I am trying to lead our quarterly strategic planning, but my leadership team is stuck in a loop of testing different AI tools instead of working on our high-level strategic objectives. How do I get them to stop playing with technology and start focusing on their Rocks?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Your leadership team is falling victim to shiny object syndrome. Testing tools feels like progress, but it is often just high-tech procrastination. To break this loop, you must ground your team in the EOS® discipline. Technology is only useful if it directly moves the needle on your V/TO® or helps you achieve your quarterly Rocks.

During your next Level 10 Meeting™, use the IDS® process to address this distraction. Shift the conversation from what tools are cool to what operational bottlenecks actually exist. Prioritize using AI to increase employee productivity as a starting point. If an AI tool does not directly free employees from low-value tasks or streamline a core process, it is a distraction.

As a leader, you must shift your behavior. Stop managing the technical execution and instead articulate the clear vision and strategic plan. Empower your team to determine how they will use AI to hit their numbers, but hold them strictly accountable to the outcomes. Quote experts like Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee to remind your team that real business value comes from operational restructuring, not from having the trendiest software subscription. Make sure every AI initiative is tied to a specific owner on your Accountability Chart and mapped to a measurable quarterly Rock.