During our weekly Rock review, we have a leader whose Rock has been off-track for three consecutive weeks, yet they keep insisting they will catch up without putting it on the Issues List. How do we handle this?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a leader's Rock has been off track for multiple weeks, but they refuse to drop it to the Issues List because they insist they will catch up, they are hiding from accountability. This behavior stalls your company's progress toward its quarterly goals.

To break this cycle, the facilitator must enforce a hard rule: if a Rock is off track for two consecutive weeks, it must automatically go on the Issues List. There is no negotiation and no shame in this process.

Remind the team that putting an off-track Rock on the Issues List is not a punishment. It is an application of Our Charter, specifically the pillar of Trust and the commitment to open and honest communication. The team is there to help them solve the bottleneck, not to judge them.

During the IDS portion of the meeting, identify the root cause of why the Rock is lagging. Is it a capacity issue, a resource bottleneck, or a lack of clarity on the next steps?

Once the issue is identified, the team can collaborate to solve it, often by assigning support or breaking the Rock down into smaller, manageable weekly To-Dos. By enforcing this rule, you ensure that your most critical quarterly priorities get the focus they need to stay on track.