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The Power of Problem Solving as a Leadership Team!

Overview

  • Topic: Solving Problems Well as a Leadership Team
  • Time: 5 minutes
  • Takeaway: Ask “why” five times at the beginning to get to the root issue faster.
  • Tool: IDS Quick Guide PDF
  • Tip: 3-Word Issues (keep them short, clear, and simple!)
  • Try: Next time someone rambles, kindly cut in and say: “In one sentence, what do you need from the leadership team?”

Intro

In the promo industry, I’ve seen it again and again: business owners are too reactive, too distracted, and too exhausted to meet consistently and solve problems well. They’re firefighting (reactive) instead of building a fireplace (proactive)!

If that’s you, constantly putting out fires, wondering why the same issues keep resurfacing, this article is for you!

What: The Power of IDS

The EOS® tool for problem solving is called IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve). It’s simple, but it’s not easy. It takes discipline, clarity, and courage to slow down long enough to get to the root issue so you can solve it once and for all, for the greater good of the organization.

When done well, IDS transforms meetings from “just talk” into high-impact decision rooms that build unity, accountability, and traction.

Why: Why This Matters for Promo Leaders

Let’s be real, poor problem solving is costing you more than you think:

  • Revenue: When problems linger, they leak money. Inefficiency, miscommunication, and repeated mistakes all cut into profit.
  • Sales: When your sales team lacks clarity, they lose confidence, and customers feel it.
  • Owner Freedom: If every issue ends up back on your plate, you’re trapped in the weeds instead of leading from altitude.
  • Team Health: Without a structured way to address issues, frustration builds and trust breaks down.

Peter Drucker said it best:

“Once the facts are clear, the decision jumps out.” (Peter F. Drucker, “The Effective Executive,” 2006)

That’s what IDS does—it helps you get clear on the facts, so decisions can jump out.

How: Solving Problems that Stay Solved

A great Level 10 Meeting™ is your leadership team’s training ground for problem solving. It’s the same day, same time, starts on time, ends on time, and follows the same purposeful agenda!

Here’s how to make IDS work for you:

  1. Stay in the “I” Zone Longer! Don’t rush to solve. Slow down, ask “why?” five times, and find the root (not the fruit) of the problem. Most issues are people or process related, fix those, and you fix everything else!
  2. Clarify FIRST! When you enter a problem, make sure facts are written in the description. Context beats confusion every time. So proactively put the necessary context in the notes of that issue!
  3. Cut the Rambler off with Kindness! When someone spirals, say: “In one sentence, what do you need from the Leadership Team?” Clarity is kind! Think “for the greater good!”
  4. End Every Solve with CLEAR Action! Create a 7-day To-Do. If it’s not assigned, it’s not solved! Who owns it? Have them say “Got it” during the To-Do Recap.
  5. Practice Weekly! IDS is a skill, not an event. Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent! So do it right! Every L10 Meeting™ is a chance to strengthen your team’s ability to think, speak, and decide together. You can strengthen the Team Health EVERY SINGLE WEEK!

When your leadership team masters IDS, the energy in the room shifts. People stop protecting their turf and start fighting for the greater good. That’s when you move from firefighting to forward momentum.

Pro Tips

  1. Ask “Why” 5 Times. Each “why” gets you closer to the truth. (Example: “Sales are down.” Why? “Fewer leads.” Why? “Marketing paused campaigns.” Why? “No clear Q4 budget.” Why? “Finance didn’t get final numbers.” Boom! Root issue found.)
  2. 3-Word Issues. Force simplicity. If you can’t explain it in 3 words, you don’t understand it yet. (Shout-out to Richard Feynman: “If you can’t explain it simply, you simply don’t understand it.”)
  3. Classify Issues Up Front. Is it an Alignment, Announcement, Brainstorm, Opportunity, Permission, or Problem to Solve? This saves time and helps you prioritize what truly matters.
  4. Vote Fast. Prioritize your top 3 issues in 30 seconds or less. Use your meeting software to vote; don’t let the loudest voice win.
  5. Enter the Danger. The most uncomfortable issue is usually the one holding your company back. Have the courage to go there.
  6. End with “I’m Solved.” When someone owns the solution, have them say it aloud: “I’m solved.” It reinforces clarity and accountability.
  7. After-Action Review. Capture one “lesson learned” per major IDS. Example: “We now require deposits because one client defaulted on $90K.” Simple, practical, and memorable.
  8. Utilize Your Implementer. Don’t go it alone. A trained EOS Implementer helps you see blind spots, facilitates healthy conflict, and keeps your team focused.

