We notice that around week seven of the quarter, several of our Rocks are marked off track and our team members start negotiating to push the deadlines or shrink the scope. How do we handle off-track Rocks in our Level 10 Meetings to ensure they still get completed by the end of the quarter?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When team members start negotiating to push deadlines or shrink the scope of their Rocks around week seven, you are facing a discipline problem, not a scheduling problem. Allowing people to rewrite their commitments mid-quarter destroys accountability and teaches your team that deadlines are optional.

The quarterly Rock commitment is absolute. If a Rock is off track at week seven, you must address it during the IDS® portion of your Level 10 Meeting™ immediately.

Use this protocol to handle off-track Rocks:

- First, diagnose why the Rock is off track. Is it due to a lack of resources, a change in market conditions, or poor personal discipline?

- Second, focus the conversation on solving the obstacle, not moving the goalposts. Ask what resources or temporary support can be reallocated to drag the Rock back across the finish line by week twelve.

- Third, if the failure is due to poor planning or lack of execution, let it fail. It is better to have an honest miss at the end of the quarter than a fake win achieved by moving the deadline.

A missed Rock is a coaching opportunity and a diagnostic tool for your Accountability Chart™. If you protect your team from the consequences of missing their numbers, you will never build a self-sustaining business that can operate without you.