5 Real-World Examples of EOS Rocks™ That Actually Move the Needle
Can you believe it, Week 1 of February 2026 is gone!
The “New Year, New Me” energy has officially worn off. The gym is empty again. And in businesses all over the world, the strategic plans that were excitedly printed in early January are already getting buried under a pile of urgent emails.
If you are currently feeling a little frantic…like you’re working hard but not actually moving the business forward…you probably have a Rock issue.
In the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®) world, we live in 90-day compartments. We call our strategic priorities EOS® Rocks™.
But here is the hard truth: Not all rocks are created equal.
The biggest mistake I see business leaders make isn’t that they don’t have goals. It’s that they have ideas that are too vague and frankly, they’re not sure what done looks like at the end of these first 90-days. This is usually because they havent set clear milestones so it makes it hard to actually track progress or “eat an elephant”. Sometimes, they even choose too many goals… some of which may have little direct relevance to their overall business strategy.
If your Q1 plan is already wobbling, it’s time to audit your list. Here is a deep dive into creating Rocks that drive business growth and organizational success, along with 5 real-world examples of how to fix bad goals.
EOS® Rocks™ Examples: What they are and why most fail
Before we fix your list, let’s define the terms. EOS® Rocks™ are the 3 to 7 most critical priorities that you must complete in the next 90 days. Creating rocks involves selecting the most impactful priorities that align with the company’s long-term vision, ensuring that each objective contributes to the overall mission and future aspirations.
Whether you are a solo founder or running a large executive team, the concept is the same. You cannot do everything. If you have too many rocks, you will likely achieve none of them. Setting too many Rocks can dilute focus and overwhelm teams by creating a wish list instead of true priorities. To achieve business success, you must ruthlessly narrow your focus.
These priorities exist to answer one question: “What are the handful of things that, if completed, will make the biggest difference for the company?” When you set rocks, you are choosing objectives that are derived from the company’s overarching vision and 1-year goals, ensuring alignment with long-term strategy.
However, many “Rock fails” happen because the leadership team skips the SMART criteria.
The Formula: How to write EOS® SMART Rocks™
To ensure team alignment and maintain momentum, every Rock must fit the SMART framework:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Rocks should be specific, measurable, and achievable within the 90-day timeframe.
When you integrate SMART goals with the EOS® Model, you get clarity. Setting SMART Rocks ensures that team members have a clear understanding of what “done” looks like.
Let’s look at how to take vague intentions and turn them into effective SMART Rocks.
Example 1: Rocks for sales teams
- Bad Rock: “Increase Sales.” or “fix sales problems”
- Why it fails: This is a result, not an action. It tells your sales team what you want, but not how to get it. Also, “increase” is subjective. If you sell $1 more than last year, did you win?
- SMART Rock: “Close 5 new clients at $10k+ average contract value by March 31st.”
- Why it works: It contains measurable objectives. Plus, it aligns with strategic initiatives …revenue. Now the team knows exactly what constitutes success.
Example 2: Rocks for marketing teams
- Bad Rock: “Improve our online presence.”
- Why it fails: This is a classic laundry list item. Does this mean social media engagement? A new website? SEO? This lack of clarity kills team efforts.
- SMART Rock: “Launch new Lead Magnet campaign generating 50 qualified leads and increase LinkedIn engagement by 20%.”
- Why it works: This Rock defines the outcome. This measurable outcome allows us to track progress and see if our marketing strategy is working. Once you get a signal showing whether this is working or not, you can then break this measurable down by week and drop the leading indicator into the Weekly scorecard. Real-world examples show that marketing teams in various industries use similar rocks to drive measurable improvements in lead generation and engagement.
Example 3: Rocks for customer service
- Bad Rock: “Make customers happier.”
- Why it fails: You cannot manage a feeling. You can spend all quarter “working on happiness” and have nothing to show for it.
- SMART Rock: “Implement a new feedback system and achieve Customer Satisfaction Scores (CSAT) of 90% or higher on all tickets.”
- Why it works: We turned a feeling into data. This gives us valuable insights into organizational success.
Example 4: Process-related Rocks
- Bad Rock: “Fix the operations manual.”
- Why it fails: “Fix” is a trap word. And documenting business operations is a beast. This usually leads to procrastination.
- SMART Rock: “Document and train the team on the 5 core steps of the ‘Client Onboarding Process’.”
- Why it works: We narrowed the focus. We aren’t fixing everything; we are fixing onboarding. This helps significantly enhance efficiency without overwhelming the team.
