The Proven Process Quarterly Planning EOS

Somewhere in the world of EOS^® --- A hush fell over the conference room as the Precision Process Technology Inc. leadership team (PPT L10 team) of the small, entrepreneurial business looked at the whiteboard with prospective quarterly Rocks listed on the board. There it was—dozens of poorly defined Rocks, ready for keep, kill, or combine.  And of course, no evidence of milestones; that was yet to come. No clarity on who owned what. And the most expensive brains in the company—VPs, directors, and subject matter experts — were sequestered tightly in a windowless room for two days, wrestling with vague objectives and questionable priorities and worse yet, relevance-starved results. Time was slipping. Frustration was mounting. Productivity stalled. Rock planning has always been dreaded, difficult, and deficient in effort and time as it was at the back end of planning sessions with wanning effort and focus!  Effective planning is critical to execution; we all knew this.  However, few of us were proficient in planning where there was experienced to draw upon and leadership to guide the team through this crucial part of our quarterly Rock planning.  And worst of all, with sub‑standard planning, the risk of failing to achieve strategic goals this quarter loomed large.  Another quarter with completion rates in the mid-60s was not acceptable; we were stagnant…………(to be continued.)

The Toll of Poor Planning

Bluntly stated, inadequate Rock definitions had turned what could have been a powerful planning session into a colossal waste. Leaders are left drained, teams feel directionless, and leadership quietly questions the ROI of the planning sessions or “retreats.” I have heard more than one L10 member utter in frustration, “We spent two days and walked out with nothing but uncertainty.” That’s not just ineffective. It’s expensive: with typically six people costing roughly $500-$700/day each, a two‑day session exceeds $8,000. And yet, the clarity L10 teams have walked away with wasn’t worth more than even 50% of a planning session investment. Worse yet — vague Rocks seldom deliver actual value. Completion rates frequently languish well below the expected 85+% target. The small company EOS^® journey can feel stuck, stopped, and stagnant.  And when some Rocks do complete, they lack the punch, the impact, which is needed to move the business forward.  A new perspective can often be helpful.

A Meaningful Opportunity

Enter an innovative, creative process improvement with a focus on SMART Rocks + SMART Milestones introduced by a seasoned, fractional-Integrator, coach & business advisor with 15-years of hands-on EOS^® experience.  Suddenly, this planning expense becomes an investment. Combining AI-assisted Rock generation and milestone creation, SMART rocks and milestones that are more targeted, robust, and finetuned can be achieved quickly with a sharp review within the business context.  With sharper objectives—S for Specific, M for Measurable, A for Achievable, R for Realistic, T for Timely—each Rock crystallizes. No more vague goals that drift. Leaders gain focused direction. And the right cross-functional resources get allocated at the right time. One more win: what used to take several hours in the planning session and many more outside of the planning session as a follow-up is now a high-impact session that finishes four to six hours earlier—, on a high note,  with an energized leadership team,  a leadership team with clarity & a sense of direction. That’s productivity. That’s energy. That’s engagement. That’s improvement. Leaders emerge energized, inspired, and confident, coming out with forward momentum and excitement for the quarter ahead.

How To Make It Real & Apply This in Your Business

1.      Reinforce SMART

·        We start by teaching the SMART acronym: what each letter means, why it matters, and how it fuels accountability and execution. This is embedded yearly and introduced for new leadership team members to establish clarity.

2.      Shape the Rocks

·        Guided brainstorming helps identify 5–7 key quarterly Rocks. Rock owners draft focused 1–2 sentence descriptions that serve as the seed for SMART editing.

3.      Engineer the Precision

·        We deploy custom‑tuned AI prompts (ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini) that convert drafts into polished SMART statements.

·        A second prompt generates six two‑week milestones per Rock, establishing a timeline and execution framework.

4.      Collaborative Review

·        Rock owners and cross‑functional leadership meet to vet each SMART Rock + Milestone set, ensuring resource needs, dependencies, and risk factors are surfaced and addressed.

5.      Finalization & Accountability

·        Rocks are locked in just before week one of the quarter, the board is posted, and weekly “On Track/Off Track” updates become the pulse of progress.

It’s not just planning — its disciplined execution guided by concrete, visual process tools.

