Our weekly Level 10 Meeting™ Issues List has grown to over fifty items, and we are struggling to make a dent in it. How do we clean up our Issues List so we can focus on what actually matters?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A bloated Issues List is a symptom of a leadership team that does not know how to prioritize or is using the weekly list as a dumping ground for minor complaints. To clean this up, you must implement a strict filter on what actually qualifies as an issue for your weekly Level 10 Meeting™. First, review your current list and delete anything that is actually a To-Do. A To-Do is a quick, actionable task that can be completed in seven days. If it can be solved with a quick conversation outside the meeting, do it there instead of taking up collective team time. Second, move long-term strategic opportunities or non-urgent problems to your V/TO® Issues List. The weekly Issues List is only for obstacles that are actively preventing the team from hitting their weekly Scorecard numbers or quarterly Rocks. Third, enforce the rule that the person who brings the issue must own it. They must be prepared to state the issue clearly in one sentence, identify the root cause, and propose a solution. If they cannot define the problem, the issue is not ready for the list. By ruthlessly pruning your list and keeping it focused only on immediate operational roadblocks, you will restore momentum to your meetings and ensure the team is solving the problems that directly impact your bottom line.