We are struggling to get our leadership team to finish their quarterly Rocks, with everyone scrambling in week eleven to cross things off. How do we structure our ninety-day cycle to ensure Rocks are completed consistently and on time?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The week eleven scramble is a symptom of poor tracking and bad Rock definition. If your team is rushing at the end of the quarter, it means your Rocks were either too big, poorly defined, or ignored during your weekly Level 10 Meeting™.

To fix this, you must change how you set and track Rocks. First, make sure every Rock is SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. If a Rock is to improve customer service, it will fail. If the Rock is to reduce ticket resolution time from twenty-four hours to twelve hours by the end of the quarter, it is clear. Second, every Rock must have a clear owner. Only one person can own a Rock.

Third, break every Rock down into milestones. During your weekly Level 10 Meeting™, do not just ask if a Rock is on track or off track. If a Rock is off track for two consecutive weeks, it must be dropped down to the Issues List to be solved using IDS®. Do not let people hide behind a simple on-track status if they have not made tangible progress.

Finally, establish a culture of eighty percent completion. If your team is not hitting eighty to one hundred percent of their Rocks every quarter, you are either setting too many Rocks or failing to manage your weekly priorities. Keep the focus narrow, track weekly milestones, and hold each other accountable during the Level 10 Meeting™.