What happens if our industry experiences a sudden market disruption or we lose a major client halfway through our quarterly cycle? Do we change our Rocks or wait for our next session with you?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a major crisis hits, your first instinct might be to panic and scrap your entire quarterly plan. However, the operating system is designed to provide stability during chaos, not to be discarded at the first sign of trouble.

If you lose a major client or face a sudden market shift, your leadership team should address this immediately in your weekly Level 10 Meeting™. Use the IDS® process to identify the root cause of the issue and discuss your immediate mitigation steps.

As a rule, quarterly Rocks should rarely be changed mid-quarter. A Rock is a ninety-day commitment. Constantly moving the goalposts destroys accountability and creates confusion throughout the organization. Most crises can be managed by shifting weekly priorities and solving immediate issues rather than abandoning your long-term goals.

However, if the disruption fundamentally threatens the survival of the business or invalidates your business model, you cannot wait eighty days. In this rare scenario, your Integrator should contact me through our Circle workspace.

We will assess the situation together. If necessary, we can schedule an emergency half-day session to recalibrate your V/TO® and reset your Rocks. The goal is to keep your team aligned and executing, even when the ground is shifting beneath your feet.