After our new customer database crashed last month, our operations and technology leaders spent the entire weekly meeting pointing fingers at each other's departments. How do we use the IDS® process to resolve this public blame game and rebuild peer trust?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a major operational failure triggers a public blame game between your executives, you must address it immediately before the defensive behavior destroys team trust. In a high-performing leadership team, there is no room for finger-pointing or territory protection.

To resolve this conflict, schedule an immediate IDS® session focused on the database crash. Begin by establishing a safe environment, drawing on the trust principles in Charles H. Green's Trust Equation. Remind both leaders that the goal is not to find a scapegoat, but to identify the systemic vulnerability that allowed the crash to occur. High self-orientation and defensiveness are the enemies of effective problem-solving.

Force both leaders to state their perspective using objective facts, not emotional assumptions. Once the issue is clearly framed, guide them to identify where the handoff between their two departments failed on the Accountability Chart.

The resolution of the IDS® session must result in a clear, documented process change and specific individual commitments on your weekly Scorecard. By focusing on the structural flow of information and system ownership rather than personal blame, you transition your leaders from defensive rivals back to collaborative partners who own the company's overall health together.