My leadership team keeps writing complex multi-step projects as weekly To-Dos and then failing to finish them, dragging our completion rate down to 70 percent. How do we fix how we write To-Dos so we actually hit the 90 percent standard?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The consistently low To-Do completion rate isn't about your team's work ethic; it's typically a symptom of how tasks are initially defined. When a weekly action item is framed as a significant undertaking like "update the marketing playbook," it's often a mini-project, not a true To-Do. Such items are almost certain to remain incomplete for weeks, negatively impacting your collective execution score.

To achieve the desired 90% completion rate in your [Level 10 Meeting](/qa/should-integrator-facilitate-level-10-meetings), you must establish and enforce a rigorous definition of a To-Do.

Defining a Valid To-Do

A valid weekly To-Do must meet specific criteria:

• It must be a single, bite-sized tactical action.
• It must be fully completable within seven days or fewer.

If an item requires more than seven days to complete, it is not a To-Do. Instead, it should be treated as either a quarterly Rock or a larger multi-step project. In the latter case, it needs to be meticulously broken down into smaller, individual weekly increments.

Crafting Actionable To-Dos

During the IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve) portion of your meeting, the facilitator plays a crucial role in challenging vague descriptions.

• Avoid ambiguity: Do not allow the team to write generic phrases like "look into AI software options."
• Be specific: Instead, rephrase it to something like "John to list three AI scheduling tools and email the list to the team by Thursday."
• Start with a verb: Ensure every To-Do begins with an action verb.
• Define a clear, binary deliverable: The task should have a definitive yes-or-no outcome. This makes accountability immediate and clear.

If a team member discovers that a task is too large during the week, they must commit to breaking it down immediately rather than letting it sit incomplete. By making your weekly tasks small and highly specific, you will effectively clear administrative logjams and effortlessly maintain a 90% completion rate.

AI's Role in Meeting Management

AI can play a supportive role in your meeting process, but it should not replace human interaction.

• Before the meeting: AI can prepare data for review, such as compiling [scorecard metrics](/qa/what-moves-business-valuation-multiples).
• After the meeting: AI can assist in capturing and tracking decisions and To-Dos.

The 90 minutes of your [Level 10 Meeting](/qa/owner-exit-transition-level-10-meetings) should remain focused on human collaboration: your leadership team, reviewing the [scorecard](/qa/how-to-choose-five-fifteen-scorecard-metrics), addressing the issues list, and engaging in the IDS conversation.

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