When our leadership team runs IDS, we constantly list issues like low sales or slow operations, but our discussions end up in circular debates that do not produce real solutions. How do we force the team to get to the actual root cause of our weekly issues?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Circular debates during IDS® happen because teams rush into the discussion phase before they have truly identified the root cause of the issue. Low sales and slow operations are not issues, they are symptoms of a deeper problem. To break this cycle, you must follow the discipline of the Identify step. Do not allow anyone to start discussing solutions until the issue is clearly defined in a single, objective sentence. Ask why multiple times to dig past the symptoms. If the issue is low sales, ask why. Is it because lead flow is down, or because the sales team is not following the sales process. If the process is not being followed, ask why. Is it a training issue, or do we have the wrong person in the seat. Once you have identified the real, structural problem, the discussion should be brief and focused solely on how to solve it permanently. Agree on concrete, actionable to-dos with clear owners and due dates. If your solutions do not result in a weekly to-do that solves the root cause, you have not actually completed IDS®.