How to eliminate end runs in your organization

Executive overview

When a visionary bypasses the integrator — or lets others do the same — it undermines the integrator's authority and creates confusion. One question, asked consistently, stops this behavior fast.

A single habit change eliminates end runs within 30 days.

What end runs are and why they happen

• An end run occurs when a visionary gives direction around the integrator, or when employees go directly to the visionary instead of the integrator
• Pre-integrator, this was the visionary's default mode — it became habit
• With an integrator in place, continuing this habit cuts them off at the knees
• End runs also happen when employees complain or seek direction directly from the visionary

The question: the core habit to adopt

• When an employee comes to you with a complaint or request for direction, listen fully
• After they finish, ask: "Are you going to tell them, or am I? Because one of us needs to."
• This single intervention has an outsized effect on behavior
• Organizations that adopt the question typically eliminate end runs within 30 days

Boundaries visionaries must hold

• Communicating, brainstorming, and discussing across the org is fine
• Stop short of making decisions or giving directives
• Do not become the complaint department — complaints must go somewhere
• Never complain about the integrator to other employees
• Resolve issues with the integrator directly, in same-page meetings