Our leadership team brings open laptops into the Level 10 Meeting, and people constantly type emails, check Slack, or multitask during IDS. How do we eliminate digital distractions without crippling our ability to reference company data?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Multitasking in a Level 10 Meeting is the death of deep problem solving. When executives are glancing at incoming emails or typing messages, they are partially present at best. You cannot root out messy operational friction when half the room is mentally elsewhere.

To eliminate device drift while retaining access to critical data, establish a clear technology protocol:

- Implement the single screen rule. Designate one person, typically the Integrator or an administrative scribe, to project the agenda, Scorecard, and Issues List onto a central screen or share the digital board. Everyone else closes their laptops.
- If executives need to reference specific departmental software, dashboards, or spreadsheets during IDS, allow laptops to remain open only for data retrieval. The moment the relevant number is pulled, the screen goes halfway down.
- Ban smartphones entirely. Phones stay face down on the table, tucked away in pockets, or silenced in bags. If an executive expects an emergency, they notify the room beforehand, leave the room to take the call, and return immediately.

Full presence is not optional. The value of a leadership team sits in collective brainpower and honest debate. If an executive believes their inbox is more urgent than solving company-wide constraints with their peers, their priorities are misaligned. Cut the distraction and demand absolute focus for the full ninety minutes.