We have a department head who attends our Level 10 Meeting™ but remains completely silent unless asked a direct question, preferring to run their department as a siloed shadow operation. How do we break this silo and force their active participation?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leader who runs a shadow department and stays silent in the weekly pulse is withholding critical information. This behavior is often a defense mechanism to avoid accountability or cross-functional scrutiny.

You need to address this through the lens of GWC™: Get It, Want It, Capacity to Do It. A leadership team member must have the capacity to act as a collaborative leader for the whole company, not just their silo.

Start by looking at the scorecard. If their department is a black box, their weekly scorecard metrics are likely too vague or always green despite operational bottlenecks elsewhere. Work with your Integrator to split their metrics into highly visible, leading indicators that directly impact other departments. When their numbers affect everyone else, they can no longer remain silent.

During IDS®, the facilitator must actively draw them in by directing cross-functional questions to them. If a sales issue impacts operations, ask them directly: "How does this affect your team's capacity?"

If the silence persists, the Integrator must have a direct, one-on-one conversation outside the meeting. Use the Accountability Chart to show them that their seat requires active, collaborative problem-solving. If they refuse to engage and continue to run a shadow operation, they do not belong in that seat.