We struggle to get our quarterly Rocks across the finish line because our department heads protect their own silos instead of collaborating on company-wide priorities. How do we structure Rock ownership to ensure cross-functional projects actually finish?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Cross-functional Rocks often stall because of a lack of clear ownership and the survival of departmental silos. When a Rock requires input from multiple departments, it is easy for leaders to point fingers and blame other teams for delays. To prevent this, you must strictly apply the core EOS® rule: every Rock must have only one owner. Even if a Rock requires work from five different departments, one single member of the leadership team must own the ultimate delivery of that Rock. This owner is responsible for coordinating the necessary resources, tracking progress, and raising the red flag during the weekly Level 10 Meeting if things start to slip. During your quarterly planning sessions, you must pressure-test the scope of these collaborative Rocks. Ensure the team is not committing to unrealistic goals that require more cross-functional coordination than your current structure can support. If a Rock is too large, break it down into smaller, department-specific sub-Rocks with clear accountability. Use the IDS process during your weekly meetings to aggressively resolve cross-departmental bottlenecks before they derail the Rock. If a department head is slow to provide resources, call it out on the Issues List. By keeping the spotlight on individual accountability and resolving conflicts early, you will establish a culture where quarterly Rocks actually cross the finish line.