What To Do When Your Rocks Are in Danger

As a business leader, have you ever had to divert all of your resources to solve an issue or avoid a potential catastrophe? What about when it comes to your Rocks? Nothing is more important than your Quarterly Rocks, so you must know what to do when your Rocks are in danger of not being completed. Treat it like a potential catastrophe.

Addressing Overwhelm

I used to work in the restaurant business. During busy shifts, we often faced two main bottlenecks: the host stand and the expo window (where the food comes out of the kitchen).

When either of these two stations became overwhelmed, the entire restaurant came to a halt. Entrees piled up in the expo window or arrived late to their tables. Frustrated customers sat by the door, waiting to be seated. Some customers would simply leave because of the long wait times.

These bottlenecks resulted in revenue loss for the restaurant and for the servers working for tips. During these critical moments, we needed to shift every available resource to addressing the issue. So, we created an all-hands-on-deck code. From then on, when either of these two stations became overwhelmed, the shift leader would call out, “Broken Arrow.”

In military terms, Broken Arrow is an urgent call for any available asset to rescue a unit from imminent destruction. In our business, Broken Arrow meant that all available managers and team members had to rescue that station. Everyone had to help seat guests or run food from the expo window to tables.

I thought of this term again for its application in completing Quarterly Rocks.

The Importance of Company Rocks

Each quarter, the leadership team debates, discusses, and decides on their Rocks, or the most important priorities for the next 90 days. The Rocks could be streamlining a process, improving how a department functions, or even increasing revenue. Regardless, these priorities are meant to set up the team for more success now and in the future.

When the end of a quarter nears, an organization’s Company Rocks should be done or close to it. Any “off-track” Rocks at this time could be in danger of not being completed, which could have far-reaching implications for the entire organization. Ideally, we identify issues with Rocks long before the end of a quarter during weekly Level 10 Meetings™.

However, new developments happen quickly, and we don’t realize just how off-the-rails a Rock is until late in the game. In these cases, the leadership team should use the IDS® (Identify, Discuss, and Solve) section of the Level 10 Meeting™ agenda to address off-track Company Rocks.

During the IDS session, leaders prioritize the top three most important issues to solve that week. Because Company Rocks are the most critical objectives for the quarter, the leadership team should always focus on getting them back on track first.

Calling Broken Arrow on Your Rocks

Company Rocks directly align with the company’s long-term vision and goals. Any unfinished Rocks at the end of the quarter could endanger the company’s ability to hit longer-term goals on their 10-Year Target™. If leaders identify a Company Rock as in danger of not being completed, they need to act quickly.

In situations like these, it’s time to call Broken Arrow. Leadership teams should channel every effort and resource toward achieving the milestones that matter most to the business’s overall success: your Rocks.

Now it’s your turn. Look at your Company Rocks for the quarter. Are any of them off track and in danger of not being completed? You know what to do. Be open and honest: do you need to call Broken Arrow?