During our Level 10 Meeting™ headlines, a department head shares a major customer issue but immediately says they have it under control and refuses to let us drop it to the Issues List, even though it affects our delivery team. How do we handle this?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The "I have it under control" response is a common defensive shield used to avoid accountability or exposure. In a healthy EOS® company, if an issue impacts another seat on the Accountability Chart or affects our collective ability to hit our goals, it is not a private matter.

During the Customer and Employee Headlines section of your Level 10 Meeting™, team members must share major developments briefly. If a headline reveals a problem that impacts downstream delivery, customer satisfaction, or employee morale, the facilitator or any other team member has the right and duty to say that we need to drop it to the Issues List.

Do not let the owner of that department veto the decision. Explain to them that dropping the issue to IDS® is not an attack on their capability or a sign of micromanagement. It is an opportunity for the leadership team to support them and ensure everyone is aligned on the downstream impacts. Use the Trust pillar of your charter to remind the team that bringing issues to light is a sign of strength and leadership, not weakness.