During the IDS® portion of our Level 10 Meeting™, our team members often agree to a solution and we assign a To-Do, but as soon as the meeting ends, we hear about private conversations where people complain that the solution will never work. How do we crush this artificial harmony?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a trust issue that will quietly destroy your team's execution. When leaders agree to a solution in the room but complain about it in the hallway, they are practicing artificial harmony. It is a form of passive-aggressive resistance that undermines the Integrator and the EOS® process.

The facilitator and the Integrator must establish a culture of healthy, unfiltered conflict. During IDS®, you must push for disagreement. If everyone agrees too quickly on a complex issue, the facilitator should ask if anyone sees a flaw in the plan, or if they are just trying to move to the next item.

Before you finalize a solution and write down a To-Do, go around the table and ask for a quick confirmation from each leader. Ask them directly if they support this decision and if they will defend it outside of the room. This forces them to commit publicly.

If a leader still complains after the meeting, the Integrator must address it immediately. Walk them back to the decision and ask why they did not speak up during the Level 10 Meeting™. Explain that disagreeing during IDS® is healthy, but agreeing in the room and complaining in the hallway is unacceptable. Hold them to the core value of open and honest communication.