I recently had the opportunity to learn about the Entrepreneurial Operating System and incorporate several EOS concepts into a leadership development program. If you’re unfamiliar, EOS is a business operating framework designed to help organizations gain clarity, accountability and traction by identifying issues, making decisions and focusing on what matters most. One EOS concept immediately resonated: IDS, which stands for identify, discuss and solve.
On the surface, it seems remarkably simple. Identify the issue. Discuss the issue. Solve the issue. Yet the more I work with leaders, the more convinced I am that this simple framework addresses one of the biggest drains on organizational productivity and time management: We’re suffering from a maybe problem.
Most organizations don’t lose time because they lack talent, commitment or good ideas. They lose time because they struggle to make decisions. Instead of identifying an issue and working through it, they leave it unresolved: Maybe we’ll approve the position. Maybe we’ll restructure the department. Maybe we’ll revisit that policy. Maybe next quarter. Maybe after we gather more information.
To be fair, not every decision should be made immediately. Good leaders gather facts, seek input, review available data and consider consequences. The problem arises when maybe becomes a permanent destination rather than a temporary stop.
Every unresolved issue eventually returns. It reappears in another meeting, another email thread or another hallway conversation. Indecision isn’t just a leadership challenge. It’s a time-suck.
If a topic is important enough to repeatedly discuss, it is important enough to identify, discuss and solve. Otherwise, we’re simply renting space in our calendars for the same conversation over and over again.
The hidden cost of organizational maybes includes employees spending time speculating, managers spending time on questions they can’t answer and teams preparing for changes that might never happen. Meetings get scheduled to revisit topics that should have been concluded weeks ago.
Unresolved issues consume attention and occupy mental bandwidth. And leaders wonder why they never seem to have enough time. The answer might be sitting on next week’s agenda for the fourth consecutive meeting.
This is where IDS becomes powerful. The framework forces leaders to move beyond endless discussion. First, identify the real issue. Then discuss it honestly. Finally, solve it.
This doesn’t mean every issue can or should be solved on the spot. Some decisions require data, analysis, stakeholder input or additional planning. A staffing request may require budget approval. A restructuring proposal may require financial modeling. A technology investment may require vendor evaluations.
Once the issue is identified and discussed, determine the next steps necessary to reach a solution. What information is needed? Who owns the follow-up? What is the deadline to collect the needed data? When will the decision be revisited? In other words, solve for the next step even when you can’t solve the entire problem.
That’s the difference between a not yet and a maybe. Maybe creates uncertainty, while not yet creates a plan. Consider the difference: “Maybe we’ll revisit this compensation proposal next year,” versus “We are not moving forward with the proposal now. We’ll review market data in November and make a final decision during budget planning for next year.” Both responses delay action, but one creates clarity about next steps and drives toward the solution.
This is where IDS and time management intersect. Every issue left unresolved continues demanding attention. It reappears in meetings, emails, side conversations and status updates. Even when a final decision isn’t possible, assigning ownership, establishing deadlines and defining next steps prevents people from spinning their wheels on the same discussion.
The next time a topic reappears in a meeting, pause and ask a simple question: Are we working to identify, discuss and solve problems, or are we maintaining maybes? Remember, your unresolved maybes will show up again in another meeting or in the growing frustration of a team that’s still waiting for a clear answer.
This article appears in November SBJ 2026.