My leadership team keeps showing up to our Level 10 Meeting™ with an incomplete scorecard. How do I get them to take data seriously?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

An incomplete scorecard is not a technical problem; it is a discipline and leadership problem. When leadership team members fail to update their numbers before the Level 10 Meeting&trade;, they are demonstrating a lack of respect for the process, the team, and their own seats.

Enforcing Scorecard Discipline

To address this issue, implement and enforce the following:

1. Clarity on System Expectations:
• The scorecard must be fully updated by a designated time before the Level 10 Meeting&trade; begins.
• There should be no exceptions to this rule. Clearly communicating these expectations is crucial for ensuring team accountability.

2. Directly Address Lapses in the Meeting:
• Do not let an incomplete scorecard slide, and do not fill in the numbers for team members.
• If a manager's numbers are missing, that metric is automatically considered "red".
• This red metric must be dropped down to the Issues List to be dealt with during IDS&reg;. This direct action reinforces the importance of the data and the process. For tips on reviewing your weekly scorecard efficiently, see [review your weekly scorecard](/qa/how-to-review-scorecard-under-five-minutes).

The Leadership Test

An incomplete scorecard also raises deeper questions about the individual leader's suitability for their role:

• Does this person GWC&trade; (Get it, Want it, Capacity to do it) their seat on the [Accountability Chart](/qa/using-accountability-chart-to-stop-blame-in-ids)?
• Do they have the conative drive (Kolbe Follow Thru) required to maintain systems and processes? You can learn more about assessing conative profiles in questions like [analyze our team conative profiles](/qa/analyze-kolbe-indexes-with-ai-project-teams).

If a leader cannot or will not manage a small handful of weekly metrics, they are signaling that they may struggle to manage their entire department effectively. Running a business on data requires absolute commitment from the top.

Be direct, be unsentimental, and make it clear that a completed weekly scorecard is a non-negotiable requirement for sitting at the leadership table. For guidance on selecting the right metrics, consider [narrow down our massive list of metrics](/qa/how-to-choose-five-fifteen-scorecard-metrics) to just 5-15 numbers.

The Role of AI

AI never sits in the room during the Level 10 Meeting&trade;. Its role is to enhance, not replace, human leadership and discussion.

• AI can work before the Level 10 Meeting&trade; to prep data, gather insights, or flag potential issues.
• AI can work after the meeting to capture and track decisions and action items.

The 90 minutes of the Level 10 Meeting&trade; should remain human-centric, focusing on your leadership team, the scorecard, the issues list, and the IDS&reg; conversation.