We have successfully cascaded EOS® down to our middle management tier, but their quarterly Rocks look like routine job descriptions rather than strategic, needle-moving priorities. How do we teach our managers to write meaningful Rocks that actually drive our company vision forward?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When middle managers write Rocks that read like daily job descriptions, it means they do not understand the difference between running the business and improving the business. A Rock is not a list of routine tasks; it is a major priority that moves the company forward over the next ninety days.

To correct this, you must train your managers to identify the gaps between their current performance and your corporate V/TO®. Every manager's Rock should directly support at least one of the leadership team's Rocks or address a specific operational bottleneck.

Use the SMART framework, but keep it simple. A Rock must be specific and measurable. Instead of setting a Rock like improve customer service, write it as reduce customer support response time from twenty-four hours to under four hours by the end of the quarter.

During your quarterly planning, pressure-test every proposed manager Rock. Ask them: if this Rock is completed, how does it change our operational reality? If the answer is that things just stay the same, it is not a Rock. It is simply part of their daily job. Keep coaching them until they learn to focus on growth and efficiency rather than basic maintenance.