In the journey of implementing EOS, companies work to strengthen the Six Key Components of their business. One of those components is Tractions. Few tools are as powerful as the Level 10 Meeting to help you get Traction in your Business. While quarterly sessions provide strategic direction, it's the weekly Level 10 meetings where you get traction and turn your vision into reality. I recommend everyone reading this article watch this video from Gino Wickman (author of Traction and Founder of EOS Worldwide) to refresh on the basics of a Level 10 meeting.
Now that we are speaking the same language, let's explore some additional tips and tricks to help you run great Level 10s.
The Non-Negotiable Foundation
First, let's be crystal clear: your Level 10 meeting is sacred. Same time, same day, same agenda, every single week. This isn't just another meeting - it's the heartbeat of your business. All other meetings work around this one. The only acceptable reasons for missing are vacation or death. Yes, it's that important. The outcome of your level 10 will improve in direct correlation to the effort you put in to running them as designed.
The Meeting Leader and Notetaker - Not the same person
The leader of a Level 10 meeting is responsible for keeping the team on track. That person keeps the team from chasing squirrels, makes sure issues are dropped down rather than discussed in the reporting section, and that to-do's are actually captured as to-do's on the list. They need to be willing to ruffle some feathers to keep the team on track.
The note taker adds issues to the issues list, adds to-do's to the to-do list and makes any other changes to the agenda that are needed. I've found from personal experience and from working with my clients that it is best that the meeting leader and note take be two different people especially if you are using a software to manage your EOS documentation (such as EOSOne or Ninety.io). This is because it is very difficult to lead the meeting, run the technology on which you are taking notes, and be an active participant in the meeting.
Another solution is to simply eliminate technology from the L10 meeting and have a paper agenda though most teams I know prefer digital.
Start Strong with the Segue
The meeting begins with the Segue - a moment to share personal and professional good news. This isn't small talk; it's intentional positive positioning. By starting in "the Gain" (as Dan Sullivan would say in his book The Gap and the Gain), you create the right mindset to address the gaps in your business. Be open, honest, and vulnerable. You and your teammates needs to see each other's humanity to build trust.
Regarding the question "What do I do if I just can't think of any bests from this past week?" - that can happen. A week really can be challenging, or we might arrive at the meeting in a negative state of mind. If you encounter this situation, don't skip the segue. Simply share something you're grateful for in your personal life and another in the business. As my coach Lee Brower has shared, gratitude and negativity cannot exist in our minds simultaneously. By focusing on gratitude first, we prepare our minds to lead effectively.
Rock Review: Confront the Brutal Reality
When reviewing Rocks, honesty is non-negotiable. Off track? Say it. Following a Rock Plan (more on Rock Plans in a future article) makes this more objective and less personal. If you have questions about another's Rock status, drop it down as an issue. Remember, you're not alone - your team is there to help.
As Jim Collins discussed in Good to Great, business leaders must confront their brutal reality head-on. Only when we properly see a problem can we begin to address it. Rocks get off track for various reasons. As a team, don't let them drift too long before addressing them. Don't be afraid to drop someone else's rock down as an issue if you want an update or are worried it is getting off track. With discipline and mutual accountability, you'll reach your next quarterly session having accomplished the vast majority of your company's highest priorities!
Scorecard: Rumble Strips on Your Journey Towards Your Vision
Your scorecard tells the truth about your business's health. When measurables are off track, drop them down for discussion. If you're avoiding off-track measurables, you're either ducking accountability or measuring the wrong things.
Think of your scorecard like rumble strips on your journey. Just like rumble strips on the highway help you to identify if your car is going off the road before your get into an accident, a scorecard helps you identify problems before they turn into disasters and opportunities before they pass you by. Your scorecard should feel helpful. If it doesn't, you haven't found the right measurables yet, you don't have the right owners yet, or the goals aren't right yet.
Give yourself time to assess the effectiveness of each measurable and space to adjust them if they aren't quite right yet - it's a journey worth taking. Once you nail your scorecard, it will shine a light on the most important vitals (measurables) of your business to keep you focused on achieving your vision.
Measurables will change over time. This is because at first, you may not be measuring the most impactful things. You will figure out ways to make them effective (e.g., turning backward looking metrics into forward looking ones). Sometimes there will be things that are important for a while and you want to shine a light on them but once they are fixed, you no longer need to see them as often and instead you want to focus on other more urgent measurables. It is ok for your scorecard to be dynamic. I make changes to my scorecard every quarter and sometimes multiple times per quarter. Remember, your scorecard needs to work for you.
