When we cascade the Level 10 Meeting™ to our departmental teams, our middle managers turn their IDS® time into a polite status report rather than a gritty problem-solving session. How do we train them to lean into the discomfort of real issue resolution?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When middle managers cascade the Level 10 Meeting™ to their departments, they often fall back on what is comfortable: sharing polite, status updates. They avoid conflict and treat the Issues List like a minor administrative chore rather than a real problem-solving arena. To fix this, you must train them to embrace the healthy discomfort of IDS®.

First, coach your managers on how to identify the real issue. Middle managers often list symptoms like a delayed report or a missed deadline rather than the root cause, such as a lack of training or an unclear handoff between seats. Teach them to ask why multiple times until they uncover the systemic breakdown.

Second, model the correct behavior at the leadership team level. Your middle managers will only lean into healthy conflict if they see their department heads doing it. If your leadership team runs polite, surface-level meetings, your managers will do the same. Show them that identifying and solving real problems is a safe, valued activity.

Third, focus on the result of the solution. Ensure every IDS® session ends with a clear, actionable to-do that is assigned to a single owner. This shows your team that raising issues leads to actual operational progress, turning the Level 10 Meeting™ from a tedious status update into a high-value tool.