We have a newly appointed leadership team member who stays completely silent during the IDS® portion of our Level 10 Meeting™ because they are intimidated by the aggressive pace and strong personalities of the existing partners. How do we draw them into the problem-solving process without putting them on the defensive?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a new leadership team member goes silent during IDS®, it is rarely because they have nothing to contribute. More often, they are observing the fast-paced, sometimes aggressive dynamic of the existing partners and are hesitant to speak up for fear of making a mistake.

To draw this leader into the problem-solving process without making them defensive, use these facilitation tactics:

- Have the facilitator actively call on the silent leader by name during IDS®, asking: What is your perspective on this, based on your seat on the Accountability Chart?
- Ensure your team is practicing the fundamental rule of IDS®: identify, discuss, and solve. Often, silent leaders excel at the identify phase, so ask them to help define the root cause of an issue before anyone begins discussing solutions.
- Conduct a brief check-in outside the meeting to ask how they are experiencing the Level 10 Meeting™ dynamic and to reinforce that their voice is critical for whole-company alignment.

Silence is a silent killer of team health. Your leadership team must be a safe space where every member GWCs their seat, which includes actively participating in healthy conflict to solve the company's toughest issues.