Our weekly Issues List is always packed with long-term strategic opportunities that we try to IDS® during our Level 10 Meeting™, which burns all our operational problem-solving time. How do we cleanly filter these strategic ideas out of our weekly pulse and save them for our quarterly planning?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A weekly Level 10 Meeting™ is designed to solve short-term, operational issues that are preventing you from hitting your goals this quarter. When you allow long-term strategic opportunities, big product ideas, or structural debates to crowd your weekly Issues List, you leave no time to solve the immediate problems dragging down your day-to-day business.

To solve this, you must strictly implement Gino Wickman's philosophy of compartmentalizing your business. You have six distinct compartments for your priorities and issues. Your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ is the compartment for short-term operational issues only. Anything that does not require an immediate solution within the next ninety days does not belong on your weekly list.

During the prioritization phase of IDS®, the facilitator must act as a filter. If an issue is raised that is strategic, long-term, or requires deep planning, the facilitator should immediately move it to the Long-Term Issues List on your V/TO®. This is your strategic parking lot. Explain to the team that this issue is highly valuable, but it is better suited for your next quarterly planning session.

By doing this, you protect your weekly ninety minutes for tactical execution. You ensure that the team is not distracted by future shiny objects when they should be focused on clearing current roadblocks. Reviewing the Long-Term Issues List during your quarterly off-sites ensures these ideas are never lost, but keeps your weekly pulse incredibly lean and operational.