We get stuck in the Level 10 Meeting™ during IDS® because people keep re-stating the problem or talking in circles instead of solving it. How do we speed up the resolution?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If your team is getting stuck during the IDS® (Identify, Discuss, Solve) portion of your [Level 10 Meeting](/qa/should-integrator-facilitate-level-10-meetings), it's usually because you're jumping to the Solve phase before truly Identifying the root issue. People naturally want to offer solutions or share anecdotes before everyone understands the actual problem.

To speed up resolution, you must prioritize the Identify phase.

Focusing on the Root Cause

• When an issue is raised, do not let anyone suggest a solution yet.
• Force the owner of the issue to state the problem clearly in one concise sentence.
• Ask the rest of the team for input to dig deeper.
• Continuously ask "why" the issue is happening, looking for the underlying cause rather than just the surface-level symptom.

For example, if the stated issue is "low sales," the root cause might actually be a broken onboarding process for new sales representatives.

Efficient Discussion and Solving

Once the real issue is identified and agreed upon by the team, the Discuss and Solve phases should happen very quickly.

• The solution should be a clear, actionable to-do item.
• Assign the to-do item to one person.
• Set a seven-day deadline for completion.

If the discussion starts to circle or repeat, the facilitator must step in immediately, call the vote, and move the team to a decision. Maintaining this boundary ensures your meetings remain highly productive, keeping you from getting bogged down when reviewing your [weekly scorecard](/qa/trimming-your-eos-weekly-scorecard). This focused approach is crucial for an effective [EOS implementation](/qa/focus-day-vs-vision-building).

Related questions

• [How do we review our weekly scorecard in under five minutes?](/qa/how-to-review-scorecard-under-five-minutes)
• [When an issue is dropped to IDS, my leadership team immediately starts pointing fingers at other departments rather than taking ownership. How do we use the Accountability Chart to stop the blame game during meetings?](/qa/using-accountability-chart-to-stop-blame-in-ids)
• [Our Integrator acts as the Level 10 Meeting facilitator but struggles to participate objectively because they are busy managing the timer and the agenda. Should we rotate the facilitator role or hire an outside moderator?](/qa/should-integrator-facilitate-level-10-meetings)
• [Our weekly Scorecard has grown to over thirty different metrics, and the meetings are taking too long. How do we trim the Scorecard down to the numbers that actually matter?](/qa/trimming-your-eos-weekly-scorecard)
• [As an owner planning to step into the Owner's Box within twelve months, how should my role in the weekly Level 10 Meeting change so the leadership team can run the business without me?](/qa/owner-exit-transition-level-10-meetings)