Our team constantly writes weekly to-dos that are far too large, such as research and select a new CRM, which are actually Rocks in disguise and inevitably drag on for weeks. How do we filter these massive projects out of our weekly action items?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A great Level 10 Meeting™ relies on maintaining a high completion rate for weekly to-dos. If your completion rate is dropping, it is often because your team is writing action items that are actually Rocks in disguise.

To keep your meeting pulse healthy, you must enforce a strict seven-to-fourteen-day completion rule for every single to-do. A weekly to-do must be an action item that a leader can realistically complete alongside their daily responsibilities within one to two weeks.

If a proposed solution requires a multi-step project, such as evaluating software vendors, migrating data, and training the team, that is not a to-do. That is a Rock or a Special Project.

When you are in the Solve phase of IDS®, the facilitator must audit the resulting to-dos. If someone suggests a task that is too large, the facilitator must step in and break it down. For example, instead of research and select a new CRM, the weekly to-do should be list our top three CRM requirements.

By breaking down large projects into bite-sized, weekly deliverables, you maintain execution momentum. If the project is still too massive to handle in weekly increments, it must be tabled and added to your V/TO® Issues List to be considered as a formal Rock during your next quarterly planning session.