The beauty of EOS® is that it gives structure to things most businesses do haphazardly. The Vision/Traction Organizer aligns long-term goals. Rocks define what matters this quarter. The Level 10 Meeting®, commonly called the L10, is where all of it comes together every week.
In theory, the L10 is one of EOS®’s most powerful tools. In practice, it can quickly become just another routine meeting if you are not careful.
At M&R, we have run on EOS® long enough to see both sides. Our early L10s had all the right ingredients: a set agenda, the right people in the room, and good intentions. Over time, however, we found ourselves leaving meetings feeling informed but not energized. Everyone had spoken. Everyone had nodded. Yet no one left with clear next steps or traction.
It took a few months and some uncomfortable retrospectives to admit the truth: our L10s were missing the point.
The Problem With Our Old L10s
EOS®’s creator, Gino Wickman, designed the L10 as a high-accountability weekly pulse—a 90-minute meeting where the leadership team reviews data, checks progress, identifies and solves issues, and leaves aligned.
Weekly meetings can easily feel like a chore rather than a catalyst, and that was happening in our case.
Our L10s had gradually shifted into status updates. Each meeting became a rundown of what everyone had done that week. People left knowing what happened, but not what they needed to do next. The IDS® (Identify, Discuss, Solve) section, which should drive the L10, was squeezed into the final 15 minutes. By the time we reached the “Discuss” stage, energy was low and attention was fading.
We realized that if our weekly meetings did not produce solutions, they could not produce traction. With that understanding, we started making changes.
How We Fixed Them
There was no single solution. Instead, we made a few deliberate adjustments that, together, transformed the energy and impact of our L10s.
Scorecard First—Fast, Focused, and Objective
Early Scorecard reviews tended to meander. One person would present a number, another would provide context, and soon we had spent fifteen minutes without making real progress.
Now, we treat the Scorecard like a pre-flight checklist. Each metric receives a simple assessment: hit (green) or miss (red).
- Green metrics: move on immediately.
- Red metrics: go on the IDS® list.
There is no debate or storytelling during the Scorecard review. The discussion happens later during IDS®. This discipline ensures that the Scorecard provides visibility without derailing process.
Rock Review—Binary, not Narrative
Before our overhaul, Rock reviews often sounded like performance updates. Team members would provide lengthy context about partial progress, dependencies, and plans. That approach consumed time and diluted accountability.
Now, Rock reviews are binary: on track or off track:
- On track: moves to the next topic.
- Off track: goes on the IDS® list.
This clarity reinforces ownership. Each Rock owner knows what is expected, and leadership can quickly assess progress.
IDS Is the Focus
The most important part of a productive L10 is IDS®. Identify. Discuss. Solve.
This section handles problem-solving, decision-making, and creating clarity that makes the rest of the week move faster. We aim to spend most of the meeting on IDS® and reduce everything else to the essentials.
The team prioritizes the issues list by nominating what matters most and voting. The top-ranked issues are tackled first. Completing an issue may mean assigning a follow-up Rock, starting a process change, or collecting more data. Every issue leaves the table with an owner and a next step. Once resolved, the issue is removed permanently. This practice prevents recurring discussions from dominating the meeting.
The 90-Minute Limit
We once let our L10s run long, especially when big projects required attention. That habit came from poor boundary management.
The EOS® system sets a 90-minute limit for a reason. We decided to enforce it strictly.
Limiting the meeting time created a ripple effect. Conversations became more concise, tangents disappeared, and everyone focused on the agenda. Ending on time also keeps energy high. Knowing the meeting will not drag on encourages full participation and leaves the team energized rather than fatigued.
Keeping Engagement High
Structure and efficiency alone cannot sustain a productive meeting. EOS® relies on human systems, which require connection.
We incorporated two key strategies to maintain engagement:
Rotating Section Leads
Rather than having the same person run every L10, we rotate the leadership of agenda items. One week, a team member runs the Scorecard, another leads the Rock review, and another facilitates IDS®. This rotation keeps the team invested, develops facilitation skills, and prevents disengagement.
Starting with a “Personal Best”
Each L10 begins with a quick share of a personal win, funny moment, or positive experience. These moments are unrelated to business metrics but help reset energy, reinforce culture, and remind the team that they are a group of people working together.
The All-New M&R L10
After these changes, our L10s became crisp, focused, and energizing. The IDS® list became a tool for momentum instead of a backlog. Problem-solving accelerated, decision-making improved, accountability tightened, and fewer side meetings were necessary.
Meeting ratings reflected the improvement. Scores that once hovered in the 7s and 8s now consistently reach 9s and 10s. Leadership energy is shared, and the team owns the rhythm of the meeting.
Why It Works
EOS® tools deliver value only if their intent is preserved. The L10 is designed as a disciplined weekly review for leaders to pause, measure, align, and clear obstacles. Maintaining structure, respecting time limits, and focusing on IDS® allows the meeting to deliver clarity, accountability, and traction.
From Routine to Rhythm
Our L10s are now a highlight of the week. Each session leaves the team aligned and ready with clear next steps. By protecting the structure and making minor, intentional adjustments, we turned our weekly meetings from routine updates into one of the most productive hours of the week.
And we have a lot of those productive hours. L10s happen at every level of our organization:
- Individual departments have weekly Department L10s to discuss issues specific to their workflows and processes
- The heads of all Production departments meet weekly in our Production L10 to handle interdepartmental issues and discuss specific projects
- Finally, our Executive Team meets in a weekly Executive L10 to work through top-level issues.
If an issue comes up in a Department L10 and needs elevation to a higher level, it’s immediately placed on the agenda for the Executive or Production L10. Likewise, if information from an Executive L10 needs to be cascaded down to individual team members, it’s immediately added to Department L10 agendas for discussion.
Marketing Built for EOS® Companies
M&R operates on the same Entrepreneurial Operating System® that guides many of the companies we work with. This experience allows us to design marketing strategies that align with your leadership structure, support your quarterly goals, and generate measurable results.
We have partnered with many EOS®-driven organizations to increase visibility, improve lead generation, and create clear accountability for marketing outcomes. Each plan we develop is tied to your Vision/Traction Organizer® and addresses the priorities your team tracks every week.
Reach out at 478-621-4491 to speak with a business development manager. We can share actionable ideas to take straight to your next L10.