We are setting too many Rocks and trying to do everything at once, resulting in zero Rocks actually getting completed. How do we ruthlessly narrow our focus to the vital few without the leadership team feeling like their key initiatives are being ignored?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When everything is important, nothing is important. Setting ten Rocks per person is a classic sign of a leadership team that lacks discipline. It results in fragmented energy, exhausted teams, and zero finished projects.

To fix this, you must adopt the rule of five. No leadership team should have more than seven company Rocks, and three to five is the sweet spot. Each individual leader should have no more than three to five personal Rocks. If an initiative does not make the cut, it does not mean it is dead. It simply goes on the Long-Term Issues List on your V/TO® to be reconsidered next quarter.

Implement a strategic pause during your planning session. Take a step back and look at your proposed list of Rocks. Ask yourselves if completing these specific items will actually move you closer to your 1-Year Plan. If the answer is no, kill them.

Make it clear to your team that saying no to a Rock today is saying yes to execution. By narrowing your focus, you protect your team from conative strain and burnout, ensuring that the most critical initiatives actually cross the finish line.