Every quarter, our leadership team starts out strong but eventually abandons their Rocks to fight daily operational fires. How do we keep our quarterly commitments on track when our business gets chaotic?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Rock abandonment is caused by a lack of weekly accountability and poor conative alignment. First, you must hold a mid-quarter check-in. This is a mini-pulse specifically designed to review Rock progress and conative stress. Review each leader's Kolbe A Index. If a leader with a high Quick Start has taken on too many innovative projects, they will likely get overwhelmed and abandon them when operational friction occurs. Help them refocus by pairing them with a high Follow Thru team member who can help systemize their work. Second, use the weekly Level 10 Meeting to keep Rocks highly visible. If a Rock is off track, it must be addressed immediately during IDS. Do not let leaders make excuses about daily fires. Ask what specific bottleneck is preventing progress. If the issue is a process failure or lack of resources, solve it. If the issue is that the leader does not GWC the Rock, reassign it. Finally, remember Peter Drucker's advice on rules of behavior. Establish a company-wide rule that committed Rocks are non-negotiable. If you allow your team to routinely drop Rocks without consequences, you are reinforcing a culture of mediocrity.