Q&A: Common IDS Challenges

Q: What if our meetings go off track with tangents? A: Use a simple phrase like “Tangent alert!” It keeps things light but focused.

Q: What if we don’t have time to solve everything? A: Solve the most important issue. Choose short-term pain for long-term gain.

Q: What if someone’s a verbal processor? A: Give them a timer. Let them process for 3 minutes, then ask, “So what’s the root issue in three words?”

Q: How do I get my team to open up? A: Model vulnerability first. “No issues” is an issue. Build trust through honesty.

Q: What if we need more data before solving? A: Leave the issue on the list, but assign a 7-day To-Do to gather info. No next steps = no progress.

Summary

When promo leaders learn to Identify, Discuss, and Solvetogether, everything changes. Meetings stop being a drain and start being a driver! Teams move from blame to ownership, from chaos to clarity, from exhaustion to execution!

Your culture becomes a place where problems surface fast and get solved even faster!

Challenge #1 – Practice!

This week, bring one real issue to your leadership team and practice IDS. Cut the noise, stay focused, and fight for the greater good of your company. If you want a quick reference, grab my IDS Quick Guide PDF and share it with your team.

Challenge #2 – Get a Peer Group!

If you’ve ever left an EOS session fired up, but found that energy slowly fading as the quarter goes on, you’re not alone. Running a promo business is lonely at the top. You’re carrying vision, accountability, and people all at once. Typically you are the bottleneck. The truth? You weren’t meant to lead in isolation.

That’s why I created the Maximize EOS Mastermind Group: a monthly roundtable of growth-minded Promo Industry Leaders who want to keep getting sharper, healthier, and more disciplined together!

Each month, we dig into one practical EOS topic: things like embedding Core Values, running better Level 10 Meetings, improving the State of the Company Address, and building freedom through better delegation! You’ll leave each session with fresh ideas, stronger accountability, and renewed focus!

Proverbs 27:17 says it best – “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another!” This group is where Promotional Products Integrators and Visionaries sharpen each other!

Challenge: If you’re serious about growing your company and your leadership this year… don’t go another 90 days trying to do it alone!

  • Join the next Maximize EOS Mastermind for Promo Industry Business Ownes!
  • Commit one hour a month to being sharpened by other EOS-driven leaders.
  • Because when you surround yourself with high-accountability, high-trust peers, you don’t just get better ideas, you get better results!

“Leadership develops daily, not in a day” (Maxwell, 2007, p. 21) The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Your company deserves a better future! Your team deserves a more focused leader! And you deserve to grow alongside people who get it.

Let’s Maximize EOS together!

Final Thought

“The essence of building a great team is getting round pegs in round holes” – Ted Engstrom

The stronger your problem-solving muscles are as a team, the faster your promo business grows in revenue, in teamwork, and in freedom! Stop fighting fires, start building a fireplace!

Thank you for reading!

  • If this added value, please consider sharing it with your peers in the promo industry!
  • If you want to connect further, email me at charlie.rhea@eosworldwide.comand let’s set up a 15-minute connect call.
  • And if you’re ready to start your EOS journey, reach out to schedule your free 90-Minute Meeting *this is the best way to see if working with an EOS Implementer is right for your team! And it is FREE!

I’m WITH and FOR you!

-Charlie

#helpfirst

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