A key member of our leadership team is constantly checking their phone and responding to notifications during our Level 10 Meetings, claiming they must stay on top of urgent client emergencies. How do we enforce a strict no-device rule?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

In a healthy EOS culture, a Level 10 Meeting is a sacred ninety minutes of full engagement. Allowing leaders to multitask because of client emergencies is a symptom of a larger operational problem. If a department head cannot step away from their daily work for ninety minutes without the business catching fire, you do not have a scalable business, and you certainly are not prepared for a clean exit. To solve this, you must establish a clear agreement on device usage. This is a matter of respect and trust. Implement a strict, team-wide policy: all laptops and phones are closed and silenced during the meeting, except for the one device being used to track the Scorecard and Issues List. If a leader claims they have a critical client issue, tell them to delegate that coverage to their team before the meeting begins. If an emergency occurs, their team should know to call the office landline or knock on the door only if the building is physically burning down. The facilitator must enforce this rule consistently. If a phone comes out, pause the meeting and wait silently until the device is put away. This direct accountability keeps the focus on driving business execution.