Our Issues List is constantly flooded with minor operational complaints, and we spend our weekly Level 10 Meeting firefighting instead of solving systemic problems. How do we keep our issues list strategic?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

An Issues List that is clogged with minor, transactional problems is a sign of weak delegation and a lack of trust in your Accountability Chart. Your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ is reserved for leadership-level issues that impact the company's overall traction, Rocks, or major processes. If a manager can solve an issue within their own seat or department, it should never make it onto the leadership team's list. To clean this up, enforce a strict rule: before any issue is added to the Level 10 Meeting™ agenda, the person adding it must have already tried to resolve it with the relevant seat owner. When issues are brought to the table, they must be phrased clearly with a defined owner and a specific ask. During the IDS® step, ruthlessly prioritize the top three issues that have the biggest impact on your quarterly Rocks or the company's performance. Leave the minor operational details to departmental meetings. By keeping your issues list strategic, you teach your team to self-solve minor problems, which builds operational maturity and prepares your business to run without constant owner intervention.