We have several critical to-dos that have been rolled over for weeks because the assigned leader claims they are waiting on information from another team member. How do we use our Level 10 Meeting to resolve these cross-functional bottlenecks?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A to-do that rolls over for multiple weeks because of an internal dependency is a clear sign of poor execution and a breakdown in seat accountability. In a healthy company, waiting on a colleague is never an acceptable excuse for letting a commitment slip.

To fix this, your facilitator must enforce a binary standard during the review of to-dos. When a to-do is read, the owner must state only "done" or "not done." If they say "not done" and attempt to explain that they are waiting on a colleague, the facilitator must immediately stop them and drop the item to the Issues List.

During the IDS portion of the meeting, the facilitator must bring this item up for discussion. Do not let the two leaders have a private conversation. Instead, address the bottleneck as a team issue. Ask why the information was not delivered, whether the original timeline was realistic, and what operational friction is preventing cooperation.

Often, you will find that the boundary between the two seats on your Accountability Chart is blurry, or that the workflow itself is broken. By forcing these interdependent delays into the open light of IDS, you solve the root cause of the friction. The result is either a redefined to-do with clear individual milestones or a permanently fixed operational process, preventing future rollovers and driving your team back to a ninety percent completion rate.