Rocks & Goals
In EOS, Rocks are the 3 to 7 most important priorities for the quarter. The term comes from Stephen Covey's analogy of filling a jar: if you put the big rocks in first, the smaller pebbles and sand fit around them. But if you start with the sand, the big rocks will never fit.
Rocks are the big things that must get done this quarter for the company to make progress toward its vision.
Why 90 Days?
A quarter (roughly 90 days) is the ideal planning horizon for several reasons:
- Short enough to maintain urgency -- A year-long goal feels distant. A 90-day goal feels immediate.
- Long enough for meaningful progress -- You can accomplish significant work in 90 days.
- Frequent enough to course-correct -- If a priority turns out to be wrong, you only lose a quarter, not a year.
- Aligned with the natural rhythm -- Most businesses already operate on a quarterly cadence for financial reporting.
Company Rocks vs. Department Rocks
EOS distinguishes between two levels:
Company Rocks
Set by the leadership team, company Rocks are the top priorities for the entire organization. They should directly advance the goals in the 1-Year Plan and support progress toward the 3-Year Picture.
Examples:
- "Launch the redesigned customer portal"
- "Hire a VP of Operations"
- "Achieve $2M in quarterly revenue"
Department Rocks
Set by individual teams, department Rocks support the company Rocks and address team-specific priorities.
Examples:
- Sales team: "Close 15 new enterprise accounts"
- Engineering team: "Complete API v2 migration"
- HR team: "Implement new onboarding process"
TIP
During quarterly planning, set company Rocks first. Then each department asks: "What must we accomplish this quarter to support the company Rocks?" This cascade ensures alignment.
Writing SMART Rocks
A well-defined Rock is SMART:
| Criterion | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Specific | Clear and unambiguous | "Launch mobile app v2" not "Improve mobile experience" |
| Measurable | You can objectively tell if it is done | "Hire 3 engineers" not "Grow the team" |
| Achievable | Realistic within 90 days | Do not set a Rock you know is impossible |
| Relevant | Supports the company's vision and goals | Tied to the V/TO or a company Rock |
| Time-bound | Due at the end of the quarter | Specific end date |
The Completion Test
Ask: "At the end of the quarter, will we be able to say this is 100% done or not?" If the answer involves "well, it depends..." the Rock is not specific enough.
WARNING
Avoid "percentage" Rocks like "Increase revenue by 20%." These are outcomes, not projects. A better Rock is "Implement the three sales initiatives from the strategic plan." The revenue increase is the result you expect, not the Rock itself.
How Many Rocks?
- Company Rocks -- 3 to 7 for the entire leadership team.
- Individual Rocks -- Each person should own 3 to 7 Rocks across all their responsibilities.
Fewer is better. Having too many Rocks dilutes focus -- the whole point is to identify what matters most and protect the time to work on it.
The Quarterly Cadence
The Rock lifecycle follows a quarterly rhythm:
1. Quarterly Planning (Day 1)
The leadership team reviews the previous quarter's Rocks, celebrates completions, and sets new ones. Then department teams do the same, cascading from company priorities.
2. Weekly Check-in (Weeks 1-12)
Every week during the L10 Meeting, Rock owners report status: On Track or Off Track. Off-track Rocks are discussed in the IDS segment.
3. End of Quarter (Week 13)
Rocks are evaluated:
- Done -- Completed as defined. Celebrate.
- Not Done -- Did not meet the definition. Discuss why.
The completion rate target is 80% or higher. Consistently hitting this shows the team is setting realistic Rocks and executing well.
4. Reset
Incomplete Rocks are either carried forward to the next quarter (if still relevant) or dropped. Then the cycle begins again.
Common Rock Mistakes
| Mistake | Why It's a Problem | Better Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Too many Rocks | Dilutes focus | Stick to 3-7 per person |
| Vague Rocks | Cannot be objectively evaluated | Make them specific and measurable |
| "Business as usual" Rocks | Not a priority if it's already happening | Rocks should be above and beyond daily work |
| No owner | Shared ownership means no ownership | One person owns each Rock |
| Not reviewing weekly | Surprises at end of quarter | Report status in every L10 Meeting |
How EOS Hub Helps
EOS Hub's Rocks feature provides:
- Company and department Rock levels
- Milestone tracking within each Rock
- On Track / Off Track / Done status
- Card and table views for different review contexts
- Integration with the L10 Meeting Rock Review segment
- Dashboard visualization of Rock progress
Related Pages
- Rocks Feature -- Using Rocks in EOS Hub
- V/TO -- Where Rocks connect to the 1-Year Plan
- Level 10 Meeting -- Weekly Rock review
- Six Key Components -- Rocks are part of the Traction component