During the IDS portion of our Level 10 Meeting, some of our department heads completely disengage and remain silent if the issue being discussed is outside their direct department, stating they do not have a horse in the race. How do we break this departmental silo mindset during problem-solving?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leadership team member who only participates when their own department is discussed is not operating as a true leader. They are acting as a departmental defender. When leaders sit in the Level 10 Meeting™, they must leave their departmental hats at the door and enter the room wearing their leadership team hats. Your primary responsibility on this team is the health and execution of the entire organization, not just your specific silo.

To break this disengagement, the facilitator must actively pull these silent leaders into the debate. During the IDS® portion, ask them directly for their perspective on issues outside their department. For example, ask your operations leader how a marketing bottleneck impacts their capacity, or ask your finance head how a customer service issue affects cash flow. This forces them to think holistically and connect the dots across the organization.

If the behavior persists, hold a private, direct conversation offline. Use the Accountability Chart to show them that their seat on the leadership team requires them to actively help solve company-wide issues. Refer to the Trust pillar of your company Charter, which demands open, honest, and active participation. If they lack the capability or desire to engage in strategic, whole-company problem-solving, you may have a people issue where they do not GWC™ their seat on the leadership team.