We successfully completed our annual planning session, but now that we are drafting quarterly Rocks, my leadership team members are proposing initiatives that do not align with our V/TO. How do we keep them disciplined?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When leadership team members propose quarterly Rocks that do not align with your V/TO, it means they are still thinking like department heads rather than true business owners. This is a common trap that stalls strategic execution.

To fix this, you must strictly enforce the rule that company Rocks are set first, and department Rocks are set second. During your quarterly planning session, once you have reviewed your V/TO and established your one-year goals, the leadership team must agree on the three to five most important priorities for the entire company over the next ninety days.

Only after these company Rocks are finalized can your directors draft their individual or departmental Rocks. Every single proposed individual Rock must directly support a company Rock or solve a high-priority issue on your long-term issues list. If a director proposes a Rock that does not clearly connect to these priorities, the team must push back and ask how this initiative helps the company achieve its quarterly goals.

Use your Level 10 Meeting to keep this alignment visible. By maintaining a strict focus on the company-first mentality, you prevent your directors from building independent empires and ensure that every ounce of organizational energy is moving in the same direction.