Walking Apollo & Hermes is a good reminder that behaviour always has a root.
If one of them starts acting up, it’s rarely the lead or the harness – it’s something they’ve seen, smelled, or heard. In business, it’s the same.
An off-track number isn’t the whole issue, it’s just the signal.
If you jump to a quick fix, you miss the real trigger.
IDS is about slowing down enough to find it.
In one of my recent sessions, the leadership team told me proudly that their Level 10 Meetings were working well. They said they were raising issues, discussing them, & moving on. On the surface, everything looked fine.
Then I looked at their Scorecard. Sales were consistently off track. Yet no one had dropped it down as an issue.
When I challenged them, they reluctantly added it. Then came the excuses:
But the truth was, they did not know. They were describing symptoms & rushing to pet solutions, but they had not gone deep enough to find the real cause.
So, I slowed them down. I asked the questions. I refused to let them brush it off. And we dug until we found the actual root cause. It was not what they expected. Once we had it on the table, the discussion changed.
Suddenly, we were exploring real options that could fix the issue for good, not just patch over the symptoms.
IDS is Not a Tick Box Exercise
In EOS, IDS stands for Identify, Discuss, Solve. But too often teams treat it as a quick routine, something to get through so the agenda is complete. That is not what it is meant for. IDS is the beating heart of your Level 10.
When you rush it, you waste the most valuable 60 minutes of your week.
Step 1: Identify
Describing the issue well is the first step. Most teams get this wrong. Writing “Sales are down” is not an issue. That is a symptom.
Good issues are:
And this is where you need passion. If a number is off track, drop it down. Do not brush over it. That Scorecard is your early warning system. It is telling you where to look.
Step 2: Discuss
This is where the team needs discipline. Discussing is not lobbying for your own answer. It is not giving long backstories. It is about opening up every angle so the team can see clearly what is really happening.
That means:
This is often the hardest part. It takes courage to sit in the discomfort of a problem without leaping to the first solution.
Step 3: Solve
Solving is where you turn clarity into action. But only after the first two steps have been done properly.
A good solve looks like this:
Why it Matters
When you shortcut IDS, you fall into the classic trap of treating symptoms. Which is why the same problems keep coming back week after week.
And here is where I remind teams of Einstein’s famous quote. Insanity is doing the same things over & over again & expecting different results.
If you are not passionate about dropping down off-track numbers & you are not willing to dig until you hit the true cause, you will stay stuck in that insanity loop.
When you use IDS properly, issues get solved once & for all. The team gets aligned. Trust grows. And traction builds.
A Final Thought
IDS is not about speed. It is about effectiveness. Slow down. Take the time to describe the issue clearly. Dig until you uncover the real cause. Let the whole team contribute to the discussion. Then make a clear decision & commit to it.
That is how you solve issues once & move your business forward.
So next time you are in your Level 10, & a number is off track, do not brush it aside. Drop it down. Push through the excuses. Identify, Discuss, Solve.
That is when your meetings stop being routine & start being game-changing.
This section gives you quick access to 3 links - to articles, blogs, podcasts & stuff that will help you to create a better business & lead a better life.
Focus on real issues and avoid wasting on time voting.
Boost profits using EOS tools for measurable growth.
Discover 20 proven ways to improve yourself for the better.
Last weekend I watched The Art of Racing in the Rain… and wow.
I went in thinking, “Perfect – dogs & Ferraris. Two of my all-time favourites!”
I expected a fun, feel-good watch. What I didn’t expect was to end up in a puddle of tears, clutching tissues, & feeling all the feels.
The story follows a racing driver whose dream job is testing Ferraris on the track – mine too, to be honest.
And the cars? Classic Ferraris (hello, dream garage)… & a sleek new one that made me want to go car shopping immediately.
It’s a beautiful mix of loyalty, loss, love, purpose & horsepower – all told through the eyes of a wise old dog who understands more about life than most humans I know.
It also brought back some very real memories for me…
Years ago, I used to race my Porsche around the gymkhana track at Hampton Downs. Apollo would sit in the back of the 997, harnessed in. He absolutely loved it – ears out the window, taking it all in like the proper racing dog he is.
So, that bond between dog & driver? I felt it. Deeply.
If you’re a dog person, a car person, or just someone who loves a good story with heart – this one’s absolutely worth a watch.
But trust me – don’t skimp on the tissues.
We are here to help you live a better life by creating a better business. We are real-life business owners with years of experience & a strong desire to make a huge difference to the lives of entrepreneurs.
If anything here resonates with you or you would like our help, then please get in contact. Just reply to this newsletter & let us know who you would like to speak to…. Or visit our webpage & contact any of our team from their own pages.
If you know someone who would benefit from reading this, then please forward it onto them. 💖
If you’d like to learn more about any of these tools or would like to find out how I can help you achieve a better life through creating a better business, then book a free Discovery Call with me.
We’ll talk about what you want to get from your business & your life & come up with a plan to do that!
Debra Chantry-Taylor
Certified EOS Implementer | Accredited Family Business Advisor | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Speaker & Workshop Facilitator
