We have a highly critical department head who consistently rates our Level 10 Meeting™ a six or seven, claiming the meeting was a waste of time, but then refuses to participate or add items to the Issues List during the actual meeting. How do we handle a leader who critiques the meeting quality but refuses to help improve it?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leader who throws stones from the sidelines but refuses to play is violating the core pillars of your company Charter, specifically Trust and Same Page. This passive-aggressive behavior is toxic to your team dynamic and stalls operational traction. In the EOS® framework, the rating portion is not an opportunity to complain: it is a mechanism for continuous improvement.

The next time this department head rates the meeting below an eight, the Integrator must immediately ask: What specifically would have made this meeting a ten for you, and what did you personally do during the meeting to help us get there? If they shrug or say they do not know, you must draw a firm line. Explain that they are co-responsible for the quality of the meeting.

If they complain about the issues we discussed, point out that they did not add any of their own critical challenges to the Issues List prior to the meeting. They cannot blame the team for solving the wrong issues if they are hiding their own.

This is a people issue, not a process issue. Sit down with them one-on-one. Use the GWC™ tool to evaluate if they still get, want, and have the capacity for their seat. If they are unwilling to actively engage in IDS® and collaborate with the team, they are telling you they no longer fit your culture.