Our weekly Issues List is full of single-word or vague entries like Marketing, Software, or New Hire. When we get to IDS, we waste five to ten minutes just trying to get the creator to explain what the actual problem is before we can even begin to solve it. How do we enforce a standard for how issues are written so we can dive straight into solving them?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Vague issues are massive time-wasters that kill your meeting momentum. If an issue requires a lengthy introduction just to explain what it is, your Level 10 Meeting™ is operating inefficiently.

To fix this, implement the Issue Statement rule. Any issue added to the list must be written in a specific format: a short sentence identifying the exact gap between reality and expectation, followed by the specific owner. For example, instead of writing "Marketing," the entry must read: "Lead flow dropped twenty percent this month, need to adjust ad spend (Marketing Owner)."

This allows the team to understand the context instantly without needing a verbal setup. If an issue is submitted as a single word or a vague phrase, the facilitator must refuse to IDS® it. They should instruct the owner to rewrite it on the spot or push it to the bottom of the list. This simple discipline teaches the team to clarify their thoughts before the meeting starts, saving valuable minutes during your weekly pulse.