Several of our department heads consistently show up to our Level 10 Meeting with zero issues on the list, claiming their departments are running perfectly, even when their scorecard metrics are lagging. How do we handle this "no issues" lie and force leaders to bring their real problems to the table?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a department head repeatedly claims they have zero issues on their weekly Level 10 Meeting list while their scorecard metrics are red, they are hiding reality. This is often driven by a fear of looking incompetent or a misunderstanding of what an issue actually is.

To break this cycle, the Integrator must call out the misalignment immediately. During the scorecard review, if a metric is off-track, it must drop to the Issues List. If the leader fails to add it, the facilitator should add it for them.

Frame the Issues List not as a list of failures, but as a list of opportunities to make the company healthier. If a leader has a red metric or an off-track Rock but claims there are no issues, ask them directly during IDS: Your customer churn metric is red, so what is the plan to fix it, and what help do you need from the team?

By forcing red numbers to become issues, you demonstrate that identifying problems is a requirement of the seat, not a sign of weakness. Over time, this shifts the culture from self-protection to open problem-solving, ensuring your weekly pulse is grounded in operational truth.