We waste five minutes every week debating whether a to-do from last week was actually completed because the tasks are written so vaguely on our list that nobody remembers what done actually looks like. How do we structure and write our Level 10 Meeting to-dos so that completion is clear and non-negotiable?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If your weekly Level 10 Meeting to-do list is full of vague, open-ended tasks like review marketing report or follow up with sales team, you are set up for confusion and debate next week. This lack of clarity creates friction, wastes time during the wrap-up, and erodes the accountability of the entire leadership team.

Every to-do generated during the IDS portion of your meeting must be written with absolute clarity. It must be specific, actionable, and binary, meaning it is obvious to everyone in the room whether it is done or not done.

To achieve this, the person taking the notes must write the to-do using the verb-noun format. Instead of writing marketing report, write: Email marketing report feedback to Sarah. Instead of follow up with sales, write: Schedule meeting with John to review pipeline. The action must be concrete and measurable.

Before you conclude the meeting, the facilitator should read the to-do list aloud to ensure everyone agrees on the expectations. If a to-do is written vaguely, stop and rewrite it immediately. Ask the owner of the task: What specifically will be complete by next week? By ensuring that every to-do is written as a clear, binary commitment, you eliminate the weekly debate and drive a culture of high execution.