We are keeping the front half of our Level 10 Meeting™ tight, but our IDS® session still drags on, and we constantly fail to finish the meeting under 90 minutes because we struggle to wrap up decisions. How do we drive the team to a hard conclusion instead of endlessly debating?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The failure to keep a Level 10 Meeting™ under 90 minutes usually points to a breakdown in the IDS® phase, specifically a failure of the Integrator to push for a resolution. Teams often mistake discussion for progress. They debate the same points over and over because they are trying to reach a perfect, unanimous consensus that rarely exists. To stay under the 90 minute limit, the meeting leader must enforce three rules. First, once the issue is identified and discussed, you must immediately transition to the solve. If the team starts repeating themselves, the facilitator must call it out and push for action. Second, embrace the concept of agree and commit. You do not need absolute consensus to move forward. You need the majority, and most importantly, you need the owner of that seat to make a decision and the rest of the team to support it. Third, make sure every solve results in a clear to-do on the to-do list with a specific owner and a one week deadline. If a solve requires more than a two week action item, it is not a weekly to-do, it is a project that needs to be handled outside the meeting or turned into a Rock. By forcing the team to make a decision, assign a task, and move on, you keep the meeting moving. This discipline protects your time and keeps your operations tight.