Every business hits roadblocks. You hold meetings, assign To-Dos, and make promises to follow up, but the same issues keep resurfacing, just wearing a different name. Over time, the cycle starts to drain your team’s energy and momentum.
That’s because most companies aren’t short on effort. They’re short on clarity. The Issues Solving Track helps leadership teams break the cycle by addressing problems at their root instead of patching symptoms.
Why Problems Keep Coming Back
Most issues don’t start big. They build quietly. A miscommunication here, a missed deadline there, a hiring decision that doesn’t quite fit. Each one seems small until the same themes start resurfacing.
What’s happening isn’t a lack of discipline—it’s a lack of structure. When teams don’t have a clear, shared process for identifying and solving issues, problems linger. Meetings become repetitive. Accountability blurs. Progress slows.
The result? Leaders start managing symptoms instead of solving problems for good.
A Better Way to Solve Issues
Solving problems should move your business forward. But without a structure, teams get stuck in endless discussion.
The Issues Solving Track is a practical EOS Tool that entrepreneurial leadership teams use to identify real issues, discuss them with clarity, and solve them permanently. We call this “IDS” – Identify, Discuss, Solve. It brings focus to meetings and discipline to your team’s thinking. When used consistently, it builds a culture where you handle problems at the root so they stay off the radar.
This is not a brainstorming technique. It’s not a debate format. It is a tool designed to help you stop spinning and start solving, for good.
Step 1: Identify
This is where most teams go wrong. They hear a complaint or see a symptom and jump straight into problem-solving. But without taking the time to clarify what is really going on, they waste energy solving the wrong thing.
The Identify step is all about slowing down and naming the actual issue, not just the one that is easiest to say out loud. It may feel like you’re losing time by pausing here, but the truth is, this step saves time. Once you nail the root issue, the rest of the process moves faster and produces better results.
Here are a few questions that can help your team dig deeper:
- Is this the actual issue, or just a symptom of something else?
- What pattern are we seeing here?
- What is the impact of this issue on the business?
- What are we avoiding saying?
Expect some discomfort. Real issues often sit beneath the surface, tangled in assumptions, roles, or emotions. It takes courage to bring them to light. But when your team commits to identifying the actual issue, not just the convenient one, you build a culture of honesty and clarity.
Once the issue is clearly defined and everyone agrees on the problem you’re solving, then you’re ready to move forward.
Step 2: Discuss
With the real issue identified, the next step is to discuss it fully. This is where your team puts all perspectives on the table and works toward clarity. The goal is not to rehash the problem or circle around it. The goal is to move toward alignment.
This step takes discipline. It’s easy for the conversation to drift, especially if emotions are involved. Strong teams stay focused. They resist the urge to jump ahead or dominate the conversation. They don’t let silence or discomfort cut the discussion short.
This part of the process matters because it surfaces what people are really thinking. You begin to see where people are misaligned, where things have been misunderstood, and what the actual roadblocks are. Sometimes the issue even gets redefined as new clarity emerges. That’s a good thing.
When your team commits to open, respectful conversation, issues lose their power. People feel heard. Blind spots get exposed. And the team moves forward with a shared understanding of what needs to happen next.
Step 3: Solve
Once your team has named and discussed the real issue thoroughly, it’s time to solve it. This means making a clear decision and assigning a specific action to eliminate the issue permanently.
Solving doesn’t mean circling back later or leaving the topic unresolved. It means leaving the meeting with real ownership and a plan to follow through.
Here’s what solving looks like:
- You make a clear decision
- You assign one person to take action
- You add the action to the To-Do list
- You set a deadline and ensure it’s followed through
You don’t need a perfect fix. You need a step that creates traction. Sometimes that means rewriting a policy or having a hard conversation. Other times, it means committing to a change and sticking with it. The key is to take action to prevent the issue from coming back.
Once the action is owned and tracked, the issue disappears from the list. It no longer hangs over the team or drains energy. You’ve solved it and created space to focus on what’s next.
Related Reading: Solving the Big Stuff: The Issues Solving Track
Solve Better, Lead Better
Every business has issues. The difference between teams that grow and teams that stall is how they handle them.
The Issues Solving Track gives your team a common language and a clear path to resolve obstacles. When this tool becomes part of your regular meeting rhythm, your team will become faster, clearer, and more accountable.
The result is a healthier team and a stronger business.
Free Resource: Download the Issues Solving Track
Take the guesswork out of solving problems. Use this free tool to guide your team through the Identify, Discuss, and Solve (IDS) process so issues get resolved at the root and stay off your list for good.
Download the Issue Solving Track
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