We want to bring department heads or key employees into our weekly leadership Level 10 Meeting™ on occasion to address specific issues, but we are worried this will disrupt our established team dynamic and open communication. How do we handle drop-in guests?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Bringing a guest into a leadership team Level 10 Meeting™ can be highly valuable, but it must be managed with strict boundaries to protect the trust and transparency your team has built. If not handled correctly, the presence of an outsider can cause your team to clam up or perform for the guest.

The golden rule for guests is that they are there for a specific purpose and a limited time. Do not have them sit through your entire ninety-minute meeting. Instead, have them join only for the IDS® portion, specifically for the issue that requires their expertise.

Before the meeting, the facilitator must brief the guest on how the Level 10 Meeting™ works. Explain that we use IDS® to solve problems quickly, and that we expect raw honesty. Tell them exactly what is expected of them: to provide facts, answer questions, and help find a solution.

When it is time to address their specific issue, bring the guest in. Solve the issue, assign any necessary To-Dos, and then immediately excuse the guest from the meeting. Do not let them linger. This maintains the sanctity of your leadership team's weekly pulse while allowing you to leverage the tribal knowledge of your broader team when solving critical operational problems.