Level 10 Meetings™ Complete Guide

What is a Level 10 Meeting™?

The Level 10 Meeting™ (L10™) is your weekly 90-minute leadership team meeting that keeps you focused, aligned, and solving issues. It's called "Level 10" because the goal is to rate every meeting a 10 out of 10 for effectiveness. Learn more about Level 10 Meetings™ and how MeetingTango makes them easier to run.

Why Level 10 Meetings™ Work

The Problem with Traditional Meetings

• No clear agenda or structure
• Discussions without decisions
• Same issues week after week
• No accountability for action items
• Meetings run too long

The Level 10 Solution

• Same day, same time, same place - Creates rhythm
• Structured agenda - Maximizes productivity
• IDS™ Process - Solves issues permanently
• 90 minutes max - Respects everyone's time
• Rated for effectiveness - Continuous improvement

Level 10 Meeting™ Agenda & Timing

The Sacred 90-Minute Agenda

Using MeetingTango for Level 10 Meetings™

Meeting Setup

1. Navigate to Meetings → Create Level 10

2. Set Meeting Details:

   • Day & Time (e.g., Tuesdays 9:00 AM)
   • Attendees (Leadership team only)
   • Meeting location or video link
   • Recurring schedule

3. MeetingTango Automatically:

   • Creates recurring calendar invites
   • Sets up agenda template
   • Configures meeting timer
   • Links to Scorecard and Rocks

Running Your Level 10 Meeting™

1. Segue (5 minutes)

Purpose: Transition into meeting mindset and build team cohesion

How to Run:

• Each person shares good news (personal and professional)
• Keep it brief - 30-60 seconds per person
• No discussion or questions
• Creates positive energy

MeetingTango Features:

• Timer countdown display
• Random order generator
• Good news archive
• Automatic transition alert

Best Practices:

• Start exactly on time
• Leader goes first to model
• Celebrate wins, big and small
• Keep it positive

2. Scorecard Review (5 minutes)

Purpose: Get a pulse on the business through weekly metrics

How to Run:

1. Each metric owner reports their number
2. Mark as on-track (green) or off-track (red/yellow)
3. NO DISCUSSION during this segment
4. Drop any off-track metrics to Issues List

MeetingTango Features:

• Scorecard auto-loads with current week
• One-click status updates
• Automatic issue creation for red metrics
• 13-week trend visible

Common Mistakes:

• ❌ Discussing why numbers are off
• ❌ Solving problems during review
• ❌ Making excuses for red numbers

Do This Instead:

• ✅ Report the number
• ✅ Drop to Issues List
• ✅ Move on quickly

3. Rock Review (5 minutes)

Purpose: Track progress on quarterly priorities

How to Run:

1. Each Rock owner reports: On-Track or Off-Track
2. Share percentage complete if relevant
3. NO PROBLEM SOLVING
4. Drop any off-track Rocks to Issues List

MeetingTango Features:

• Rock dashboard with progress bars
• Automatic off-track alerts
• Milestone tracking
• Quick status toggle

Tips for Success:

• Binary: On-track or Off-track only
• Save explanations for IDS
• Celebrate completed Rocks
• Keep the energy moving

4. Customer/Employee Headlines (5 minutes)

Purpose: Share important people-related information

Customer Headlines:

• Major wins or losses
• Important feedback
• Market intelligence
• Competitive information

Employee Headlines:

• New hires/departures
• Recognition and achievements
• Team concerns
• Organizational changes

MeetingTango Features:

• Headline templates
• Quick-add to Issues List
• Historical headline archive
• Sentiment tracking

5. To-Do List Review (5 minutes)

Purpose: Ensure accountability for action items

How to Run:

1. Review each to-do from last week
2. Mark as "Done" or "Not Done"
3. If not done, either:
   • Drop to Issues List, or
   • Carry forward one week maximum
4. 90% completion rate expected

MeetingTango Features:

• To-do list from previous meeting
• One-click done/not done
• Automatic carry-forward
• Completion rate tracking
• Owner accountability metrics

Accountability Standards:

• 90% completion expected
• "Not done" requires explanation
• Pattern of incompletion = Issue

6. IDS™ - Identify, Discuss, Solve (60 minutes)

Purpose: Solve your most important issues for good

The IDS Process

IDENTIFY (5-10 minutes total)

1. Build the Issues List:

   • Carry-over from previous weeks
   • Add from Scorecard (red/yellow)
   • Add from Rock Review
   • Add from Headlines
   • Add new issues

2. Prioritize Top 3:

   • What must be solved today?
   • Consider impact and urgency
   • Team agrees on priorities

DISCUSS (Variable time per issue)

Goal: Get to the root cause

Discussion Guidelines:

• One person talks at a time
• No tangents or side conversations
• Be open and honest
• Fight for the greater good
• Disagree without being disagreeable

Key Questions:

• What is the real issue?
• Who does this impact?
• What's the root cause?
• What are our options?

