Our weekly Level 10 Meetings seem civil on the surface, but I have discovered that two of our directors are constantly criticizing each other to their departments behind closed doors. This political maneuvering is starting to create factions in our middle management. How do we shut this down and force a resolution?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When directors are civil in meetings but critical behind closed doors, it destroys trust and ruins company culture. This passive-aggressive behavior is a direct threat to your leadership team's cohesion. As the Integrator, you must address this political maneuvering immediately. Schedule a private meeting with both directors and bring the issue into the light. Do not rely on hearsay; state clearly that you are aware of the tension and that criticizing peers to direct reports is completely unacceptable. Bring this conflict to your next Level 10 Meeting and use the IDS process to solve it. Force them to air their grievances directly in front of the entire leadership team. This removes the safety of backroom gossip and forces them to resolve their issues constructively. Remind the entire team that healthy conflict is necessary, but it must happen in the room, not in the hallways. If a director continues to play political games and undermine their peers after this intervention, they are violating your core values. You must be prepared to remove them from the leadership team. A highly skilled director who breeds toxicity and division will always cost you more than they contribute.