Measurables should promote positive behavior rather than punish mistakes. Too often, backward-looking metrics become weekly reminders of failures or catalysts for unproductive fault-finding. A great measurable gives leaders time and space to take action for better outcomes. For example, if your goal is to sell services to one new client per month, and historically every four conversations with prospects leads to a new client, then tracking "Number of conversations scheduled with prospective clients in the next 30 days" with a goal of four could be valuable. When you enter the Level 10 meeting and the number is two, you drop the off-track measurable down as an issue. During IDS, you discuss ways to schedule meetings with two more prospects, giving the sales team clear focus for the week.
Headlines: Checking in on Your People
Customer and employee headlines aren't just updates - they're opportunities. Collect them throughout the week. Share successes and concerns. Don't IDS any related issues here - these are quick updates. If there are issues, drop them down to the issues list. This part of the meeting is informational only. Your team needs to know what's happening on the front lines to be able to lead appropriately.
Many teams use this time to check on new hires or recently promoted employees to see how they are progressing with their onboarding plans. This is also an ideal time to check in on struggling employees' progress on performance improvement plans or the three-strike process, as well as share critical customer feedback (both positive and negative).
Some clients ask why we don't simply make these headlines issues. The reason is that our employees and customers are the most important people in the business, and we must maintain awareness of their status. Since not all issues can be addressed each week, placing these updates in Headlines ensures the team stays well-informed about critical people matters. Knowing about the headlines is paramount; however, addressing the related issues may not be.
To-Dos: Commitments, Not Suggestions
Your to-do list should have a 90% completion rate weekly. If you're falling short, you're overcommitting, lack accountability somewhere on the team, or are not treating to-dos as the commitments they are. When 90% of to-do's aren't getting done consistently, make sure to add an issue to the issues list to discuss why to do's aren't getting done.
When committing to to-do's, be realistic about what you can accomplish in a week. We tend to think of to-dos in isolation. When committing to an action, we don't always consider other responsibilities for that week. During meeting conclusion, review the to-dos and assess whether you can realistically accomplish them all within seven days. If not, prioritize them, reallocate them if they need immediate attention but you can't handle them, or return them to the issues list if they can wait. This ensures you end up with a realistic, achievable to-do list.
IDS: Where the Magic Happens
Issues Solving is your primary tool for progress. Great IDSing is what makes the L10 most powerful. When done well you leave the room having cleared the biggest obstacles and ready to get back to work for another 7 days. When done poorly, you leave the room frustrated and no closer to answers than when you began.
At the beginning of your IDSing, clean up the issues list. Over time, issues lists get big. Don't hesitate to clean them out. Remove duplicates, kill issues that are no longer issues, move issues to the long-term issues list if they are issues but are not priorities in the short-term. I have a hard time wrapping my head around an issues list that is bigger than about 15 issues.
Now that you have a clear list, prioritize ruthlessly - what must be addressed in the next seven days? Dig deep for root causes before jumping to solutions. Every solved issue should result in clear, assigned action items (to-do's).
Concluding with Clarity
End strong by reviewing to-dos, ensuring they're realistic and properly prioritized. Align on communication needs - who needs to know what, and who's telling them? Rate the meeting honestly - 10 is the default, and anything less needs a specific reason. No arbitrary 7s - if it wasn't perfect, explain why.
Remember, it's not just about having meetings - it's about having the right meetings, the right way, every single week. That's how good companies become great ones. Once the habit of great L10s has been established, it becomes your safety net. It is what you fall back to when things get chaotic and broken. You can always refocus, reprioritize, and solve your biggest issues in your Level 10 meeting.
About the Author
Ben Johnson loves to help entrepreneurial leaders run a better business and live a better life.
Throughout his career, Ben has enjoyed running, starting, and buying various businesses. He is nearly 6 years into his EOS journey, including four years as an EOS user running seven companies in various stages. He has sat in every leadership team seat in a typical accountability chart, giving him a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of implementing EOS.
His articles are intended for his clients and others running on EOS to help them to implement EOS in-between EOS sessions, use Data to run a better business, and help others live the EOS Life. They are also for his 4 fantastic kids who he hopes will someday get to live their EOS Life.