We are preparing for our next quarterly offsite, but in the past, we have walked away with a massive list of ideas and very little execution. How do we structure the offsite so we exit with a tight, realistic set of Rocks that the leadership team actually completes?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is common for leadership teams to leave a quarterly offsite with high energy but zero execution because they committed to too many things. To ensure your offsite leads to real traction, you must follow the EOS® principle of 'less is more'. When you try to focus on everything, you focus on nothing. Limit your leadership team to three to seven company Rocks for the quarter. If you have ten or fifteen, you are setting yourself up for failure. During the offsite, use the IDS® process to debate and prioritize your long list of issues. Every proposed Rock must be clear, specific, and measurable. If a Rock cannot be written as a SMART goal, do not approve it. Once you agree on the company Rocks, assign exactly one owner to each on the Accountability Chart. There are no shared Rocks. If two people own it, nobody owns it. Finally, ensure each leader has the physical and mental capacity to achieve their personal Rocks alongside their daily seat roles. If a leader is already running at ninety percent capacity just managing their department, do not assign them three major Rocks. Keep the bar high but realistic, and ensure your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ is used to track the progress of these Rocks throughout the quarter so they do not get forgotten.