Our leaders are using the Customer and People Headlines section of our Level 10 Meeting to share long, self-serving updates about their departments to impress me, turning a quick reporting section into a public relations campaign. How do we stop this bragging and get back to rapid-fire headlines?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The Customer and People Headlines section is designed to keep the leadership team connected on major good or bad news in real time. It is not a platform for leaders to justify their existence or pitch their achievements to the owner. This behavior usually stems from a lack of trust or fear that their contribution is not being recognized, which is especially common when preparing for an exit.

To fix this, the facilitator must enforce a strict, zero-tolerance rule for fluff. A headline must be delivered in ten words or less. It is either good news or bad news about a customer or employee, period.

For example, a correct headline is: We signed the new distribution partner. An incorrect headline is: Our sales rep spent three weeks pitching the partner and used our new presentation deck which really showed our value and now they are signed.

If a leader starts rambling or adding color commentary, the facilitator must immediately cut them off. Use a simple, neutral phrase like: Great win, keep it to the headline.

Remind the team that their value is proven by their green scorecard metrics and their completed Rocks, not by how much they can brag during the segue or reporting sections. If a headline requires a deeper discussion or a change in process, the facilitator must immediately push it to the Issues List. Do not allow any discussion during the reporting phase.