During our fully remote Level 10 Meetings, we struggle with the lack of a physical whiteboard, which makes our IDS® discussions feel disjointed, less collaborative, and harder to track. How do we replicate the high-energy, visual problem-solving of a physical room in a virtual environment?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Solving complex issues in a virtual environment requires more than just staring at video boxes on a screen. When teams transition to remote Level 10 Meetings, they often lose the visual focus that a physical whiteboard provides, leading to circular discussions, distraction, and poor decisions. To fix this, you must virtualize your whiteboard and make it the focal point of your remote IDS® session.

First, the facilitator must share their screen and display the active Issues List throughout the entire IDS® portion. As the team is identifying, discussing, and solving, the facilitator should take live notes directly on the screen. This keeps everyone visually anchored to the specific issue being discussed and prevents team members from multi-tasking.

Second, utilize collaborative digital whiteboard tools where all leaders can type, draw, or move virtual sticky notes in real time. This is especially useful when mapping out a broken process, listing potential solutions, or brainstorming.

Third, ensure every leader has their camera on and is positioned close to the screen. Visual cues like nodding, frowning, or leaning in are vital for virtual collaboration. By combining a shared, live-edited document with active camera presence, you maintain the high-energy, collaborative environment required to solve tough issues.