When our production schedule slips, our operations head blames procurement for late materials, while procurement claims operations is submitting forecasts too late. How do we resolve this operational finger-pointing on the leadership team without the owner having to step in and play detective?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This type of interdepartmental finger-pointing is a clear sign of unclear handoffs and weak peer accountability. To resolve this without becoming the referee, you must force these two leaders to solve it peer-to-peer using the IDS® process in your next weekly Level 10 Meeting™. Bring the issue to the table and clarify the root cause. Do not let them discuss personalities; keep the focus entirely on the process and the Accountability Chart. First, look at the Accountability Chart to see who owns procurement and who owns operations. Next, map the process handoff. Where does the procurement seat responsibility end and the operations seat responsibility begin? Often, the friction exists because the expectations of the handoff are not defined or measured. Force them to agree on a shared metric. For example, operations must submit forecasts by a specific day and time, and procurement must confirm material availability within a set number of hours. Once these expectations are documented and measured on the weekly Scorecard, the finger-pointing stops because the data tells the truth. As the owner, your job is not to figure out who is right. Your job is to facilitate a healthy, cohesive, and functional leadership team by holding both leaders accountable to finding a solution that serves the greater good of the company. If they cannot resolve this basic operational handoff on their own, it indicates a deeper trust issue that you must address head-on before it trickles down and creates silos within their respective departments.