We find that our leadership team members rarely add issues to the list during the week, resulting in a blank short-term issues list when we log into our Level 10 Meeting, only for people to suddenly remember ten things they want to discuss once we get to IDS. How do we build the habit of adding issues in real time throughout the week?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A blank issues list at the start of your Level 10 Meeting™ is a sign of a leadership team that is operating reactively. When leaders wait until the meeting starts to identify problems, they are forced to think on their feet, which leads to shallow prioritizing and poor problem-solving. High-performing teams capture issues the moment they occur in daily operations.

To build this habit, you must change how your team interacts with your short-term issues compartment. Introduce a strict policy: if you experience a breakdown, a friction point, or an opportunity during the week, you must immediately add it to the weekly Issues List. Do not wait for your scheduled meeting. You can use your EOS® software or a shared document to drop it in instantly.

If a leader brings up a fresh issue during the meeting that was not on the list beforehand, the facilitator should gently challenge them. Ask why it was not captured during the week. This is not about micromanagement, it is about respecting the team's mental bandwidth.

Having a populated list before the meeting starts allows everyone to review the items beforehand, resulting in a much faster prioritization process. This disciplined approach keeps your operational pulse clean and ensures your ninety-minute session is spent solving issues, not trying to remember them.