I have a few department heads who sit silently through the entire IDS portion of our Level 10 Meeting and then complain in one-on-ones that we are making the wrong decisions. How do I get these silent leaders to speak up during the meeting instead of lobbying afterward?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic issue of artificial harmony. When department heads stay silent during IDS and then lobby you or others afterward, it means you have a lack of trust and a fear of conflict. To break this behavior, you must establish a strict no lobbyist rule. If a leader brings up an issue or an objection to a decision after the Level 10 Meeting is over, your response must be immediate and consistent. Ask them if they brought it up during IDS. If they did not, refuse to discuss it. Tell them to drop it on the Issues List for next week.

During the meeting itself, the Integrator must actively smoke out these silent leaders. If you are discussing a major decision and someone is staying quiet, call them out directly. Ask them where they stand and what they are not saying. Use the Trust Builders framework to remind the team that vulnerability is required for high performance.

Ensure your team reads the Five Dysfunctions of a Team. You must explain that silence is consent. If they do not speak up during the IDS portion of the Level 10 Meeting, they are committing to support the final decision as if it were their own. There is no room in the Owner's Box for leaders who nod their heads in the meeting and then shake them in the hallway. Force the conflict to happen in the open where it can be solved.