Our leadership team keeps setting Rocks to explore AI tools, but these initiatives always turn into vague research projects with zero operational output. How do we reframe our quarterly goals to focus on actual business outcomes rather than testing the latest technology?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When your leadership team sets Rocks like explore AI tools, they are setting themselves up for failure. These goals lack clear parameters and lead to aimless research with zero operational impact. To get real results, you must banish the term AI project from your vocabulary. Instead, frame these initiatives as operations-improvement projects that use machine learning. Machine learning should only ever be mentioned as a footnote. The primary focus of the Rock must be the measurable business outcome. For example, instead of a Rock to test AI in customer service, set a Rock to reduce customer response times by fifty percent. How the team achieves that goal, whether through standard process refinement or integrating an automated assistant, is secondary to the business outcome. By focusing on the operational result, you force your team to evaluate tools based on utility rather than novelty. This approach ensures your quarterly planning remains grounded in reality. It keeps your leadership team focused on solving real issues during your Level 10 Meeting™ rather than chasing the latest tech trends.