Common pitfalls in the EOS IDS process and how to avoid them

Executive overview

Most leadership teams undermine their own IDS sessions before they start. They cherry-pick easy issues, skip root causes, and let quiet team members stay quiet.

A giant issues list is a sign of honesty, not dysfunction — the real problem is how you work through it.

IDS failure modes

  • Tackling quick, solvable issues while avoiding the hard ones
  • Over-simplifying: jumping to a solution without finding the root cause
  • Not hearing from every person in the room
  • Wimpy leadership — members who won't surface or own uncomfortable issues
  • Groundhog Day issues: same problem reappears week after week, never truly solved

The right mindset

  • Issues never end — that's not failure, it's the job
  • A long issues list means the team is being honest
  • Solving issues is the core function of a leadership team

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