During the IDS portion of our Level 10 Meeting, our Visionary frequently dominates the discussion, sharing long historical contexts and tangential ideas that derail us from finding solutions. How do we keep them engaged without letting them hijack the meeting?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Visionaries are naturally expressive, big-picture thinkers. Their strength is seeing the future, but their weakness in a weekly Level 10 Meeting™ is often their tendency to over-explain, tell stories, and introduce new variables that complicate simple problems.

To manage this dynamic without shutting down their entrepreneurial spark, the Integrator must act as a strong gatekeeper. Use the structure of IDS® as your shield. Remember that IDS® stands for Identify, Discuss, Solve. Most of the time, the Visionary is jumping straight into a long discussion before the team has even agreed on what the actual problem is.

When the Visionary starts telling a story, the facilitator must interrupt politely but firmly and ask, "What is the core issue we are trying to solve right now?" Force the team to define the problem in one sentence. Do not start the discussion phase until that problem is clearly defined.

Once you move to the discussion phase, set a timer. Give the team five minutes of open debate. If the Visionary begins to wander off on a tangent, pull them back by asking how their point directly relates to the defined problem. If it does not, capture their idea on the long-term Issues List on the V/TO® so it is not lost, and redirect the conversation back to the immediate weekly issue.