Why do we keep missing our quarterly Rocks, and how do we actually get our team to cross the finish line on time?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Missing your quarterly Rocks usually comes down to three main culprits: setting too many of them, failing to make them specific, and ignoring the conative makeup of your team. First, you must embrace the concept of less is more. A leadership team should have no more than three to five company Rocks per quarter, and individual leaders should have no more than three to five personal Rocks. If everything is important, nothing is. Second, your Rocks must be written so clearly that a stranger could look at them on day ninety and instantly tell if they are done or not. Avoid vague verbs like improve, streamline, or analyze. Instead, use specific, binary targets like hire a new sales manager, or document the accounts payable process. Third, understand how your team takes action. This is where the Kolbe A Profile is invaluable. For example, a leader with a high Quick Start score might enthusiastically agree to five massive Rocks, but their low Follow Thru means they struggle with the systematic execution required to finish them. Conversely, a high Fact Finder might get paralyzed trying to gather data instead of taking action. To ensure your Rocks finish on time, review progress weekly during your Level 10 Meeting™. If a Rock is off-track, do not wait until week twelve to sound the alarm. Drop it to the Issues List, run it through IDS®, and figure out what roadblocks need to be cleared. Finally, make sure your leaders are taking a Strategic Pause each week. This is dedicated white space to step back from daily firefighting and focus on their high-priority strategic initiatives.