How Issue Processing Defines Your Company through EOS Implementation

Issues processing means becoming great at solving problems throughout the organization – setting them up, knocking them down and making them go away forever.

Does addressing issues  ever feel like a deja vu experience, where your discussion of an issue sounds vaguely like something else you already thought you fixed?  Welcome to the game we call “Issue Whack-a-Mole”.  That’s the one where you think you’ve solved a problem only to find it popping up again someplace else.

The truth is most issues companies struggle with aren’t really THE issue at all. They are symptoms of underlying root causes that never really get identified, let alone addressed.  Successful companies aren’t successful because they have no problems, they are successful because they are really good at identifying issues, digging deep to find the root causes of those issues and then finding a permanent solution.

EOS has a clearly defined structure for smoking out issues, managing and prioritizing issues, then standing them up, knocking them down and making them go away forever.  The key is a process we call IDS, which stands for Identify, Discuss, Solve.

1. Identify the root cause of the issue, because most “issues” are really symptoms of underlying root causes.
2. Discuss the root cause(s), leveraging the collective intelligence of the team to understand what’s going on and identify potential options for resolution.
3. Solve the issue forever by identifying a clear plan of action that includes clear ownership of the plan and commitment as to when it will be done.

Solving issues –the REAL issues –is critical to making your vision reality.