Now, it’s no secret that we at 8 SIGNAL are BIG fans of Level 10 Meetings (L10s). An L10 Meeting is structured, happens weekly, and is designed to keep everyone focused and on the same page.
But it’s still possible to take a beautiful, efficient L10 and turn it into a dumpster fire worthy of an episode of The Office. If you’ve ever wanted to throw a wrench in the works, I’ve got a few tips that are sure to get under your boss’s skin and turn your next EOS Level 10 Meeting into a frustrating, time-wasting disaster!
Don’t have time to read this post? Watch the video here!
1. Ignore the Agenda and Go Off-Topic
Let’s start with the inefficiency basics… and forget the agenda! L10 Meetings follow a specific order and timeframe. But why stick to the script when you can freeform like a jazz musician?
To derail your meeting, jump around from topic to topic, tossing tangents like verbal smoke bombs — until no one has ANY idea what was being discussed.
2. Overexplain and Don’t Get To Your Point
Why say in five words what you can say in five hundred, amiright? The more words, the merrier. Your boss’s bewildered expressions will be worth it, I promise.
3. Work on Something Else or Get Distracted
Who wants to pay attention during a meeting when there’s a Candy Crush high score on the line? So go ahead: Work on something else. Catch up on emails. And definitely leave five times to refill your coffee. It’s a great way to show your team that you “trust” them to handle things without your input.
4. Go to Your L10 Meeting Unprepared
To piss off your boss and further derail your L10 meeting, don’t prepare. At all. Those Rocks (clearly defined priorities to finish over the current quarter)? Put them off. To-dos? Oh no, you to-didn’t! Being unprepared goes the extra mile to make sure you have no valuable input to the discussion because you aren’t really sure what’s going on.
5. Don’t IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve)
IDS is the time in an L10 Meeting where you work to find solutions to the most urgent issues. A great way to make sure this DOESN’T happen is to treat issues like a game of hot potato — never holding on long enough to actually address it. This strategy is guaranteed to push everyone’s buttons and make your L10 Meetings the talk of the water cooler (for all the wrong reasons).
L10 Meetings: Don’t Be “THAT Person!”
So, if you fancy watching your coworkers’ eyes roll and your boss’s temper rise, follow my anti-advice and enjoy the dumpster fire. But if you want to help your business thrive, maybe skip my suggestions (I was KIDDING, okay?) and stick to the tried-and-true principles of productive Level 10 Meetings. The choice, my friends, is yours.
Are you ready to make your marketing meetings efficient, productive, and streamlined? Contact us today to see how a Fractional CMO can be a game-changer!
