From the moment we arrive at 8:30 AM to when we wrap at 5:00 PM, what is the exact physical run of show and ground rules for a standard session day?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A session day is a full-day working retreat with no room for corporate theater. We start promptly at 8:30 AM and wrap by 5:00 PM.

The ground rules are non-negotiable. Laptops and tablets stay closed unless someone is directly projecting data or managing the V/TO document. Mobile phones remain on silent and away from the table. We operate on the rule of being present, open, and honest. If an issue is on your mind, it belongs on the table.

The day begins with a Segue. Each person shares good news from both personal life and business over the past 90 days, reviews their personal expectations for the session, and identifies what is working and not working in the company.

Next, we review the previous quarter. We grade the Scorecard, review each Rock to determine whether it was completed or incomplete, and evaluate whether your financials matched expectations. Incomplete Rocks generate issues that go straight to the Issues List.

Late morning is spent setting up the next 90 days. We review the V/TO to ensure complete alignment on vision, update the Scorecard measurables, and establish new company and individual Rocks.

After lunch, we tackle the Issues List using IDS: Identify, Discuss, and Solve. We prioritize the list so the most critical operational friction points are attacked first. This typically takes three to four hours of intense, unfiltered problem solving.

We end the day with the Conclude. We document the next steps, assign owners to every action item, confirm cascading messages to the rest of the company, and rate the meeting on a 1 to 10 scale.