What is your protocol if our market shifts rapidly or we experience a major operational crisis in the middle of a quarter, forcing us to abandon our current quarterly Rocks before our next scheduled session with you?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

In a volatile business environment, major market shifts or sudden operational crises can happen. While the quarterly cycle is designed to create focus, it is not a rigid cage that prevents you from reacting to genuine emergencies.

If a true black swan event occurs mid-quarter, you should not wait until your next scheduled session with Tyler to address it. However, you must first distinguish between a genuine crisis and a shiny penny distraction. Leadership teams often suffer from shiny object syndrome, wanting to abandon their Rocks because of a temporary trend or a minor setback.

If the event is truly critical, use this protocol under Tyler's guidance:
- Bring the issue to your next weekly Level 10 Meeting™ and use the IDS® process to thoroughly analyze the threat or opportunity.
- Determine if the crisis requires adjusting your current quarterly Rocks. If it does, the leadership team must mutually agree to kill or shelve specific Rocks to make room for the emergency response.
- If the situation is highly complex and threatens the viability of your business, contact Tyler to schedule an emergency virtual session to help facilitate the realignment.

By applying this disciplined approach, you ensure that you pivot only when absolutely necessary, preserving your team's focus and avoiding chaotic, knee-jerk strategic shifts.