We run our weekly Level 10 Meeting on Zoom, and I can tell half the leadership team is multitasking, looking at emails or Slack on another monitor, and only chiming in when directly called upon. How do we enforce engagement in a remote environment without acting like a school principal?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To stop second-screen distraction during a virtual Level 10 Meeting™, you must realize that remote engagement is a design problem, not a discipline problem. When people drift, it is usually because the meeting lacks speed, or because they do not feel personally accountable for the numbers on screen.

First, establish a strict camera-on policy and require that everyone close all unrelated browser tabs, email clients, and messaging platforms before the meeting starts.

Second, rotate the screen-sharing responsibility. Do not let the same person share their screen every week. When different leadership team members are responsible for driving the software, pulling up the scorecard, or typing the to-dos during IDS®, they have to stay locked in.

Third, run a rapid-fire cadence. The facilitator must actively call on people by name rather than waiting for voluntary participation. During the scorecard review, the metric owner must state the number and whether it is on or off track within three seconds. If a number is off track, drop it to the issues list immediately with no explanation. By cutting out the narrative fluff and keeping the pace high, you eliminate the dead air that invites multitasking.

Finally, hold each other accountable during the meeting rating at the end. If you notice someone was disengaged or clearly typing an email, rate the meeting lower and call out the distraction. Protecting the integrity of the weekly pulse requires the team to respect each other's time, virtual or not.