Let’s rejoin Precision Process Technology, several planning sessions later, improvements in place, and let’s look in on the results of the recent quarterly planning session.  The new PROVEN PROCESS for SMART Rocks & SMART Milestones was implemented.  The shift in mindset and new process adoption was immediate. Meetings ended hours earlier, but with more robust plans and sharper alignment than the L10 had ever experienced. There was no more fog, no more scattershot efforts—every Rock carried a clear purpose and owner, every milestone robust and forward moving. L10 members left the room not drained but energized. Instead of looking at Rocks as administrative burdens, they now saw them as the backbone of the company’s momentum.

Four quarters later, the impact of several process improvements in the quarterly planning process was undeniable. Rock completion rates soared to 88–90%, well above the old mid‑60s norm. L10 leaders who once dreaded quarterly planning were leaning in with confidence, knowing the session would produce actionable priorities and a clear roadmap for success. Team morale improved as people saw progress not just at the end of a quarter, but throughout, with milestones serving as small wins building momentum. Weekly updates kept everyone honest, and cross‑departmental friction dropped as resource needs and priorities were sorted out proactively before the quarter began, not during it.

In summary Precision Process Technology Inc. experienced tangible benefits & results -

Emotional and Operational Transformation

Before Anxious, frustrated, weary leadership team Doubt festering (“Is this time going to matter, be better?”) Disjointed execution and a weak pulse on progress

After Energized, confident, aligned team Strong sense of momentum (“We’re set for success!”) High-visibility execution and early problem detection

Title: Proven Process - SMART Rock and SMART Milestones^©

Real‑World Results

4 quarters in, the metrics speak volumes:

·        > 88% Rock completion (a nearly 40% increase from historical levels!)

·        Clean, robust milestone tracking—not just completion, but execution rigor

·        Clear resource allocation, with bottlenecks spotted and solved early

·        The Visionary and the Leadership said:

“This was the most effective planning session I have ever been a part of, EOS^® or not.” – Mark B.

“The quality of our Rock statements and the accompanying milestones have never been better or more robust.” – Bev S.

“Drafting the Rock description, using the SMART Rock + SMART Milestone Prompt, then followed by our cross‑functional review… was a solid improvement.” – Jon H.

“Our Rock completion percentages for the last four consecutive quarters… validate this as our PROVEN PROCESS.” – Mike B.

The culture shifted in measurable ways at Precision Process Tech. What was once seen as a draining exercise became a source of energy. Leaders walked out of planning sessions with a renewed sense of purpose and confidence. The dreaded Rock whiteboard had transformed into a scoreboard of progress, fueling healthy accountability instead of anxiety. The business, once stalled, was now moving with urgency and alignment. Strategic objectives weren’t just written down—they were achieved, tracked, and celebrated.

Today, this company doesn’t tiptoe around Rock planning. They lean into it—head‑on, without fear or faint‑of‑heart. They treat it as the foundation for execution, culture, and growth. L10 leaders no longer ask, “Will this quarter be different?” Instead, they state with conviction, “We’re on track, we’re aligned, and we’re winning.”

Your Call-To-Action and Looking Ahead

Use this process outlined as a basis for your Rock planning.  Create an EOS^® proven process for your quarterly and annual Rock planning.  With a Proven Process tailored to your business models you’re ready to:

·        Scale this approach quarterly and annually

·        Continually refine your precision and agility for greater effectiveness & better outcomes

·        Count on discipline and clear accountability—as non-negotiables

·        Power your business with executable plans that drive results

Now is the time to embrace this shift in your own organization. Stop letting planning drain your team and stall your growth. Lean into a proven process for SMART Rock and SMART Milestone development, documentation, and disciplined execution. Build clarity. Build confidence. Build momentum. And watch your team transform quarterly planning from a dreaded obligation into a driver of growth and competitive advantage. The businesses that tackle planning with discipline and courage don’t just meet their goals—they redefine what’s possible.

Conclusion

Maybe your quarterly planning is a daunting challenge.  Use this approach combining an AI-assist to create SMART Rocks & SMART Milestones into a competitive advantage. This Proven Process for quarterly and annual Rock planning is foundational to effectively articulate SMART Rocks and SMART Milestones for the L10 team and the greater organization.  It has reduced wasted time, improved execution, and delivered remarkable results in performance, clarity, and leadership confidence. This is more than meeting targets. It’s beating expectations. It’s energizing execution. It’s shifting culture.  What are you waiting for?!