Team members keep their laptops open during our Level 10 Meeting under the excuse of checking data or taking notes, but they are clearly answering Slack messages and multitasking. How do we kill device distraction without crippling our access to numbers?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Multitasking during a Level 10 Meeting is a direct sign of low discipline and broken presence. When leadership team members answer emails or check Slack while their peers are wrestling with complex problems, they signal that their inbox is more important than the direction of the business.

You cannot run high-impact IDS with half-present leaders. To eliminate device creep while preserving access to critical numbers, establish a strict technology agreement:
- Assign one designated scribe to project the meeting software, Scorecard, and Issues List on a shared room screen or central display.
- Institute a lids-down policy for all other laptops in the room during IDS.
- Place mobile phones face down on silent mode or in a tray away from the table.
- If someone needs to look up a specific metric or operational log during the discuss phase, they open their device, retrieve the number, state it to the team, and close the lid immediately.

Enforcing this policy is the responsibility of the Integrator and the team facilitator. If you see someone typing while a peer is speaking, call it out on the spot: Lids down, let us stay focused on the issue.

If a leader insists they must remain on Slack or email to handle daily operational emergencies during those ninety minutes, their department lacks documented processes or capable management. A leadership team member who cannot disconnect for ninety minutes once a week does not own their seat.