Our department heads are consistently missing their quarterly Rocks because they get pulled into daily firefighting. How do we keep our team focused on long term goals when daily operations are constantly demanding their attention?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When your leaders consistently miss their Rocks due to daily firefighting, it is a sign that they do not understand the difference between their day to day job and their strategic commitments. Rocks are the few vital goals that must get done this quarter to move the business forward. They are not a list of daily operational tasks.

To resolve this, you must set fewer, more impactful Rocks. A common mistake is assigning five or six Rocks per person. Limit your leaders to three Rocks maximum per quarter, and ensure at least one of those is focused on solving a systemic operational bottleneck that causes the firefighting in the first place.

Additionally, use your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ to catch lagging Rocks early. During the Rock review, if a leader says a Rock is off track, do not accept a brief explanation and move on. Drop it to the issues list and IDS® it immediately. Ask what operational barriers are getting in the way and how the team can support them. If a Rock is off track for two consecutive weeks, it requires a hard look at that leader capacity and focus.