Team members frequently show up two to five minutes late to our Level 10 Meeting or trickle in with coffee, disrupting our start time and throwing off the ninety-minute rhythm. How do we enforce a hard start time without micromanaging?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

In an EOS® company, the Level 10 Meeting™ starts on time whether everyone is seated or not. If the meeting is set for 9:00 AM, the Integrator opens the segue at exactly 9:00 AM, even if only two people are in the room. Waiting for late arrivals rewards disrespect and penalizes punctuality.

Enforcing this standard requires establishing clear social friction.

First, close the door at the start time. When a late leader walks into an ongoing segue, the awkwardness of interrupting the room creates natural accountability. Do not recap what they missed. They must catch up on their own time.

Second, treat chronic tardiness as an Accountability Chart issue. Being on time is an expression of core values and seat ownership. If a leader consistently arrives late, they are signaling that their time is more valuable than their peers' time. The Integrator must take that person aside outside the meeting and address it directly using GWC™ and core values.

Third, ban the pre-meeting shuffle. Coffee, restroom breaks, and laptop setup must happen before the scheduled start minute. If your team works remotely, leaders should log in two minutes early so microphones and cameras are tested before the clock hits zero.

A leadership team that cannot manage a 9:00 AM start time will struggle to build an organization that hits client deadlines or satisfies buyer diligence during an exit. Punctuality is the simplest test of organizational discipline. Run the clock precisely.