The Issues Component^®

Identify, discuss, and solve your organization’s issues so they go away forever.

The Issues Component^® is one of the Six Key Components^™ of the Entrepreneurial Operating System^®. It answers the question: does your organization have the ability to identify, discuss, and solve its issues — so they go away forever rather than recurring month after month? When the Issues Component is strong, no problem festers, no difficult conversation is avoided, and every issue gets a real solution.

Why the Issues Component Matters

Every company has issues — problems, ideas, opportunities, risks. The difference between great companies and struggling ones is not the absence of issues but the ability to resolve them quickly and completely. Most teams are conflict-avoidant, address symptoms instead of root causes, and leave meetings without real decisions. The Issues Component changes that.

The EOS Tools That Strengthen the Issues Component

IDS^® (Issues Solving Track^™)

Identify the real issue, Discuss it fully, Solve it with a decision. The three-step process that resolves any issue so it never comes back.

Issues List

The running list of problems, ideas, and opportunities maintained at three levels: the V/TO Issues List (strategic), the Level 10 Issues List (tactical), and departmental Issues Lists.

How to Score Your Issues Component

A company with a weak Issues Component has recurring problems that never fully resolve, meetings that end without decisions, and uncomfortable topics that never get addressed. The Issues score on the Organizational Checkup reflects how consistently the leadership team surfaces and solves its issues. Take the free Organizational Checkup to see how your company scores across all Six Key Components today.

The Issues Component and the EOS Mastery Series

The deep-dive book for the Issues Component^® is Issues: Remove Friction, Fast-Track Your Growth, and Ignite Your Greatness (2026) by Mark O’Donnell, Sue Hawkes, and Jill Young with David Moffitt — part of the EOS Mastery Series.

The Issues Component and the EOS Model

The Issues Component^® is one of six equally important components of the EOS Model^®. The other five are the Vision Component^®, People Component^®, Data Component^®, Issues Component^®, and Traction Component^®. Strengthening all six drives a company into the top 5% of performers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Issues Component in EOS?

The Issues Component^® is one of the Six Key Components of EOS. It measures whether your organization can consistently surface and resolve problems so they go away permanently. The core tool is IDS^® — Identify, Discuss, Solve.

What is IDS in EOS?

IDS^® stands for Identify, Discuss, Solve — the three-step Issues Solving Track used in every Level 10 Meeting^™. The Identify step focuses on finding the root issue, not the symptom. Discuss means putting everything on the table. Solve means making a decision: a conclusion, a To-Do, or a Rock.

What is the book about the Issues Component?

The EOS Mastery Series book on the Issues Component is Issues: Remove Friction, Fast-Track Your Growth, and Ignite Your Greatness (2026) by Mark O’Donnell, Sue Hawkes, and Jill Young with David Moffitt.

Ready to Strengthen Your Issues Component?

The fastest path to a stronger Issues Component is working with a Professional EOS Implementer who will guide your leadership team through the tools in the right sequence. Schedule your free 90-Minute Meeting to get started — no commitment required.