Despite our commitment to the EOS® framework, our leadership team members routinely trickle into our Level 10 Meeting™ two to three minutes late, forcing us to choose between starting with an incomplete team or delaying our hard start time. How do we establish absolute punctuality as an ironclad cultural standard?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leadership team that tolerates members arriving late to a Level 10 Meeting™ is tolerating a slow leak in their accountability culture. A hard start means the meeting begins exactly on the designated minute, whether everyone is in their seats or not. Waiting for latecomers wastes the time of those who prioritized punctuality and signals that personal schedules are more important than the team's operational pulse.

To fix this, the facilitator must start the meeting precisely on time. If the clock strikes nine, start the good news segue immediately, even if half the seats are empty. When the latecomers walk in, do not pause to catch them up. They must jump into the moving train.

Additionally, tie this behavior directly back to the Trust and Same Page pillars of your company Charter. Arriving late is a failure to respect your team's collective agreement. If the behavior persists, it must be put on the short-term Issues List for the next meeting and resolved using IDS®. Under the clear light of open and honest discussion, the latecomer must explain why they cannot GWC™ the simple accountability of showing up on time. Establish a zero-tolerance boundary for tardiness, and you will see accountability rise across every other department.