Firefighting is rarely a people problem. It is what happens when there is no fixed moment in the week where problems are expected to surface. Without that moment, issues wait until they are urgent enough to interrupt someone.
The fix is unglamorous: one meeting, same day, same agenda, same numbers, every week.
What the meeting contains
Five to nine leading indicators, each with one owner. A short review of last week's commitments. Then the issues list, prioritised in the room and closed with a name and a date.
- Scorecard review — numbers only, no narration
- Commitments from last week — done or not done
- Issues — prioritise, discuss, solve
- Close — restate owners and dates
Why it works
It creates a predictable place for bad news, which means bad news arrives earlier and smaller. Over a quarter that single change usually removes more stress than any tool you could buy.