Example 5: People-related Rock
- Bad Rock: “Hire a Sales Manager.”
- Why it fails: Hiring takes time. If you don’t find the right person by March 31st, you technically failed the Rock. It puts the outcome on luck rather than process.
- SMART Rock: “Interview 10 qualified candidates and extend one offer.”
- Why it works: You can control the activity. This keeps the pressure on the pipeline and ensures coordinated efforts from HR and leadership.
Here are a few other EOS rock examples based on clients I’ve worked with:
- Complete pipeline review and define the # of clients stuck at “in contract stage” identify points of friction, simplify and solve
- Team to conduct 10 weekly sales appointments per rep
- Manager to conduct weekly coaching and role playing with sales team to increase knowledge, identify and troubleshoot objections. A weekly measurable for the quarter for this rock could be 10 sales appointments per week.
The 3 Types of Rocks in Your Organization
To achieve success, you need to understand that Rocks exist at different levels. Implementing EOS® Rocks™ happens in layers:
- Organizational Rocks (Company Rocks): These are the overarching organizational objectives. They are the 3-7 priorities for the entire organization. These align directly with the company’s long term vision and core values. Organizational Rocks represent the high-impact initiatives meticulously selected to drive the company forward and reflect the company’s strategic priorities.
- Departmental Rocks: These are priorities for specific teams (e.g., Marketing, Ops). They support the Company Rocks but are focused on their specific function. Team leaders own these. Departmental Rocks are tailored objectives for each distinctive team that align with the company’s larger aims and support overall team objectives.
- Individual Rocks: These are personal goals for specific team members. They might focus on personal growth, skill acquisition, or specific project management tasks. A team-focused approach ensures that individual contributions support broader team objectives.
When departmental rocks, individual rocks, and organizational rocks are aligned, you create a powerhouse that drives the business forward. Rocks should align with the company vision, core values, and 1-year goals to ensure they contribute to achieving the company’s long-term vision.
Implementing EOS®: Turning Rocks into Results
Implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®) is where the real transformation happens for organizations aiming to achieve business success. While setting goals is important, it’s the disciplined execution of SMART Rocks that makes all the difference.
EOS® gives your leadership team a proven framework to identify and focus on the most critical priorities each quarter, ensuring that every team member is aligned and working toward the same objectives and proven tools and frameworks that drive accountability and execution. Essentially, the system helps you turn strategic planning into a practical, repeatable system.
Setting SMART Rocks means your team isn’t just busy…they’re busy with purpose, focused execution, tackling the highest-impact initiatives that drive business growth. This clarity helps eliminate distractions and keeps everyone focused on what matters most.
With regular check-ins and progress tracking, the entrepreneurial operating system ensures that your team can quickly spot obstacles, adjust strategies, and maintain momentum. Introducing this level of predictability into your business, quarter after quarter can significantly contribute to your overall success by making sure your most critical priorities are always front and center.
The Secret Sauce: How to Track Progress Effectively
Setting Smart Rocks is only step one. Step two is execution.
Many leaders set goals in January and don’t look at them until April. This is why rock fails happen. To maintain momentum, you need regular progress reviews.
In the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®), we use weekly meetings (called Level 10 Meetings™) to review progress.
Every week, you review your Rocks and simply ask: “On Track or Off Track?”
- On Track: Great. Keep going.
- Off Track: Let’s discuss. Do we need to adjust strategies? Do we need more resources?
This system of regular check ins provides valuable insights and ensures that highest priority goals don’t get lost in the day-to-day noise.
Final Thoughts: Saving Your Q1
Look at your upcoming quarter. Look at your priority list.
Ask yourself: “What does DONE look like?”
If you can’t answer that question in one sentence with a number or a date, it’s not a Rock. It’s a wish.
It takes just a little practice to get good at goal setting. But when you do, you unlock a level of progress tracking that makes achieving business success predictable rather than accidental.
You still have time to save the quarter. Set quarterly Rocks that focus on the most critical objectives. Ensure you have buy-in. Aligning your Rocks with the company’s vision and securing buy-in are critical for achieving your strategic objectives, as they help connect individual and team goals to long-term strategic outcomes. And remember that driving business success is about discipline, not just ambition.
Need help scrubbing your list? If you’re staring at your plan realizing it’s full of “Wishes,” let’s fix it.
- Join my Group Workshop to rewrite your Rocks with me live.
- Book a 1:1 Strategy Session to align your strategic planning with your company vision.
