During the IDS portion of our Level 10 Meeting, we frequently hit operational bottleneck issues that trigger intense finger-pointing between our sales and operations leaders. How do we resolve these cross-functional conflicts without the Integrator having to play referee every single week?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Cross-functional conflict between sales and operations is natural in any growing business. However, when these conflicts turn into emotional arguments during the IDS portion of your Level 10 Meeting, it drains the team's energy and stalls progress. Your Integrator should not have to play referee every week.

To resolve these disputes productively, you must ground every discussion in your company's core values and the shared vision outlined in your V/TO. When finger-pointing starts, the facilitator must pause the conversation and ask both parties to state the issue from the perspective of what is best for the organization, not what is best for their individual departments.

Utilize the company Accountability Chart to clarify decision-making authority. If the issue lies in a grey area between two seats, the Integrator must make the final decision. However, before that happens, push the disputing leaders to find a solution that aligns with your customer experience and operational efficiency.

If they cannot agree, drop the issue and assign a to-do for both leaders to meet outside the Level 10 Meeting to draft a joint proposal. This keeps your weekly meeting from being hijacked by a single complex conflict, while forcing your leaders to collaborate and build trust as peers.