Have you ever prepared to accomplish a big goal, like earning a college degree, or running a marathon? If you’ve ever run a marathon, you probably didn’t lace up your shoes one day and start running 26 miles without any training.
Instead, you probably set your goal, then came up with several smaller goals to build up your endurance and stamina.
Maybe you spent the first week with a walking and jogging combination. Then you set a goal to run five miles without stopping, then 10 miles, 15 miles, and so on, until you had accomplished your goal of running a full marathon.
You should take the same systematic approach to achieving your business goals. Once you have identified your one-year plan and the three to seven goals required to achieve the plan, you need to break down the goals into manageable parts. Identifying these smaller milestones helps you prioritize and stay focused on achieving your end goals.
The Entrepreneurial Operating System™ refers to these smaller milestones as Rocks. Rocks are the clear, 90-day priorities that you and your leadership team identify. They will lead you to your one-year goal.
Rocks are based on the premise that if you make everything a priority, you will accomplish very little. But if you break goals down into smaller steps, your goals become more manageable.
Rocks help your company gain traction. They keep your team aligned, focused and accountable. If you have a clear vision, you’ll set better, more realistic Rocks.
EOS has an eight-step process to establish your company’s rocks. Your leadership team starts by reviewing the company vision and ensuring the team is still 100% on the same page. Next, identify everything that needs to be accomplished in the next quarter. Discuss and debate your list with your leadership team, and narrow your list down to the three to seven most important Rocks.
Then, set the date that the Rocks are due, and assign each one an owner. Once the company’s Rocks have been decided, your leadership team will set their individual Rocks. Individual Rocks could be the Rocks that you discarded earlier in the process.
Record your Rocks on a Rock sheet, and bring it to your weekly meetings. Each person will report on the status of his or her Rocks at each of the meetings.
Finally, share your Rocks with the entire organization. This way, your employees know your direction and expectations. Have each department set their own Rocks as a team.
Rocks are an effective tool for accountability and goal attainment. They apply to everyone in your organization– your company as a whole, your leadership team, and each department.
Do you need assistance in finding your company’s Rocks? If so, we can help.
About EOS
EOS is a holistic management system with simple tools that help you do three things we call vision, traction, healthy. Vision from the standpoint of first getting your leaders 100% on the same page with where your organization is going. Traction from the standpoint of helping your leaders to become more disciplined and accountable, executing really well to achieve every part of your vision. Healthy meaning helping your leaders to become a healthy, functional, cohesive leadership team.
