We are in a high-growth phase and every quarter feels like a crisis where everything is a priority. How do we prevent our leadership team from setting ten overambitious Rocks each and instead focus on the vital few that actually move the needle?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

In a high-growth business, everything feels urgent, and it is easy for a leadership team to mistake activity for achievement. If your team has ten Rocks each, you have zero priorities. You will end up making two inches of progress in ten different directions instead of ten feet of progress in one direction.

To keep your Rocks realistic while scaling, you must enforce the rule of less is more. A healthy leadership team should have between three and seven company Rocks per quarter, and each individual should have no more than three to five personal Rocks.

To narrow down your list during your quarterly planning session, use this process:
- List every potential priority on a whiteboard.
- Combine similar items to reduce duplicates.
- Ask of each item: if we only achieve this one thing this quarter, does it have the biggest impact on our one-year plan?
- Keep voting and eliminating until you are left with the vital few.

Remember that a Rock must be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. If a proposed Rock is too complex, break it down into a smaller milestone for this quarter. By limiting your focus to the truly important priorities, you build momentum and ensure your team actually crosses the finish line.