Leaders on our team frequently use the Headlines section to drop major structural decisions or policy changes as done deals rather than vetting them with the leadership team first. How do we keep Headlines strictly informational without allowing unilateral surprises?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The Headlines section of the Level 10 Meeting exists to share quick, company-wide awareness items about customers and employees. It is designed to take five minutes or less. It is not an executive press conference where department heads unveil unilateral changes to compensation, client delivery terms, or company policies without prior leadership alignment.

When a leader announces a sweeping change during Headlines, it usually indicates they are bypassing healthy debate or operating in a departmental silo. The moment a leader shares a headline that alters cross-functional workflow, impacts company liability, or changes core customer commitments, the Integrator must immediately intervene. Stop the monologue and ask: Does this decision impact other seats on the Accountability Chart? If the answer is yes, it is not a headline. It must immediately be pushed to the bottom of the Issues List.

Do not allow the leader to defend or explain the decision during the five-minute reporting block. Put the topic on the board, keep the pulse moving through Scorecard and Rocks, and address it during IDS. When you reach that issue, run it through the Identify step to determine whether the leader had the authority to make the decision alone or if it required leadership consensus. Headlines are for facts the team needs to know, such as a major client renewal or an employee anniversary. Anything that requires operational adjustment, cross-departmental buy-in, or changes company exposure belongs squarely in the Issues List.