We have weeks where our leadership team brings almost no operational issues to the Level 10 Meeting, claiming everything is on track and running smoothly, yet our quarterly Rocks are lagging behind. How do we break through this false harmony and force the team to identify the real obstacles?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A weekly Issues List with only two or three minor items is rarely a sign of a perfect business. More often, it is a sign of fear, lack of trust, or simple laziness. If your quarterly Rocks are off-track but your weekly Issues List is empty, your team is suffering from false harmony. They are hiding the truth to avoid uncomfortable conversations.

To break this cycle, you must look directly at your data. During the reporting section of the meeting, look at every off-track Scorecard metric or lagging Rock. If a metric is red, or if a leader admits a Rock is in jeopardy, that is an automatic issue. Do not let them say they are working on it and move on. The facilitator must immediately type that item onto the Issues List.

As the leader, you also need to model vulnerability. Start bringing your own messy, unresolved problems to the table. Show the team that it is safe to admit when something is not working.

If the team still claims they have nothing to talk about, use the five-second rule. Sit in silence and wait. Ask the team, what is the one thing we are not talking about right now that is slowing us down? Usually, the most critical issue is the one everyone is actively avoiding. Your job is to pull it out into the light.