In our virtual Level 10 Meetings, team members frequently use the in-app chat or Slack to make side comments, jokes, or solve mini-issues while someone else is speaking, which fragments our attention. How do we eliminate this digital background noise?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Virtual meetings are inherently prone to attention drift, but allowing side-channel communications during your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ completely destroys the unity of the leadership team. When people are typing jokes or having parallel discussions in Slack or the video software chat, they are not fully present. This behavior compromises the core principle of being on the same page.

To fix this, you must establish a zero-tolerance policy for side-messaging during the ninety-minute pulse. Introduce this as a team agreement or update your operating charter. The rule is simple: if you have something to say, say it out loud to the entire room. If a thought is a valid issue, it goes on the short-term Issues List. If it is a quick update, save it for the relevant agenda section.

As the facilitator, you must call out side-channel activity the moment you spot it. If you see people smiling at their screens or typing furiously when they should be listening, pause the meeting and ask them to share their thoughts with the group. This is not about being a school principal; it is about protecting the high-intensity alignment required to run a fast-scaling, AI-powered operation. Your ninety minutes together are sacred. Keep all communication centralized, vocal, and focused on the active speaker to maintain momentum.