We notice that our departmental Level 10 Meetings have several recurring issues that sit on their lists for weeks without getting solved. How do we establish a clear escalation path to the leadership team without encouraging lazy problem-solving?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When departmental issues linger on an issues list for weeks, it usually means the team lacks the authority, resources, or capability to solve them, or they are afraid of making the wrong decision. However, you must avoid letting your departmental teams use escalation as an easy way to dump their problems onto the leadership team.

To prevent this, establish a strict rule for escalating issues. A department team must attempt to IDS® the issue at least twice before it can be escalated. If they cannot solve it after two honest attempts, they must clearly document why they are stuck.

The department head is the bridge. They must bring the issue to the leadership team's Level 10 Meeting™ and place it on the leadership issues list. When they present the issue, they must be prepared to explain what options the departmental team tried, what resources or approvals they are missing, and exactly what they need from the leadership team.

This approach keeps the responsibility for problem-solving with the department while providing a clean, structured pathway for help. It ensures the leadership team is only dealing with genuine bottlenecks that require high-level intervention, keeping your operational pulse clean and efficient.