SOLVE (Clear action required)

Every issue must end with:

1. A decision/solution
2. A to-do with:
   • Specific action
   • One owner
   • Due date (usually 7 days)

MeetingTango IDS Features:

• Issue prioritization voting
• Timer for each issue
• Root cause templates
• Solution documentation
• Automatic to-do creation
• Decision archive

IDS Best Practices

✅ Start with #1 Priority - Don't skip around ✅ One Issue at a Time - Stay focused ✅ Solve Forever - Don't revisit same issues ✅ Make Decisions - Discussion without decision = waste ✅ Document Everything - Capture decisions and to-dos

7. Conclude (5 minutes)

Purpose: Ensure clarity and alignment leaving the meeting

Conclusion Checklist:

1. Recap To-Dos

   • Read each to-do aloud
   • Confirm owner and due date
   • Everyone writes them down

2. Cascading Messages

   • What needs to be communicated?
   • Who needs to know?
   • Who will communicate it?

3. Rate the Meeting (1-10)

   • Everyone rates out loud
   • Share why if less than 8
   • Identify improvements needed

MeetingTango Features:

• To-do summary generation
• Message cascade templates
• Rating with comments
• Improvement tracking
• Automatic meeting notes

Advanced Level 10 Strategies

Virtual Meeting Adaptations

Technology Setup:

• Video on for everyone
• Mute when not speaking
• Screen share for Scorecard/IDS
• Use chat for Issues List additions

Engagement Tactics:

• Call on people by name
• Use polls for prioritization
• Rotate who shares screen
• Take breaks if energy drops

Cascading Level 10s

Leadership L10 → Department L10s → Team Huddles

Timing Example:

• Monday: Leadership L10 (9:00 AM)
• Tuesday: Department L10s (varies)
• Wednesday: Team huddles (varies)

Information Flow:

• Cascading messages down
• Issues escalate up
• Metrics roll up
• Rocks align throughout

Common Level 10 Mistakes

❌ Starting Late - Disrespects the punctual ❌ Skipping Segue - Loses human connection ❌ Discussing During Scorecard - Wastes time ❌ Not Solving Issues - Just talking ❌ No To-Do Accountability - Things don't get done ❌ Running Over 90 Minutes - Creates meeting fatigue

Troubleshooting Your Level 10

"Our meetings run over 90 minutes"

• Use the timer religiously
• Limit IDS to true priorities
• Save discussion for IDS only
• Consider two meetings if needed

"Same issues every week"

• Not getting to root cause
• Need better solutions
• To-dos aren't being completed
• Wrong people in the meeting

"Low meeting ratings"

• Ask specifically what would make it a 10
• Track patterns in feedback
• Experiment with improvements
• Ensure right people attending

"Team doesn't prepare"

• Send reminder with prep needs
• Review expectations
• Create preparation checklist
• Hold people accountable

Level 10 Success Metrics

Your Level 10 is working when:

• ✅ Starts and ends on time
• ✅ 90% to-do completion
• ✅ Average rating of 8+
• ✅ Issues solved permanently
• ✅ Team looks forward to it

MeetingTango Level 10 Tools

Meeting Timer

• Segment Countdown - Visual timer for each section
• Pace Indicators - Green/yellow/red for timing
• Auto-Advance - Moves to next segment
• Overtime Alerts - When running behind

Action Item Tracker

• Automatic Capture - To-dos from IDS
• Owner Assignment - Clear accountability
• Due Date Tracking - Usually 7 days
• Completion Metrics - Individual and team
• Overdue Notifications - Email reminders

Meeting Archive

• Complete History - All decisions and to-dos
• Issue Resolution - How issues were solved
• Rating Trends - Meeting effectiveness over time
• Search Function - Find past decisions

Templates Library

• Standard L10 - Classic 90-minute format
• Extended L10 - 2-hour for quarterly planning
• Department L10 - 60-minute version
• Daily Huddle - 10-minute stand-up

Implementation Roadmap

Week 1-2: Foundation

• Schedule recurring meeting
• Set up in MeetingTango
• Train team on agenda
• Run first meeting

Week 3-4: Refinement

• Adjust timing as needed
• Build Issues List discipline
• Improve IDS process
• Track completion rates

Month 2: Optimization

• Achieve 90-minute consistency
• 90% to-do completion
• Average rating of 8+
• Cascade to departments

Month 3: Mastery

• Meeting runs itself
• Issues solved permanently
• Strong accountability
• Team engagement high

Quick Reference Card

Before the Meeting:

• Update your Scorecard metric
• Review your Rock status
• Prepare headlines
• Review last week's to-dos

During the Meeting:

• Segue: Share good news (5 min)
• Scorecard: Report numbers (5 min)
• Rocks: On/Off track (5 min)
• Headlines: People news (5 min)
• To-Dos: Done/Not done (5 min)
• IDS: Solve issues (60 min)
• Conclude: Recap & rate (5 min)

After the Meeting:

• Complete your to-dos
• Cascade messages
• Update Scorecard/Rocks
• Prepare for next week

Get Started

Ready to transform your meetings?

1. Schedule Your First L10 →
2. Download L10 Agenda →
3. Watch L10 Training →
4. Get Team Buy-In Guide →

Remember: The first Level 10 won't be perfect. Commit to 90 days of consistent meetings, and you'll never go back to the old way.