Make the Skip-Level Purpose Explicit

The move: open the meeting by naming the channel, the boundary, and the follow-up rule. Skip-level meetings are powerful because they connect senior leaders to work reality. They are risky because the same access can feel like a hidden appeal path around the direct manager. The leader has to make the meeting legible before asking for candor. Channel Name the kind of signal you want: work-system friction, decision latency, customer risk, repeated blockers, unclear priorities, or morale patterns. This keeps the discussion anchored in observable work rather than personal evaluation. Boundary Say what is private and what is not. You…

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