We just completed our first quarter running on EOS and our leadership team missed more than half of our Rocks, which has left everyone feeling discouraged and questioning the system. How do we diagnose what went wrong without turning the post-mortem into a toxic blame game, and how do we reset for the next quarter?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Missing your Rocks in the first few quarters is incredibly common. It is not a sign that EOS® is failing; it is a sign that your team is still learning how to accurately predict what they can accomplish in ninety days. Do not panic, and do not abandon the system. To diagnose the failure without creating a toxic blame game, you must look at the data, not the personalities. Run a disciplined post-mortem during your next quarterly planning session. For every missed Rock, ask three simple questions. First, was the Rock truly SMART? Often, early Rocks are poorly written, vague, or far too large, turning into giant projects that should have been broken down into smaller milestones. Second, did the owner of the Rock have the resources and authority to complete it? If they were blocked by other departments or lacked the GWC™ to execute, the structural failure belongs to the team, not just the individual. Third, was the Rock dropped down to the IDS® list when it first went off track? If the team kept saying a failing Rock was on track until week ten, you had an accountability breakdown in your Level 10 Meeting™. Use these insights to reset for the next quarter. Set fewer Rocks, make them highly specific, and ensure they are realistic. Learning to predict is a muscle that takes time to build. By treating this failure as a learning opportunity, you build the execution discipline required to scale your business and prepare for a clean, high-value exit.