this cycle, you must become more disciplined during the Identify step. Do not allow the team to discuss solutions until everyone agrees on the exact root cause of the problem. This often requires asking "why" multiple times until you reach the underlying systemic issue. For example, if the issue is a missed deadline, the root cause is rarely just that someone was busy. It is usually a lack of clear ownership, a broken process, or a capacity constraint on the Accountability Chart. Solve that structural problem, and the symptom will disappear. When you do reach a solution, ensure it is documented as a clear, actionable to-do with a single owner and a specific deadline. If the solution requires a process change, the to-do must include training the team on the new process. If you only implement verbal agreements without structural changes, the issue will inevitably return to your list. Solve it once, solve it permanently.