Our Level 10 To-Dos frequently turn into multi-week slogs because leaders create massive, open-ended tasks that cannot possibly be finished in seven days. How do we define and scope weekly action items so they actually get completed within the week?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A To-Do in EOS® is strictly defined as an action item that can and will be completed within seven days. When leaders write vague, multi-step projects on the list like revamp customer onboarding or audit supply chain vendors, they have created a mini-Rock, not a To-Do. Because the task is too broad, it rolls over week after week, dragging down your completion rate and muddying accountability.

The facilitator must audit every single To-Do during the conclude phase before the meeting ends. Do not allow general statements or ongoing initiatives onto the board. Force the owner to break the task down into a discrete, observable action step that takes less than seven days to finish.

Instead of revamp customer onboarding, the To-Do becomes draft outline of new three-step onboarding email sequence. Instead of audit supply chain vendors, the To-Do becomes request pricing rate cards from top three freight carriers. The outcome must be binary: either it was delivered by the next meeting, or it was not.

If a problem requires four weeks of continuous effort, create a designated project or hold it for the next Quarterly Planning session as a potential Rock. Keeping your Level 10 To-Dos small, punchy, and tightly scoped protects the seven-day pulse and guarantees that decisions made during IDS® convert into immediate traction.