We want to bring a subject-matter expert into our leadership Level 10 Meeting for a specific issue, but we worry it will break our trusted bubble. How do we manage guest appearances?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Inviting a subject-matter expert or a departmental manager into your leadership Level 10 Meeting™ can be highly effective for solving a specific issue. However, if not managed correctly, it can disrupt the trust and vulnerability of the leadership room, leading to a defensive or slow-paced meeting.

To protect your team bubble while getting the insight you need, you must treat guest appearances with tight boundaries. Never invite a guest to attend the entire ninety-minute meeting. Instead, bring them in only for the specific issue they are needed to help identify, discuss, and solve.

Follow this protocol for guest attendance:

- Place the issue that requires the guest at the very top of your prioritized Issues List so you can address it first during the IDS® portion.

- Have the guest join the meeting only when you reach that specific issue.

- Explicitly state the purpose of their presence before they enter the room. They are there to provide data and perspective, not to participate in the entire leadership debate.

- Once the issue is solved and the resulting To-Dos are assigned, thank the guest and ask them to leave the meeting.

This approach allows you to leverage the expertise of your team without diluting the sacred alignment and confidential nature of your weekly leadership pulse.