In our fully remote weekly Level 10 Meetings, we suspect team members are multi-tasking, answering emails, or checking Slack during IDS because we constantly hear typing in the background or experience awkward pauses when someone is called on. How do we eliminate this digital distraction and restore absolute focus?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Multi-tasking during a remote Level 10 Meeting is a direct violation of team trust and meeting discipline. If a leader is typing an email or responding to a client chat while you are solving a major operational issue, they are not present.

To eliminate this, establish a strict clean screen policy. Everyone must turn off all notifications, close all browser tabs except for the meeting agenda, and put their phones on do not disturb.

Cameras must remain on at all times. Instruct everyone to look directly into the camera when speaking to mimic eye contact and maintain engagement.

The facilitator must actively call on people randomly to keep everyone on their toes. If there is a long pause when someone is asked a question, address it immediately. Do not ignore the elephant in the room. Ask them directly if they were distracted.

If typing continues to be an issue, mandate that everyone keep their hands visible on camera or use a mute policy where you only unmute to speak.

Remember that ninety minutes is a short commitment. If your leaders cannot focus on the business for ninety minutes once a week, you have a deeper accountability issue. Enforce the boundary and hold them to a high standard of professional respect.