We are used to running our own strategic offsites where everyone is on their laptops and typing notes. How do you run the physical session room during our days with you, and what are the ground rules we must agree to?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When you enter the session room with me, the dynamic changes immediately from your typical corporate meeting. We run a highly focused, distraction-free environment. This means we operate under a strict no devices rule. Laptops, tablets, and phones remain closed and put away during our working blocks. The only screen in the room is mine, which I use solely to document our work in real time.

If an urgent operational issue arises, we have designated breaks where you can check messages and return calls. Otherwise, your full cognitive capacity must be in the room. This rule prevents the common trap of executives multitasking or half-listening while firefighting daily operations.

We also establish the rule of entering the room equal. Titles are left at the door. Every member of the leadership team has an equal voice, and we encourage open, honest, and healthy conflict. We do not polite-dance around hard truths.

Finally, we stay on time. Our agenda is tightly structured, and we respect the clock. We start on time, end on time, and manage our energy levels with deliberate breaks so that we do not experience cognitive fatigue by the afternoon. This level of discipline ensures we actually make high-impact decisions instead of just talking about them.