We have a department head who consistently frames major operational setbacks as positive customer headlines to put a positive spin on things, which prevents us from dropping the real problems to the Issues List. How do we stop this spin cycle during the meeting?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Spinning a negative event into a positive headline is a defensive mechanism that breeds mediocrity. It often happens when a leader lacks the confidence or psychological safety to admit failure. In your weekly Level 10 Meeting, the headlines section is for sharing raw organizational news, not for public relations spin. As the facilitator, you must have a zero tolerance policy for sugarcoating. When a leader shares a headline like 'We had a great learning experience with our largest client when their implementation failed,' you must immediately call it what it is. Interrupt the spin. Ask a direct question such as 'Did the implementation fail, and is that client at risk?' If the answer is yes, that is not a positive headline. It is a critical issue. Do not allow them to explain it away. Immediately tell them to drop it to the Issues List. You can address the root cause of their defensive behavior in your regular one on one meetings, but in the Level 10 Meeting, you must protect the integrity of the agenda. Real accountability requires calling a spade a spade. By instantly converting spun headlines into raw issues, you teach the team that vulnerability is expected and that hiding problems under the guise of positive lessons will not be tolerated.