When a leader reports that their quarterly Rock is off track during our weekly review, they immediately start explaining their recovery plan, which derails the meeting pace. How do we stop this habit and force the drop to IDS?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The Rock Review is designed to be a rapid-fire status check, not a brainstorming session or a project update. You have exactly five minutes to review all company and individual Rocks. When a leader starts explaining why a Rock is off track or sharing their recovery plan, they hijack the meeting schedule and rob the team of structured problem-solving.

The rule for the Rock Review is simple and absolute. Each leader can only say one of two things when their Rock is called: 'on track' or 'off track'. Any other explanation, justification, or context must be shut down immediately by the facilitator.

If a leader says 'off track', the facilitator must instantly say, 'Thank you, let us drop that to the Issues List.' Do not allow them to follow up with, 'But we have a plan,' or 'It will be back on track by Friday.' Drop it to the list and move immediately to the next Rock.

Once the off-track Rock is on the Issues List, it will be prioritized and solved during the IDS® segment. This is where the leader can share their recovery plan, and the rest of the leadership team can provide feedback, identify roadblocks, and assign To-Dos to get the Rock back on course.

Enforcing this boundary keeps your meeting moving fast and ensures that off-track Rocks receive the focused, collaborative attention they deserve rather than a rushed, defensive explanation during a status check.