We waste ten minutes of our Level 10 Meeting arguing over whether a customer update is just a headline or a real issue that needs to be added to the Issues List. How do we draw a clear line between the two during the transition?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To draw a clean line, you must enforce a strict definition. A headline is an FYI. It is a quick notification about a customer or employee victory or brief concern that requires zero immediate action or group discussion. If a headline requires the team to do something, change something, or make a decision, it is not a headline. It is an issue.

During the Customer and Employee Headlines section of your Level 10 Meeting, the facilitator must act as a strict gatekeeper. The moment someone shares a headline and then begins to explain the background story, the facilitator must step in. They should ask a simple question: Is this just for our information, or do we need to take action?

If it requires action, the facilitator must immediately direct the scribe to drop it to the bottom of the weekly Issues List. The team must not discuss it further during the headlines segment. By keeping the reporting section strictly informational, you protect your valuable seventy-five minutes of IDS time.

This practice aligns with our Charter of maintaining a Same Page team. It ensures you respect everyone's time by keeping the agenda moving. Remember, you cannot solve problems during the reporting phase. Force the transition quickly and cleanly so your leadership team can focus on the real root causes during the dedicated IDS portion of the meeting.