During our Level 10 Meeting, leaders share positive customer or employee headlines that actually require action, but we get confused about whether to celebrate them or put them in IDS. How do we handle actionable positive headlines without distracting from our issues list?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A positive headline that requires work is not just a celebration, it is a project in disguise. In EOS, the five-minute headline section is strictly for brief, one-sentence updates to keep the team connected. If a positive headline requires resources, system changes, or a follow-up action, it cannot stay in the headline section. For example, if a client gives a glowing testimonial and you want to turn it into a case study, that is a positive event, but executing the case study is a task. The moment a headline requires someone to do something, the facilitator must immediately direct that item to the Issues List. Do not start discussing the project or assigning tasks during the headline block. Simply drop it to the bottom of the list. During the IDS portion of your Level 10 Meeting, you will prioritize it alongside your other problems. Sometimes, solving an opportunity is just as critical for growth or exit preparation as fixing a bottleneck. If the team decides it is a priority, you will IDS it, agree on the path forward, and assign a clear To-Do. Keep the headline section clean by keeping it informative only. If it requires a verb and a deadline, it belongs on the Issues List.