We have a seat owner who consistently brings issues to our Level 10 Meeting™ that belong entirely in their own department, wasting the leadership team's collective ninety minutes on localized problems. How do we train them to filter out what belongs at the leadership table?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a leader brings localized, departmental issues to the leadership table, they are operating below their seat on the Accountability Chart. They are looking for consensus or reassurance instead of owning their role and solving problems within their own team.

The leadership team Level 10 Meeting™ is reserved for issues that impact the entire organization, require cross-functional collaboration, or threaten a major quarterly target. Everything else must be pushed down.

To train this leader, the facilitator must stop them during the prioritization phase of IDS®. Ask two simple questions: Does this issue affect other departments, and have you tried to solve this with your own team first?

If the answer is no, the facilitator must direct the leader to take the issue back to their departmental Level 10 Meeting™. Do not allow the team to discuss it or offer solutions.

This is not about being unhelpful. It is about teaching your leaders to GWC™ their seats. By forcing them to solve departmental issues at the departmental level, you build their autonomy and protect the leadership team's ninety minutes for high-level strategy.