by Chris White, Certified EOS Implementer
Rocks are “Must-Get-Done” 90-day priorities. They’re the priorities that, when accomplished, will put you on a path to achieving your company’s annual goals. As an EOS Implementer, I teach my clients to get laser focused on building a list of Rocks for the quarter and then choose the 3-7 that are the most important and will have the greatest impact.
The problem I’ve recognized when teams are setting Rocks is when everything is important, nothing is important. When teams try to do too much in a quarter, their Rock completion rates plummet.
At your next quarterly off-site session, when your team meets to set Rocks, apply the S.M.A.R.T. method and answer these questions for the 3-7 Rocks that you choose:
- S pecific: What specifically will you achieve with this Rock?
- M easurable: How will you measure completion?
- A ttainable: Can you complete it yourself or with a team?
- R elevant: How is this Rock relevant to the company’s vision and goals?
- T ime-bound: What are the key dates, what is the final date?
In addition, each person who is accountable for a Rock, should list 3 milestones. The 1st milestone is due at day 30, the 2nd at day 60 and the 3rd at day 90. To ensure everyone is making progress on their Rocks, you report your status of the Rock in your weekly Level 10 meetings by saying your Rock is either On-Track or Off-Track. If a Rock is reported Off-Track, simply ask the person if there is an obstacle or barrier preventing them from getting the Rock done. If the answer is yes, drop the title of the Rock down to your Issues list and have the team help solve the issue so the Rock can get back On-Track.
If your questioning if your Rocks are S.M.A.R.T. or if you have a less than an 80% Rock completion rate quarter after quarter, try this method the next time you meet to set Rocks and I guarantee you you’ll get laser focused on the most important priorities for the quarter!
Traction Florida is an Inventor Level Sponsor of GrowFL.