When someone rates our weekly Level 10 Meeting a 6 or 7, the team gets defensive, or the rater gives a vague excuse instead of actionable feedback. How do we handle low meeting ratings productively without starting an argument at the ninety-minute mark?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The final step of the Level 10 Meeting agenda is rating the meeting from 1 to 10. The target is an average of 8 or higher. When someone rates the meeting a 7 or below, the facilitator must ask one simple question: Why?

The purpose of this question is not to litigate the score or force the person to defend themselves. It is to diagnose meeting mechanics so you can improve next week. However, teams often derail here because the person gives a vague complaint, or other leaders get defensive and start arguing about the rating.

Set a strict ground rule for low ratings: the explanation must be about the meeting process, not personal grievances. Valid reasons for a low rating include:

- The meeting started or ended late.
- We went down rabbit holes instead of identifying the root cause.
- Someone dominated the discussion while others stayed silent.
- We failed to prioritize the top three issues before jumping into IDS.
- People were multitasking or distracted.

If someone gives an emotional or subjective answer, the facilitator must redirect them to the structure. For example, if someone says the debate was frustrating, ask if the team failed to solve the root cause or if they just disliked the outcome. Disagreeing with a decision is not a valid reason to give a low rating if the team followed IDS and committed to the solution.

Do not debate the rating. Record the feedback, state what will be adjusted next week, and conclude the meeting on time.