Our executives agree to decisions inside our Level 10 Meeting, but afterward they lobby each other in private or complain to direct reports about the outcome. How do we kill this executive backchanneling and force real commitment?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Backchanneling is the clearest symptom of artificial harmony. When executives smile and nod in meetings only to campaign against decisions in the hallway, your leadership team lacks vulnerability-based trust. True commitment cannot happen without vigorous, honest conflict first.

As Patrick Lencioni outlines in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, people will not genuinely buy into a decision unless they have had the chance to weigh in and argue their perspective. If your Level 10 Meetings are quiet, polite, and rapid, your team is not actually resolving issues during IDS. They are withholding their real objections because they either fear conflict or assume the decision has already been dictated.

To break this habit, call it out directly the moment it happens. At the start of your next meeting, state clearly that private lobbying and passive resistance are unacceptable. Institute a non-negotiable rule: once an issue is decided at the table, every leader must support it publicly with 100 percent conviction, regardless of their personal stance during debate.

When working through critical issues, demand that every executive speak their mind before a vote or consensus is finalized. Ask specifically: What are your objections to this plan, and what risks are we ignoring? Force the disagreement into the open.

Finally, backchanneling must carry real consequences. If an executive complains to frontline staff about a leadership decision, they are actively undermining company health. Address it immediately in a one-on-one. If the behavior repeats, it becomes a core values violation that warrants replacing them.