When our departmental teams run their Level 10 Meetings, how do they decide which issues can be solved locally and which ones must be escalated to the leadership team's weekly meeting? We want to avoid both micromanagement and departmental silos.

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The golden rule for cascading issues between your leadership team and departmental Level 10 Meetings™ is based on seat accountability and organizational impact. Departmental teams should aim to solve ninety percent of their issues locally using their own IDS® process.

An issue should only be escalated to the leadership team's Level 10 Meeting™ under three specific circumstances. First, if the issue requires a change in company policy, strategy, or core systems that affect other departments. Second, if solving the issue requires resources or budget that exceed the department manager's authority. Third, if the local team has attempted to solve the issue for two consecutive weeks but the metric remains red or the problem persists.

When an escalation is necessary, the department head is responsible for carrying the issue up to the leadership team's Short-Term Issues List. They must state the issue clearly, explain what local solutions were attempted, and outline what is needed from the leadership team.

This structured escalation prevents the leadership team's meeting from becoming a dumping ground for minor tactical problems. It empowers your managers to lead, keeps the operational boundaries clear, and ensures the leadership team only focuses on issues that truly impact the entire organization.