Setting priorities is one of the hardest things for an entrepreneur…
Wait—scratch that. Setting priorities is easy. Sticking to them is hard.
Actually, both are hard. Let me explain why and what you can do about it.
First, let’s talk about why setting quarterly priorities (Rocks or OKRs) is so challenging:
- You believe in your superpowers: “We can accomplish anything we set our minds to!” (True, but not all at once.)
- You’re in a hurry: “Life is short! Massive results, right now!”
- You hate saying “no”: “We should’ve hired that Marketing executive months ago;” “We’re bleeding money without a sales process;” “Our software release is overdue.”
- You’re in denial: Several Rocks from last quarter are still incomplete, but you’re trying to ignore that fact.
- Your plate is overflowing: Family vacation, keynote speech, board meeting prep—you’re already maxed out before adding any Rocks.
Why Sticking to Priorities Is Harder
Even if you manage to pick a few Rocks, you’ve probably overcommitted yourself. Struggling to push things back is one thing, but hiding extra priorities—aka “Pocket Rocks”—is another.
I once reminded a CEO to keep his Rocks to two or fewer. He sheepishly replied, “I have some Pocket Rocks that will have to get done anyway.”
Translation? “Do what I say, not what I do. You make tough choices, fellow leaders, but I’ll keep doing as I damn well please.”
Guess which Rocks actually got done that quarter? Yep, his Pocket Rocks.
Here’s the problem: No CEO is better than their team unless they’re a CEO in name only. (Looking at you, Gil Amelio, when Jobs came back to Apple.)
Real CEO or not, Pocket Rocks are a losing strategy. So don’t even try.
The Proper Way to Set Rocks
Quarterly or monthly Rock meetings should be a fun and meaningful ritual for your team. This is your moment to:
- Celebrate challenging commitments you’ve accomplished.
- Reflect on what you’ve achieved, missed, and learned as a team.
- Reinforce good behaviors and correct bad habits.
These meetings strengthen your team’s character—and, by extension, your company’s character.
Preparing for the Rock Meeting
Come prepared. Since your last Rock meeting, you’ve been accumulating ideas, delayed priorities, and shiny objects on your long-term topic list. Now is the time to review that list.
Here’s my recommendation:
- Review and prioritize your list beforehand.
- Weigh each item based on urgency and impact.
- Force-rank everything on a scale of 1-5. Be brutally honest.
- Limit the true Rock contenders to the number of fingers on your dominant hand. (Carpenters need to be pickier.)
In the Rock Meeting, Ask Yourself:
- What Rocks will drive your annual goals to completion?
- Which priorities can you delegate completely?
- What Rocks are important to your team, or which ones do they desire to accomplish?
- What’s on your right-hand’s list of must-dos?
Pick your priorities accordingly.
Conclusion
Prioritizing and sticking to Rocks is a challenge, but it’s one worth mastering. I hope this helps you stay on track.
If you’d like to discuss your priorities and strategies, get matched with a coach here—we’ll be happy to help.