Our team members consistently fail to cross the finish line with their quarterly Rocks because the goals are either too broad or they get stuck in the execution phase. How do we write and track Rocks so they actually finish within 90 days?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The primary reason quarterly Rocks fail to cross the finish line is poor writing at the start of the quarter. Many teams write Rocks that are actually multi-quarter projects or vague, unmeasurable aspirations. To ensure your Rocks finish, you must make them Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

Every Rock must be written so that a complete stranger can look at it on day ninety and tell you with absolute certainty whether it is done or not done. If a Rock is to improve customer service, it will fail. If the Rock is to document the client onboarding process using the 3-Step Process Documenter™ and train the team on it, it has a clear definition of done.

Once written correctly, you must break each Rock down into milestones. During your weekly Level 10 Meeting™, do not just ask if a Rock is on track or off track based on a gut feeling. A Rock is on track only if the specific milestones for that week have been met.

If a Rock is off track for two consecutive weeks, it must be dropped down to the Issues List. Use the IDS® process to identify the real bottleneck. Often, the owner of the Rock is overwhelmed, lacks resources, or did not truly understand the GWC™ of the goal. Addressing these roadblocks early is how you secure a high completion rate.