Our leadership Level 10 is crisp, but our newly rolled out departmental L10s have devolved into passive status updates where everyone stays silent. How do we build real IDS muscle at the department level?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The failure of departmental Level 10 Meetings™ often stems from a lack of true ownership. In a leadership team, members understand the stakes. At the departmental level, teams often treat the meeting like a chore where they must prove they are working rather than a tool to solve their own operational friction.

To build real IDS® muscle in your departments, you must change the expectations. First, the manager of that department must stop acting as the sole solver of every issue. If the manager answers every question, the team will remain passive. The manager must practice humility, facilitate the room, and ask the team what they think the solution is.

Second, audit the departmental Issues List. If the list is empty or filled with trivial administrative items, the team is hiding their problems. Force them to bring real issues by implementing these rules:

- Every team member must bring at least one issue to the table every week. If they do not have one, ask them what is holding them back from hitting their weekly scorecard numbers.

- Teach the team that identifying an issue is a sign of strength, not weakness.

- Use the Accountability Chart to drive ownership. If a customer service rep owns a metric that is red, they must lead the discussion on how to solve it.

Once the team experiences the relief of solving a real frustration during the meeting, their engagement will shift from passive compliance to active participation.