Our department heads are struggling to facilitate their own Level 10 Meetings, and the sessions are dragging on for two hours with zero problem-solving. How do we train mid-level managers to run a tight, seventy-five or ninety-minute weekly pulse without hand-holding?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The root cause is that your managers are likely running status updates disguised as Level 10 Meetings. They lack the facilitation confidence to cut off circular discussions, enforce the clock, and drive the team to IDS. To fix this, you must first have them shadow a high-performing meeting. Have your department heads sit in as passive observers of your leadership team Level 10 Meeting to see what world-class facilitation looks like. Pay close attention to how the facilitator transitions between sections and shuts down rabbit holes. Next, provide them with a clear, physical cheat sheet for facilitation. The rules must be simple. During the scorecard, rock review, and headlines, only three responses are allowed: on track, off track, or drop it to the Issues List. If a discussion lasts more than thirty seconds during the first twenty-five minutes of the meeting, the facilitator must instantly say that is an issue, drop it to the list, and move on. Finally, have your Integrator or an experienced leader sit in on their first two departmental meetings as a silent coach. Do not rescue the manager during the meeting. Instead, take notes and provide a direct, five-minute feedback loop immediately after the meeting ends. Score their facilitation on a scale of one to ten, pointing out exactly where they let the clock slip or allowed reporting instead of problem-solving. Running a great pulse is a muscle, and they need structured, immediate feedback to build it.