Achieving 100% Rock Completion Is Possible

During sessions with my clients, setting Rocks is a pivotal practice for guiding organizations toward completing their quarterly goals/priorities. However, the challenge doesn’t end with setting Rocks; the real test is in completing them. Achieving 100% Rock completion is possible, I promise. In my experience, the success rate of completing Rocks can significantly increase by adopting a systematic approach right from the start. Here’s a guide to help you and your team cross the finish line with your Rocks.

Start Strong with the Golden 24-Hour Rule

The first step towards ensuring the completion of your Rocks begins in what I call the “Golden 24 Hours.” I borrowed this concept from my friends at Strategic Coach. 

This period refers to the first 24 hours immediately following your EOS® session. During this crucial time, the momentum is strongest, and the commitment to your goals is most palpable.I recommend setting aside two hours in this golden period. 

This time allows your team to unpack, process, reflect, and shift from planning to doing. Strike while the iron is hot and people are inspired, ensuring you keep the session’s core ideas alive.

Strategize with a Divide-and-Conquer Approach

During your allocated two hours, leadership team members should collaboratively review the session notes. The objective is to dissect the agreed-upon Rocks into manageable parts.

I suggest dividing each Rock into six to ten milestones (or pebbles, if you will). This breakdown makes the goals seem less daunting and provides a clear path forward. 

These “pebbles” act as weekly checkpoints. They help track progress and maintain momentum. Each milestone achieved is a mini victory. I’ve found that this helps keep the team motivated and focused. Ultimately, this keeps their Rocks “on track.”

Daily Commitment

Consistency is key to achieving long-term goals. Hence, I advocate for blocking your best and most productive hour each day to work exclusively on your Rocks. This practice ensures that progress is made steadily and that the Rocks remain a top priority amidst the day-to-day operations. That may seem like a lot of time away from your day-to-day work, but as others have shared, Rocks should account for 20% of your weekly workload. After all, aren’t they the most important priorities for the greater good of your organization?

Achieving Long-Term Goals

Quarterly Rocks are meant to break down your organization’s 1-Year Plan and 3-Year Picture™ as part of your Vision/Traction Organizer® into more manageable 90-day actions. Sometimes, even those Quarterly Rocks feel daunting. When you can break them down further into smaller milestones, you make them manageable. 

Follow these steps, and you, like many of my clients, could see completion rates of 80% to 100% for your Rocks.