We sometimes invite middle managers or subject-matter experts into our leadership team Level 10 Meeting to help with a specific issue, but they end up disrupting the rhythm and staying for the entire ninety minutes. What are the rules for bringing guests into a Level 10 Meeting?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Inviting guests into a leadership team Level 10 Meeting can be highly effective, but only if you manage the process with extreme discipline. If a guest stays for the entire ninety minutes, they will disrupt the flow, kill the team's vulnerability, and waste their own valuable operational time.

First, never invite a guest for the whole meeting. They do not need to hear your personal headlines, your Scorecard review, or your Rock updates. They only need to be present for the specific issue they are helping to solve.

Second, schedule their attendance precisely. Keep them in a virtual waiting room or have them wait outside the physical room until you reach their specific issue during IDS. Before you invite them in, clearly define the issue and what you need from them.

Third, once they enter, state the issue, ask for their input, and make the decision. As soon as the issue is solved, the facilitator must politely dismiss them. You can say: Thank you, we have what we need, you are free to head back to your day.

This approach respects their time and protects the confidentiality and sacred boundary of the leadership team's weekly ninety-minute pulse.