During the IDS portion of our Level 10 Meeting, our Visionary and Integrator get locked in a public debate that stalls the entire room and prevents us from solving other issues. How do we handle this executive friction on the fly?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Friction between the Visionary and the Integrator is natural, but letting it hijack the Level 10 Meeting™ is toxic. When these two leaders lock horns during IDS®, they freeze the entire room and waste the time of the other leadership team members.

To stop this, the facilitator must step in immediately. If the discussion becomes a two-way debate that does not involve the rest of the team, the facilitator must call a timeout. State clearly that the discussion has become a sidebar and needs to be taken offline.

The Visionary and the Integrator must schedule a Same Page meeting to resolve their differences outside of the weekly pulse. This keeps your weekly meeting focused and efficient. The rest of the team should not be forced to watch their leaders argue over strategic direction.

Remember that the Integrator is the one who ultimately manages the daily operations and runs the meeting. If a decision needs to be made on the spot to keep the business moving, the Integrator must make the call. The Visionary must respect this boundary and support the decision in front of the team, aligning with the Same Page pillar of your company Charter.