How do I handle a key team member who ignores our new strategic priorities?

[RileyGM]

I’m struggling with how to handle a key team member who consistently delivers great results but is openly dismissive of our new strategic priorities in meetings. Their technical expertise is vital, but their attitude is starting to undermine the team’s alignment and morale. I’m unsure whether to address the behavior directly and risk disengagement, or focus on managing the team’s perception around them.

[Kevin5]

We had a team member who delivered great results but dismissed the new priorities in meetings. I pulled him aside privately, acknowledged his impact, and proposed two things: first, he would summarize the technical implications of each priority before we discuss; second, he would help map his work to the top three priorities. Over the next couple of weeks interruptions dropped and the room felt a little more focused, though the vibe stayed tense.

[Emily88]

I’m not sure the issue is his attitude alone. Maybe the priorities aren’t landing with him. I invited him to co-create the plan and to own a small, transparent metric tied to the priorities. It helped a little; he still rolled his eyes in big meetings, but at least it wasn’t a free-for-all.

[SofiaM]

We tried to ignore it for a sprint, then in a standup it blew up. Not great. We ended up with a quiet rule: let comments wait until a moderator calls for them. It bought time, but I don’t think it repaired the dynamic.

[Aurora_M]

Is the real problem the strategy or how we frame it in meetings? Maybe we’re missing the why behind the priorities, or the team member feels his core work is being sidelined.