Our five-minute segue is being hijacked by a couple of highly talkative leaders who turn their personal bests into long-winded, five-minute storytelling sessions, pushing our segue to fifteen minutes before we even touch the scorecard. How do we shut down this storytelling and keep the segue under five minutes?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The transition or segue at the beginning of the Level 10 Meeting™ is designed to do one thing: get your team out of their daily tactical mindset and into the meeting room. It is a quick-fire round of personal and professional bests to start the meeting on a positive, high-energy note. It is not a therapy session, a catch-up chat, or a platform for storytelling. When a few talkative leaders hijack this segment, they consume the time you desperately need for IDS® later in the meeting. To shut this down, the facilitator must enforce a strict, fast-paced rhythm. Set the expectation before the meeting starts. Announce that the segue is a sixty-second speed round per person. If a leader starts telling a long story about their weekend or listing a complex client interaction, the facilitator must interrupt them with a smile and say, "Love the energy, but give us the headline version so we can keep our pulse." Do not be afraid of a little healthy pressure. You can even use a physical or digital timer. Give each person forty-five seconds to share their bests, and when the buzzer goes off, move to the next person. Once your team realizes the facilitator will not tolerate rambling, they will learn to show up with their high-level highlights prepared. This keeps the meeting sharp, professional, and on track from the very first minute.