Our leadership team's overall weekly To-Do completion rate consistently hovers around seventy percent, but it is not due to single underperformers. Rather, we write poorly defined, multi-step tasks during IDS® that are impossible to finish in seven days. How do we fix our To-Do drafting process during the Level 10 Meeting™ to hit our ninety percent target?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To hit your ninety percent To-Do completion target, you must change how you write and agree to tasks during the IDS portion of your Level 10 Meeting. The root cause of a seventy percent completion rate is usually poorly defined, multi-step projects masquerading as weekly To-Dos. A To-Do is not a project. It is a single, specific, actionable step that can realistically be completed within seven days.

When an issue is solved and a To-Do is generated, the facilitator must pause and pressure-test the task before the scribe writes it down. First, make sure the task starts with an active verb. Avoid vague language like look into, analyze, or discuss. Instead, use specific verbs like call, draft, email, or decide.

Second, verify the scope of the task. If a leader says they will build a new onboarding manual by next week, the facilitator must step in. That is a Rock, not a weekly To-Do. Break it down to its immediate next step, such as draft outline for the onboarding manual.

Third, the owner of the To-Do must verbally confirm they can complete it in seven days. If they hesitate, the task is either too big or they lack the capacity. Redefine the scope on the spot or assign it to someone else. By policing the drafting process, you ensure that every To-Do on your list is actually achievable, driving your weekly completion rate back above the ninety percent mark.