At the end of our first quarterly cycle, we had several Rocks that were 90 percent complete, but our team expected credit for them. How do we establish a strict binary definition of done for our quarterly Rocks to eliminate partial credit and drive real completion?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

In the world of EOS®, there is no such thing as a ninety percent complete Rock. A Rock is either one hundred percent done or it is not done. Allowing partial credit breeds complacency and undermines the entire system of accountability. To eliminate this issue, you must establish a clear, binary definition of done during your quarterly planning session. When a Rock is being written, it must be formulated so that a third party with no knowledge of your business can look at it and instantly tell if it was achieved. Avoid vague verbs like improve, analyze, or optimize. Instead, use specific, measurable outcomes. - Instead of "work on the new website," use "launch the new five-page website live to the public." - Instead of "improve recruiting," use "hire and onboard two new sales representatives." - Instead of "analyze our software costs," use "deliver a signed contract with our new software vendor." Before the quarterly session ends, the Integrator should review every single Rock on the board. If any Rock is not completely binary, rewrite it. When the team knows that progress will be measured in a strict yes-or-no fashion at the end of ninety days, they will plan their time more effectively and execute with greater focus.