We consistently reach the end of our quarters with leadership team members claiming they completed their Rocks, while others argue the work was not actually finished. How do we establish a shared, objective standard for what done actually means for our quarterly goals?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic symptom of poor planning during your quarterly offsite. When Rocks are vague or poorly defined, they become subjective, leading to frustration and finger-pointing at the end of the quarter.

To solve this, you must adopt a strict rule: a Rock must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Most importantly, you must define the exact criteria for completion on the day the Rock is set.

When a leader proposes a Rock in your quarterly meeting, do not let them write down a vague statement like improve customer service. Instead, force them to define what done looks like. A well-defined Rock looks like decrease average customer ticket response time from twenty-four hours to under four hours by the end of the quarter.

Write this specific criteria directly into your V/TO® or software. If you cannot measure it with a simple yes or no on the final day of the quarter, it is not a valid Rock.

During your weekly Level 10 Meetings™, when reviewing Rocks, do not let leaders give long explanations. The response should only be on track or off track. If a Rock is off track, it immediately goes to the IDS® section where the team can help get it back on course. By making your goals completely objective, you eliminate the gray areas that destroy accountability.