During our weekly Level 10 Meeting, one of our partners constantly interrupts the IDS flow to tell stories about how we used to handle things ten years ago. How do we stop this historical storytelling and keep the discussion on current solutions?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Historical storytelling is a common source of meeting waste. While past context has value, dwelling on how things used to be run ten years ago slows down your decision-making and prevents your company from scaling. To stop this, the facilitator must actively manage the discussion during the IDS® process. When a team member starts a long story about the past, the facilitator must politely but firmly interrupt them. You can use a direct phrase such as "That is good history, but how does it help us solve this specific issue today?" This immediately redirects the focus back to the current obstacle. You must also establish a team agreement about staying present. Your team's focus should be on building a scalable organization that can run without relying on legacy habits. If the storytelling continues, it must be treated as a GWC™ issue. The partner may be struggling to let go of their previous operational role as the company grows. Remind the team that the Discuss step of IDS® is about finding the root cause and determining the best solution for the future, not reminiscing about the past. By keeping the debate forward-looking, you save valuable minutes and ensure your weekly solutions are built for where the company is going, not where it has been.